Lokahitawadi is indeed the famous pen name of Gopal Hari Deshmukh. Let's understand the significance of this pen name and the contributions of Gopal Hari Deshmukh in detail:

Who is Gopal Hari Deshmukh?
Gopal Hari Deshmukh, popularly known as Lokahitawadi, was a prominent social reformer, journalist, and writer during the 19th century in India. He was born on February 18, 1823, in Maharashtra, India. Deshmukh was deeply influenced by the ideas of social justice, equality, and progress.

Significance of the Pen Name 'Lokahitawadi':
The pen name 'Lokahitawadi' holds significant meaning. It can be broken down into two parts: 'Lokahita' and 'wadi.'
- 'Lokahita' means the welfare or well-being of the people.
- 'Wadi' means a resident or inhabitant.

Therefore, the pen name 'Lokahitawadi' reflects Deshmukh's commitment to the welfare and betterment of society. He dedicated his life to advocating for social reforms and uplifting the marginalized sections of society.

Contributions of Gopal Hari Deshmukh:
1. Journalism and Literature:
- Deshmukh was a prolific writer and journalist. He started several newspapers and magazines like 'Lokahita,' 'Prabhakar,' and 'Sudharak.'
- Through his writings, he addressed various social, political, and economic issues prevalent at that time.
- Deshmukh's writings played a crucial role in promoting awareness and awakening among the masses.

2. Social Reforms:
- Gopal Hari Deshmukh actively worked towards the eradication of social evils like untouchability and caste discrimination.
- He advocated for the upliftment of women and fought against child marriage and dowry system.
- Deshmukh also emphasized the importance of education and worked towards spreading literacy among all sections of society.

3. Political Activism:
- Deshmukh actively participated in the political movements of his time.
- He supported the Indian National Congress and worked towards securing political rights and freedom for the country.

4. Educational Initiatives:
- Gopal Hari Deshmukh played a significant role in establishing educational institutions.
- He believed that education was the key to social progress and worked towards providing access to education for all.

5. Legacy:
- Gopal Hari Deshmukh's contributions as Lokahitawadi continue to inspire generations of social reformers and activists.
- His ideas on social equality and justice remain relevant even today.

In conclusion, Gopal Hari Deshmukh, known by his pen name Lokahitawadi, was a remarkable figure in the 19th-century social reform movement in India. Through his writings, social reforms, political activism, and educational initiatives, he made significant contributions to the welfare and progress of society.

Option (a) is the correct answer.

• An outstanding champion of new learning and social reform in Maharashtra was Gopal Hari Deshmukh, who became famous by the pen‟ name of “Lokahilawadi‟. He advocated the reorganization of Indian society on rational principles and modern humanistic and secular values.
• Karsonda Mulji born to a family belonging to the Bhatias, a trading caste of western India, he was repudiated by his family because of his views on widow remarriage. He became a vernacular schoolmaster and started Satyaprakash, a weekly in Gujarati, in which he attacked what he perceived to be the immoralities of the Maharajas or hereditary high priests of the Pushtimarg Vaishnavism, to which the Bhatias belonged.
• After a visit to England on business in connection with the cotton trade, which was not successful and brought on him excommunication from his caste, he was appointed in 1874 to administer a native state in Kathiawar during the minority of the chief.
• WIDOW REMARRIAGE ASSOCIATION was founded by Vishnu Shastri Pandit and Mahadev Govind Ranade in Bombay in 1861. It promoted widow remarriage and campaigned against child marriages, the heavy cost of marriages and customs like the shaving of widow’s head, etc.
• Dadabhai Naoroji was educated at Elphinstone College, Bombay, he was a professor of mathematics and natural philosophy there before turning to politics and a career in commerce that took him to England, where he spent much of his life.
• He stood unsuccessfully for election to Parliament in 1886. In 1892, however, he was elected Liberal member of Parliament for Central Finsbury, London. He became widely known for his unfavourable opinion of the economic consequences of British rule in India and was appointed a member of the royal commission on Indian expenditure in 1895. In 1886, 1893, and 1906 he also presided over the annual sessions of the Indian National Congress, which led the nationalist movement in India. In the session of 1906 his conciliatory tactics helped to postpone the impending split between moderates and extremists in the Congress Party. In his many writings and speeches and especially in Poverty and Un-British Rule in India (1901), Naoroji argued that India was too highly taxed and that its wealth was being drained away to England.