Social & Cultural Awakening, Lower Caste, Trade Union Peasants Movements

Ramakrishna Mission - These periodicals are organs of the Ramakrishna Order and reflect its religious and social reform activities.

Prabuddha Bharata is an English monthly started in 1896 at the behest of Swami Vivekananda and became the long-running English journal associated with the Ramakrishna Math and Mission.

Udbodhan is the Bengali organ of the Ramakrishna Order, established to disseminate the teachings and activities of the Order in Bengali-speaking areas.

Vedanta Kesari is the Tamil monthly published by the Ramakrishna Math, Chennai, to propagate Vedanta and the Order's message in Tamil.

The common publisher and institutional sponsor for all three is the Ramakrishna Mission, the socio-religious reform and service organization founded by Swami Vivekananda in 1897.

Arts (paintings) and Science respectively

Nandalal Bose (1882-1966) was a leading painter of the Bengal School of Art. He drew on traditional Indian sources (for example, Ajanta, Mughal and Rajput styles) to develop a modern Indian visual idiom and left a lasting influence on twentieth-century Indian art.

Prafulla Chandra Ray (1861-1944) was a pioneering chemist, educator and industrialist who founded the Bengal Chemical & Pharmaceutical Works. He is widely regarded as the "Father of Indian Chemistry" for his original research, teaching and promotion of indigenous chemical industry.

Therefore, their recognitions correspond to arts (paintings) and science, respectively.

Mahatma Gandhi: He founded and edited the weekly newspaper Indian Opinion in 1903 while living in South Africa to inform and mobilize the Indian community and to publicize their grievances against discriminatory laws and practices.

The paper was issued in English, Gujarati, Hindi and Tamil, and served as Gandhi's main platform for reporting events, explaining tactics such as passive resistance (satyagraha), and coordinating community campaigns.

Gandhi acted as editor and principal contributor; Indian Opinion became the principal voice of the Indian community in South Africa and remained influential until Gandhi's return to India in 1914.

Raja Ram Mohan Roy - The tract Tuhfat-ul-Muwahhidin (often translated as "A Gift to Monotheists") was written by Raja Ram Mohan Roy in the early 19th century. Roy composed major works in Persian and also wrote in Arabic, Bengali and English, with Tuhfat-ul-Muwahhidin originally produced in Persian and later made available in other languages.

The work presents a rational and scripture-based critique of prevailing religious practices, arguing against idolatry and polytheism by appealing to authoritative texts and reason.

Roy used selective readings of the Vedas and other sources to argue that the core scriptures support monotheism, and he sought to build a theological foundation for the social and educational reforms he advocated (for example, campaigns against sati and for modern education).

The tract is therefore significant as an early, learned defense of monotheistic interpretation in India and as part of Roy's broader reformist agenda.

formation of Justice movement.

C. Natesa Mudaliar, T. M. Nair and P. Theagaraya Chetty were among the founders of the South Indian Liberal Federation, commonly known as the Justice Party, which was established in 1916 in the Madras Presidency.

The party was formed to secure greater access for non-Brahmin communities to government jobs, education and communal representation, and it advocated policies such as early forms of reservations in public employment and education to redress perceived caste inequalities.

The Justice Party positioned itself against the Indian National Congress, which it viewed as dominated by Brahmins, and went on to form provincial governments in the Madras Presidency during the 1920s and 1930s, implementing several administrative and social reforms for non-Brahmin communities.

Later, E. V. Ramasamy (Periyar) became a prominent leader associated with the party and allied movements (he was elected president of the party in 1938), furthering the cause of social reform through the Self-Respect Movement.

Debendranath Tagore - He established the Tattvabodhini Sabha in 1839.

The Sabha was formed to study and propagate Vedantic rational-theist ideas and functioned as an intellectual and reformist forum in Calcutta.

To spread these views it launched the journal Tattvabodhini Patrika in 1843.

In 1843 Debendranath also played the leading role in reviving the Brahmo Samaj, and members of the Sabha effectively merged with it, making the Tattvabodhini group the ideological core of the Brahmo movement.

