The Indian National Congress was founded by-

Correct answer: (a) A. O. Hume

Explanation

The Indian National Congress was founded in 1885 by A.O. Hume, a retired British officer. Its first session was held on 28–30 December, 1885 at the Gokuldas Tejpal Sanskrit College in Bombay. A total of 72 delegates participated: 38 from the Bombay Province, 21 from Madras, 3 from Bengal, 7 from the North-Western Provinces and Awadh (present-day Uttar Pradesh), and 3 from Punjab. The first session of the Indian National Congress was presided over by Womesh Chandra Banerjee (W.C. Banerjee), and its first General Secretary was A.O. Hume himself.