At which place did Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar set up a school for girls in India for the first time?

Appeared in: DSSSB 14 August 2024

Explanation

Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar was a key figure in the Bengal Renaissance and a strong advocate for women's education.
He collaborated with John Elliot Drinkwater Bethune to establish the Hindu Female School in Calcutta (now Kolkata) in 1849.
This institution, later renamed Bethune School, is recognized as one of the first secular schools for girls in India, and Vidyasagar's efforts were centered in the Bengal region.

Option A: Vidyasagar's social and educational reform activities were primarily centered in Bengal, not the Madras Presidency.
Option C: Delhi was not the focus of Vidyasagar's educational reform efforts during the mid-19th century.
Option D: This school was not founded by Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain History of Social Reforms in 19th Century India as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Vidyasagar's efforts marked a turning point for women's rights and education in 19th-century India, challenging deeply entrenched patriarchal norms.
The establishment of schools for girls created a pathway for women to enter public life and professions, fundamentally altering societal structures.
Understanding the historical context of women's education provides perspective on the evolution of professions like nursing, which became a vital avenue for female empowerment and employment in India.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the key entities in the question: the person ('Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar') and the action ('set up a school for girls').
Next, access your historical knowledge about major 19th-century Indian social reformers. Recall or deduce that Vidyasagar was a central figure of the Bengal Renaissance.
This strong geographical association immediately points towards Calcutta (the capital of British India and the heart of Bengal) as the most probable location for his activities.
Evaluate the other options to confirm your choice. Poona is famously associated with the educational reforms of Jyotirao and Savitribai Phule. Madras and Delhi were not the primary centers of Vidyasagar's work.
By linking the specific reformer to his region of influence, you can confidently select Calcutta as the correct answer.

Concept Tested & Keywords

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