1 only

Statement 1 is correct. Lord Curzon convened discussions on university reform and on 27 January 1902 appointed the commission under Sir Thomas Raleigh; the commission's recommendations led to the enactment of the Indian Universities Act, 1904.

Statement 2 is incorrect. The Indian Universities Act, 1904 increased official control over universities and made affiliation more regulated and, in practice, more difficult for new institutions; it did not relax affiliation requirements to promote private-college research. The Act also regulated the composition and tenure of university bodies (for example, fixing numbers and terms such as 50-100 members and a term of six years) and strengthened government oversight.

Hence, only Statement 1 is correct.

1 and 2 only

Statement 1 - Correct: He was a key campaigner for the passage of the Hindu Widows' Remarriage Act, 1856, mobilising public opinion through petitions, articles and appeals to legislators to allow and legalise remarriage of Hindu widows.

Statement 2 - Correct: He served as Principal of Sanskrit College, Calcutta, being appointed to that post in 1851, and used his position to promote educational reforms and vernacular instruction.

Statement 3 - Incorrect: He was not opposed to the introduction of Western education; rather, he supported modern education and educational reform (including promotion of female education and simpler Bengali prose) while also valuing classical learning.

Thus, statements 1 and 2 are correct and statement 3 is incorrect.

C: 2 and 3 only

Statement 1 is incorrect. The organization was founded in 1873 by Jyotirao (Jotiba) Phule, who was its leading figure (commonly described as founder and president/leader). Savitribai Phule was a pioneer of women's education and closely associated with the movement, but she was not the inaugural president nor was Jyotiba Phule the first secretary as claimed.

Statement 2 is correct. Members were required to take an oath invoking a deity (commonly referred to as Khanderao) and to declare loyalty to the British Government. This pledge reflected the Samaj's strategy of seeking protection from colonial authority against Brahmanical domination and caste persecution.

Statement 3 is correct. The organization explicitly rejected the orthodox caste system and the traditional varna hierarchy, opposed priestly intermediaries and ritual orthodoxy, and worked for the social and educational uplift of oppressed castes.

Hence, only statements 2 and 3 are factually correct.

1 and 2 only

Statements 1 and 2 are correct; statement 3 is incorrect.

Al-Hilal was founded by Maulana Abul Kalam Azad on 13 July 1912 in Calcutta. It functioned as an influential Urduweekly that vocally opposed British rule and promoted Hindu-Muslim unity and Indian nationalism. Because of its strong anti-colonial stance and its rejection of separatist ideas (the two-nation theory advanced by elements of the Muslim League), it was frequently targeted by the colonial authorities.

Statement 3 is incorrect because the paper was published in Urdu, not in English, although it was indeed a prominent weekly.

Only two

Statement 1 is incorrect. The Indian Councils Act, 1909 actually increased the number of non-official and elected members in both the Imperial and provincial legislative councils by recognizing limited elective representation; it did not decrease their numbers.

Statement 2 is correct. The Act provided for the nomination of one Indian to the Viceroy's Executive Council (a provision realized later in practice, e.g., by the appointment of Satyendra Prasanna Sinha).

Statement 3 is correct. The reforms extended legislative functions by permitting members to ask questions and supplementary questions, move resolutions, and-for the first time-vote on separate items in the budget (enabling discussion and separate voting on specific demands though without full financial control).

Therefore, two statements are correct (Statements 2 and 3) and one is incorrect (Statement 1).

1, 2 and 4 only

Servants of India Society: Founded in 1905 by Gopal Krishna Gokhale. M. G. Ranade died in 1901, so he could not have been a founder or formal member; however, his ideas and mentorship of leaders like Gokhale strongly influenced the Society's ethos. Direct institutional affiliation therefore does not apply.

Deccan Education Society: Established around 1884 to promote modern education in the Bombay Presidency. Ranade was actively associated with its educational work and collaborated with leading educationists of the time (such as G. G. Agarkar and B. G. Tilak), and played a supportive and guiding role in its early development.

