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 is/are correct?
A
1 only
B
1 and 2
C
2 and 3
D
1, 2 and 3
Correct Answer: Option A
Explanation
1. Statement 1 is correct. Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar was closely associated with the Bethune School in Calcutta (founded by John Elliot Drinkwater Bethune) and was a strong proponent of women's education.
2. Statement 2 is correct. Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay and Jodunath Bose were the first two graduates of Calcutta University in 1858.
3. Statement 3 is incorrect. Raja Ram Mohan Roy's campaign against Sati led to the enactment of the Bengal Sati Regulation in 1829 by Lord William Bentinck. Keshav Chandra Sen campaigned against child marriage, leading to the Native Marriage Act of 1872.
4. Therefore, statements 1 and 2 are correct.