UPSC Prelims 2005 Q76: Modern History – Social & Religious Reform Movements
Consider the following statements :
1. Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar founded the Bethune School at Calcutta with the main aim of
encouraging education for women.
2. Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay was the first graduate of the Calcutta University.
3. Keshav Chandra Sen’s campaign against Sati led to the enactment of a law to ban Sati by the
then Governor General.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- (a) 1 only
- (b) 1 and 2
- (c) 2 and 3
- (d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer: (b) 1 and 2
Explanation
Reformers and education in nineteenth-century Bengal
| Statement | Verdict |
|---|---|
| 1. Vidyasagar and the Bethune School for women's education | Accepted as correct — he was its secretary and mainstay after Bethune founded it in 1849 |
| 2. Bankim Chandra first graduate of Calcutta University | True — he and Jadunath Bose were the first two graduates (1858) |
| 3. Keshab Chandra Sen's campaign ended Sati | False: Sati was banned in 1829 by Bentinck after Raja Rammohan Roy's campaign |
Statements 1 and 2 are correct. Keshab Chandra Sen was born in 1838, long after the 1829 ban on Sati.
Answer: (b) 1 and 2.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Incorrect. Statement 2 about Bankim Chandra is also correct.
- (b) CORRECT. Statements 1 and 2 are correct; statement 3 is false.
- (c) Incorrect. Statement 3 credits Keshab Chandra Sen wrongly.
- (d) Incorrect. Statement 3 is false, as Rammohan Roy led the campaign.
Key point
Sati banned 1829 (Bentinck, after Rammohan Roy); widow remarriage 1856 (Vidyasagar).
Remember
Sati was abolished in 1829 after Rammohan Roy's campaign.
Common mistakes
- Crediting the Sati law to Keshab Chandra Sen instead of Rammohan Roy.
- Forgetting that Bankim was one of the first graduates of Calcutta University.
- Mixing Vidyasagar's widow remarriage work with Sati abolition.
Exam tip
Rammohan: Sati. Vidyasagar: widow remarriage and women's education. Keshab: Brahmo Samaj of India, Native Marriage Act 1872.
Sources
- Bipan Chandra — Modern India
- Bengal Sati Regulation, 1829 (Regulation XVII of 1829)
- Hindu Widows' Remarriage Act, 1856