Seva Sadan: Founded by Ramabai Ranade (Mrs. Ranade) after M. G. Ranade's death (commonly dated 1908). M. G. Ranade was not directly affiliated with Seva Sadan.

Indian Social Conference: Initiated in the late 1880s as a forum to discuss social reform issues alongside the political debates of the time. M. G. Ranade was a principal founder and leading promoter of this body, and he used it to advocate reforms such as widow remarriage, opposition to child marriage and caste barriers.

Summary of verified facts: direct/active affiliation - Deccan Education Society and Indian Social Conference; indirect/inspirational link - Servants of India Society (influence but not membership/founding); no direct affiliation - Seva Sadan.

A: 1, 3 and 4 only

Bal Gangadhar Tilak: A leading extremist nationalist, he was a dominant public figure but never held the office of President of the Indian National Congress; factional differences between moderates and extremists prevented his election to the presidential chair.

Gopal Krishna Gokhale: A prominent moderate leader and social reformer, he served as President of the Indian National Congress at the 1905 Banaras session, so he is not among those who never presided.

M. G. Ranade: An early social reformer and influential moderate, he was closely associated with the formation of public opinion and institutional reforms but did not preside over any annual Congress session.

Aurobindo Ghosh: Active in early revolutionary politics and later a spiritual leader, he likewise did not serve as President of the Indian National Congress.

Thus, the correct selection comprises statements 1, 3 and 4.

C: Only four

The Madras Mahajana Sabha was established on 16 May 1884 as an early representative body in the Madras Presidency.

Four of the five persons named were among its founders/early associates: G. Subramania Iyer, M. Viraraghavachari, P. Ananda Charlu, and P. Rangiah Naidu.

Other founding members included Balaji Rao and Salem Ramaswamy Mudaliar. C. Rajagopalachari was not associated with the Sabha (he belonged to a later generation and became prominent in national politics subsequently).

Therefore, exactly four of the listed individuals were associated with the Sabha.

1 and 3 only

Pair 1 is correct. The Indian League was started in 1875 by Sisir Kumar Ghosh (who was also associated with the Amrita Bazar Patrika) to foster nationalist feeling and political awareness.

Pair 2 is incorrect. The Poona Sarvajanik Sabha was established in 1870 with prominent founders including Mahadev Govind Ranade (and associates such as Ganesh Vasudev Joshi); Bal Gangadhar Tilak was not its founder.

Pair 3 is correct. The Bombay Presidency Association was formed in 1885 with leaders such as Badruddin Tyabji, Pherozeshah Mehta and K. T. Telang to represent the political interests of the Bombay Presidency.

C - All three pairs are correct.

• Gopal Ganesh Agarkar (1856-1895) was a social reformer and educationist who launched and edited the Marathi periodical Sudharak and was a founder of the Deccan Education Society.

• Pandita Ramabai (1858-1922) authored the critique Stree Purush Tulana, arguing for women's education and reforms; this work is correctly associated with her.

• Balshastri Jambhekar (1812-1846) is regarded as an early pioneer of Marathi journalism; he launched the newspaper Darpan and subsequently published the periodical Digdarshan, making the association valid.

Establishment of Fort William College, Calcutta: Founded in 1800 by Lord Wellesley as an academy of oriental studies within the Fort William complex in Calcutta, this event predates the others listed.

Publication of Kesari newspaper by Bal Gangadhar Tilak: Kesari was started by Bal Gangadhar Tilak in 1881.

Founding of Ramakrishna Mission by Swami Vivekananda: The Ramakrishna Mission was established by Swami Vivekananda on 1 May 1897.

Raja Ram Mohan Roy published Sambad Kaumudi: Sambad Kaumudi, a Bengali periodical started by Raja Ram Mohan Roy, began publication in 1821.

Only one

Statement 1 is incorrect. The society was established in 1875 in New York by Helena Petrovna Blavatsky and Henry Steel Olcott (with early involvement of William Quan Judge); Annie Besant joined later and was elected president in 1907.

