Question 28 from UPSC CSE 2021 - Modern History

Question

Who among the following was associated as Secretary with Hindu Female School which later came to be known as Bethune Female School?

Accepted Answer

Correct Option: C. Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar

Strategy: Focus on 19th-century Bengal social reformers involved in women's education. Exclude figures from later periods like Annie Besant and Sarojini Naidu, and those primarily known for other movements like Debendranath Tagore. Identify Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar as the key figure due to his leadership in women's education and his role as Secretary of the Hindu Female School.

Key Info: The Hindu Female School was founded in 1849 in Calcutta by John Elliot Drinkwater Bethune, an English educator and reformer. Supported by Indian social reformers like Ramgopal Ghosh and Dakshinaranjan Mukherjee, it was the first school exclusively for girls in India, established to promote women's education amidst orthodox opposition. In 1856, the school came under government management and was renamed Bethune School.

Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar (1820–1891), a renowned Bengali polymath and reformer, was appointed Secretary of its Managing Committee. He was a leader in the movement for girls' education and widow remarriage, playing an instrumental role in both policy and grassroots social transformation in Bengal.

**Key Figures and Their Connections**
- **Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar**: Closely associated with the school as Secretary of its Managing Committee and a key advocate for women's education.
- **Annie Besant**: Primarily involved with the Theosophical and Home Rule movements, with no connection to the school.
- **Debendranath Tagore**: A leader of the Brahmo Samaj, not significantly involved in the administration of women's education.
- **Sarojini Naidu**: An active figure in early twentieth-century politics, she had no connection to the foundation or early administration of the school.

Answer

Option A: Annie Besant

Answer

Option B: Debendranath Tagore

Answer

Option D: Sarojini Naidu