Correct Option
Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar was a prominent social reformer and educationist in 19th-century Bengal. He served as the Secretary of the Hindu Female School, which was established in 1849 by J.E.D. Bethune. This institution later became known as Bethune Female School and was one of the pioneering efforts for girls' education in India. Vidyasagar played a crucial role in promoting female education and advocating for social reforms, including widow remarriage, which culminated in the passage of the Widow Remarriage Act of 1856.
Incorrect Options
- Annie Besant (1): She was a leading figure in the Theosophical Society and an advocate for women's rights and education in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. However, she was not associated with the Bethune Female School as its Secretary or founder.
- Debendranath Tagore (2): A key leader of the Brahmo Samaj, he was involved in religious and social reform movements. While he contributed to the intellectual and social awakening of Bengal, he did not hold the position of Secretary at the Bethune Female School.
- Sarojini Naidu (4): A distinguished poet, freedom fighter, and political activist of the 20th century, she was a prominent figure in the Indian independence movement. Her work was much later than the establishment of the Bethune Female School, and she was not connected to its early administration.