Statement 2 is correct. The movement emphasized spiritual evolution and promoted meditation, contemplation and esoteric practices as means for the individual soul to realise unity with the divine rather than relying solely on formal institutional worship.

Statement 3 is incorrect. The society accepted and promoted the doctrines of reincarnation and karma, drawing on sources such as the Upanishads and ideas from Vedanta and Samkhya.

Hence, only one of the three statements is correct.

All three.

The Women's Indian Association was founded in 1917 (Adyar, Madras) by leaders such as Annie Besant, Margaret Cousins, Muthulakshmi Reddy and others as a national organisation to press for social and political reforms for women.

It campaigned for social reforms including the abolition of child marriage and sought to raise the age of consent to 16, making the first statement correct.

Annie Besant acted as a prominent representative of the association in its early political work and in 1918 presented the WIA's case for women's political rights (including franchise) before British authorities such as Edwin Montagu, so the second statement is correct.

The association's official organ was the journal Stri Dharma, published to spread its ideas (in English and vernacular editions) and mobilise public opinion, so the third statement is correct.

Therefore, all three statements are factually correct.

Only two - Statements 1 and 2 are correct; statement 3 is incorrect.

Statement 1 is correct. Swami Vivekananda formally established the Ramakrishna Mission on May 1, 1897 at Belur Math to propagate the teachings of Sri Ramakrishna and to combine spiritual practice with organised social service.

Statement 2 is correct. He maintained that Vedanta and other Indian spiritual traditions were compatible with a modern scientific temper, stressing a rational, experiential approach to spirituality and arguing for harmony between spiritual insight and scientific inquiry.

Statement 3 is incorrect. Vivekananda insisted that social reform was essential for national regeneration; he strongly criticised the abuses of the caste system and untouchability and repeatedly called for the uplift of the masses through education and social work.

Shri Ramalinga Swamy: Shri Ramalinga Swamy (born in Tamil Nadu) was a prominent Tamil poet in the 19th century and a member of the "gnana siddhars" lineage.
Vision of Social Reforms:

• Vallalar's vision transcends religious, caste, and creed barriers, recognizing divinity in every atom of the universe.
• Vallalar was strongly against the caste system and initiated the 'Samarasa Vedha Sanmarga Sangam' in 1865, later renamed 'Samarasa Suddha Sanmarga Sathya Sangam.' Hence, statement 1 is correct.
• He established 'The Sathya Dharma Salai,' a free food facility in Vadalur, Tamil Nadu in 1867, serving all people without caste distinctions.
• In January, 1872, Vallalar opened the 'Sathya Gnana Sabha' (Hall of True Knowledge) in Vadalur.

Philosophical Beliefs and Teachings:

• One of Vallalar's primary teachings was "Service to Living Beings is the path of Liberation/Moksha."
• Vallalar believed that the intelligence possessed by humans is illusory (Maya) intelligence and not accurate or final. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.
  • He emphasized "Jeeva Karunyam" (Compassion for living beings) as the path of final intelligence.
• He forbade killing animals for the sake of food and advocated feeding the poor as the highest form of worship. Hence, statement 3 is not correct.
• He also believed that God in the form of Grace is the personification of Mercy and Knowledge.
• And, Mercy is a path to God. Hence, statement 4 is correct.

1. Madrasatul Uloom - Established in 1875
This is correctly matched. Sir Syed Ahmad Khan founded Madrasatul Uloom, which later evolved into the Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College.

2. Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College - Founded in 1877
This is correctly matched. The college was indeed founded in 1877 and later became the Aligarh Muslim University.

3. Aligarh Muslim University - Became a university in 1920
This is correctly matched. The Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College was elevated to university status in 1920, becoming Aligarh Muslim University.

4. Viceregal Council - Served as a member in 1883
This is incorrectly matched. Sir Syed Ahmad Khan joined the British judicial service in 1876 but was not a member of the Viceregal Council in 1883. He was, however, involved in various educational reforms and commissions.

