After the first provincial elections held under the Government of India Act 1935 (conducted in 1937), the only two provinces out of eleven that had non-Congress ministries were which of the following?

Introduction / Context:
This question relates to the political situation in British India following the first provincial elections held under the Government of India Act 1935. These elections, conducted in 1937, allowed Indian political parties to form ministries in the provinces. The Indian National Congress formed governments in several provinces, but there were a few exceptions where non Congress parties held power. Knowing which provinces did not have Congress ministries helps in understanding the regional political diversity of that period.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The elections referred to are the provincial elections under the Government of India Act 1935, held in 1937.
• There were eleven provinces in British India at that time.
• Most provinces had Congress ministries, but two did not.
• The options give different combinations of provinces.

Concept / Approach:
The approach is to recall the electoral performance of the Congress and regional parties in 1937. Congress formed ministries in provinces like the United Provinces, Central Provinces, Bihar, Orissa, Madras, Bombay and others. In Bengal, regional parties such as the Krishak Praja Party, in alliance with the Muslim League, played a major role. In Punjab, the Unionist Party was dominant. These two provinces had non Congress ministries, even though Congress had influence there as well. Assam and Kerala do not fit this historical pattern, and Kerala was not even a province in that form in 1937.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: List the provinces where Congress clearly formed the ministry after 1937: United Provinces, Central Provinces, Bihar, Orissa, Madras, Bombay and others. Step 2: Recall that in Punjab, the Unionist Party, representing a coalition of Muslim, Hindu and Sikh landed interests, formed the ministry. Step 3: In Bengal, the ministry was formed by a combination of the Krishak Praja Party and the Muslim League, not by the Congress. Step 4: Therefore, Bengal and Punjab stand out as the two provinces with non Congress ministries. Step 5: Match this conclusion with the options to identify "Bengal and Punjab" as the correct pair.

Verification / Alternative check:
Standard textbooks on modern Indian history, when discussing the 1937 provincial elections, consistently list Bengal and Punjab as exceptions where Congress did not form the government. Assam had a Congress ministry and Kerala did not exist as a separate province in that form at the time. This independent cross check confirms that Bengal and Punjab are the accurately remembered provinces.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Assam and Kerala: Assam did have Congress influence and ministry, and Kerala as a separate state was not yet formed in 1937.
Bengal and Assam: Assam is wrongly included here because it had a Congress ministry, so this combination is historically inaccurate.
Punjab and Kerala: Again, Kerala is not a correct unit in this context, and the combination does not reflect the real distribution of ministries.

Common Pitfalls:
Students often mix up the constitutional year (1935) with the actual election year (1937) and may also confuse later state boundaries with earlier provincial divisions. Another frequent mistake is assuming that Congress either ruled everywhere or nowhere, without recognising strong regional parties in provinces like Punjab and Bengal. Keeping track of the specific exceptions is key to answering such questions correctly.

Final Answer:
After the 1937 provincial elections under the Government of India Act 1935, the two provinces with non Congress ministries were Bengal and Punjab.