Socio-Religious Movements (Parts-II)

Total Questions: 50

11. In which year ‘The Age of Consent Act’ was passed? [Jharkhand P.C.S. (Pre) 2013]

Correct Answer: (b) 1891
Solution:Behramji M. Malabari was the greatest Parsi social reformer of the 19th century. He was born in 1853 in a Parsi family in Baroda. He edited a circular against child marriage and in support of widow remarriage. 'The Age of Consent Act, 1891' was passed by his efforts.

12. His principle forte was social and religious reform. He relied upon legislation to do away with social ills and worked unceasingly for the eradication of child marriage, the purdah system. To encourage consideration of social problems on a national scale, he inaugurated the Indian National Social Conference, which for many years met for its annual sessions alongside the Indian National Congress. [I.A.S. (Pre) 1996]

Their reference in this passage is to:

Correct Answer: (c) Mahadev Govind Ranade
Solution:‘Indian National Social Conference’ was founded in 1887 by M.G. Ranade and Raghunath Rao with the objectives of eliminating polygamy, child marriage, and oligarchy. The session of this conference had been continued with the Indian National Congress for many years.

13. Which of the following pairs is not correctly matched? [R.A.S./R.T.S. (Pre) 2018]

 

InstitutionFounder
(a) Servants of India SocietyG.K. Gokhale
(b) Social Service LeagueN.M. Joshi
(c) Seva SamitiH.N. Kunzru
(d) Social Reform AssociationShri Ram Bajpai
Correct Answer: (d)
Solution:Servants of India Society was established by Gopal Krishna Gokhale in the year 1905, Social Service League was established by Narayan Malhar Joshi in the year 1911, Seva Samiti was established by Hriday Nath Kunzru in the year 1914 and Bombay Presidency Social Reform Association was established in the year 1903 by the then country's prominent social reformers (Chandavarkar, Bhandarkar etc.).

It is known that the Social Reform Association was an organization established by Ranade's Indian National Social Conference (1887). Before this in 1878 Veeresalingam founded the Rajahmundry Social Reform Association.

14. The Rajamundri Social Reform Association to encourage widow re-marriage was founded in 1871 by [R.A.S./R.T.S. (Pre) 2021]

Correct Answer: (a) Veeresalingam
Solution:The Rajamundri Social Reform Association was formed by Raj Bahadur Kandukuri Veeresalingam Pantulu. He was a social reformer from the Madras Presidency of British-India. He is considered as the father of the Telugu Renaissance movement.

Through the association he fought against hiring nautch girls and spearheaded a campaign for widow remarriage.

15. During the Indian Freedom Struggle, the National Social Conference was formed. What was the reason for its formation? [I.A.S. (Pre) 2012]

Correct Answer: (b) Indian National Congress did not want to include social reforms in its deliberations and decided to form a separate body for such a purpose
Solution:Indian National Congress did not want to include social reforms in its deliberations as it felt that the Congress platform should be devoted to political affairs only. So it was suggested to form a separate body for such purposes.

16. Consider the following statements: [I.A.S. (Pre) 2001]

  1. Arya Samaj was founded in 1835
  2. Lala Lajpat Rai opposed the appeal of Arya Samaj to the authority of Vedas in support of its social reform programme
  3. Under Keshab Chandra Sen, the Brahmo Samaj campaigned for women's education
  4. Vinoba Bhave founded the Sarvodaya Samaj to work among refugees

Which of these statements are correct?

Correct Answer: (d) 3 and 4
Solution:Arya Samaj was founded on April, 1875, at Bombay by Dayanand Saraswati. Thus statement 1 is incorrect. Lala Lajpat Rai was one of the members of Arya Samaj who did not oppose the appeal of Arya Samaj to the authority of Vedas in support of its social reform programme.

Thus, statement 2nd is also incorrect. Brahmo Samaj launched the movement for the education of women in the society under Keshav Chandra Sen. Vinoba Bhave founded the Sarvodaya Samaj to raise the living standard of the Indians and to promote the principles of Mahatma Gandhi and work among refugees. Thus, statement 3 and 4 are correct.

17. In which year “The Hindu Widow Remarriage Act” was passed? [M.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 2019]

Correct Answer: (a) 1856
Solution:Religious Disabilities Act was never passed in India. The Hindu Widows Remarriage Act of 1856, enacted in response to the campaign of Pandit Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, provided legal safeguards against loss of certain forms of inheritance for a remarrying Hindu widow.

Vishnushastri and D.K. Karve were the leaders connected to widow welfare. D.K. Karve founded Hindu widows home in 1896 in Pune and also established first Women University in 1916 in Bombay. The Bengal Sati Regulation, 1829, was passed in the period of William Bentinck, the Governor general of Bengal. Dalhousie's policy of annexation was presented in 1848.

18. The name of D.K. Karve of Western India figures in the context of which of the following? [U.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 2016]

Correct Answer: (e) Both women Education & Widow Remarriage
Solution:Dhondo Keshav Karve was an Indian social reformer and educator from Western India. He worked in the field of Women's welfare. He worked in promoting widow's education. He started a shelter and school for widows. He established the first University for women in India in 1916.

19. Who among the following prominently fought for and got widow remarriage legalized? [U.P.P.C.S. (Mains) 2012]

Correct Answer: (b) Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar
Solution:The Hindu Widows’ Remarriage Act of 1856 was enacted in response to the campaign of Pandit Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar. The act provided legal safeguards against loss of certain forms of inheritance for a remarrying Hindu widow.

20. Who among the following was associated as Secretary with Hindu Female School which later came to be known as Bethune Female School? [I.A.S. (Pre) 2021]

Correct Answer: (c) Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar
Solution:Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar was the first secretary of Bethune College. Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar (1820-1891) was a prominent figure in the Bengal Renaissance, a period marked by a resurgence of Indian culture, education, and social reforms.

Born on September 26, 1820, in Birsingha village, West Bengal, Vidyasagar rose from humble beginnings to become one of the most respected intellectuals of his time.

His early life was characterized by poverty, but his insatiable thirst for knowledge led him to earn scholarships and graduate from the Sanskrit College in Calcutta (now Kolkata) in 1841.

His mastery of Sanskrit and other subjects earned him the title "Vidyasagar," meaning "Ocean of Knowledge." Vidyasagar's contributions to education, literature, and social reform have left an indelible mark on Indian history.