Thus, three pairs are correctly matched.

• Ram Mohan Roy had mastery over Persian and Arabic, and great familiarity with the Hindu and the Islamic trends of logic and reason. Consequently, he found it difficult to accept both the missionary claim of the superiority of Christianity and the liberal proclamation of the absence of rational thought in India. Vedantic monism and the ideas of the Quran had great appeal for him, as did unitarianism, which he came in contact with after his move to Calcutta. Together, they confirmed his belief in the superiority of the rational faith over the prevailing popular religions, which impaired human beings’ freedom by tying them to mechanical rituals, irrational myths and superstitions.
• The unity of civilizations advocated by the Orientalist scholars and the ‘unity of Godhead’ proclaimed in Colebrook’s essay on the Vedas consolidated Ram Mohan’s conviction that monotheism was the basis of Hinduism and that practices that differed from ancient textual prescriptions were all aberrations that had to be done away with. Sati was only one such practice. He also condemned polytheism, idol worship and priestcraft, and translated the Upanishads into Bengali to substantiate his claim that monotheism was the basis of Hindu thought. Ideas similar to that propagated by the Brahmo Samaj were echoed in other Presidencies. In Maharashtra, in particular, Atmaram Pandurang took the initiative in establishing the Prarthana Samaj (The Prayer Society) in Bombay in 1867. In 1868, M. G. Ranade and R. G. Bhandarkar joined the Prarthana Samaj and infused it with new vigour.
• The Samaj took a two-pronged stand – it proclaimed the unity of God and argued against the ‘existing corruption of the Hindu religion’. Individual members of the Samaj laid stress on social reforms and sought to gain support for abandoning caste, introducing widow remarriage, abolishing Purdah and child marriage, and encouraging female education. Ranade also attempted to give the Samaj a comprehensive philosophic basis through his essay, ‘Theists Confession of Faith’. Dayanand Saraswati internalized the Orientalist privileging of the texts as the basis of religion and affirmed that the Vedas were the most authentic religious texts of the Hindus.
• All post-Vedic developments, according to him, were accretions to be purged. He refused to recognize the hereditary basis of the caste system as an organic division of society, sought to create an ‘open social system’, where women and the Shudras received a measure of learning and made education, and not birth, the determinant of status. He denounced the worship of gods and goddesses, and advocated the worship of the Supreme Being. Encouraging inter-caste marriages followed upon Dayanand’s understanding that the caste was not defined by heredity, but by the character and achievements of each individual. Dayanand’s reformed society was equally ‘an organically structured social body’, where different castes performed functions suitable to their status, determined by merit. 

• In 1925, the National Council of Women in India, a national branch of the International Council of Women, was formed. Hence statement 1 is correct.
• When it was first organized the National Council had three life patrons- the Dowager Begum Saheb of Bhopal, Maharani Saheb of Baroda and Lady Dorab Tata. The president was the Maharani of Baroda. The Maharani continued to serve the organization as president in 1928, 1930-4, and 1936-7.
• From 1938 to 1944 the Maharani Setu Parvati Bayi of Travancore was president. x To a great extent, the works of the Council were determined by the interest of the individual members. Standing sectional committees were formed to deal with art, labour, legislation, and the press. The Council primarily looked to the government for the improvements they desired. They were confident that they understood both the problems of Indian women and the solutions to these problems and advised the government on welfare issues. They found this work agreeable and their contacts, established through family, marriage, and social interaction, gave them a credibility that exceeded their experience or numbers.
• Mehribai Tata played a vital role in its formation and advancement. She opined that the purdah system, caste differences and lack of education prevented women from working to solve societal problems. Other women who held important positions on the executive committee of the council included Cornelia Sarabji, India’s first lady barrister; Tarabai Premchand, wife of a wealthy banker; Shaffi Tyabji, a member of one of Mumbai’s leading Muslim families; and Maharani Sucharu Devi, daughter of Keshab Chandra Sen. Hence statement 2 is correct.