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The 'pledge movement' launched by the Indian National Social Conference (founded by M. G. Ranade) in the late 19th century aimed to:
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Answer: Option C — Prevent child marriage
Detailed Solution
The "pledge movement" launched by the Indian National Social Conference aimed to prevent child marriage, by asking people to take a pledge not to marry their children below a certain age.
About the Indian National Social Conference:
- It was founded in 1887 by Mahadev Govind Ranade and Raghunath Rao, as the social reform wing of the Indian National Congress.
- It met every year at the same venue as the annual session of the Congress, usually immediately after the Congress session.
- It discussed social issues, such as child marriage, the condition of widows, the education of women, polygamy, the caste system and foreign travel.
- It aimed to promote social reform alongside political reform.
The pledge movement:
- Under this movement, members of the Social Conference and other reformers took a pledge that they would not marry their sons or daughters below a certain age.
- The movement tried to change social customs through voluntary action and example, rather than through law alone.
- It was one of the early organised efforts against child marriage in India.
About M. G. Ranade:
- Mahadev Govind Ranade (1842-1901) was a judge, scholar and social reformer of Maharashtra.
- He was a leading member of the Prarthana Samaj and other reform organisations.
- He supported widow remarriage, women's education and the reform of Hindu customs.
- He was a political guru of Gopal Krishna Gokhale.
Debate on social reform:
- There was a debate in the late 19th century about whether the Congress should take up social reform.
- Tilak and others felt that political freedom should come first, and that social reform should not divide the national movement.
- Later, the Social Conference was separated from the Congress sessions.
Later laws against child marriage:
The Age of Consent Act (1891) and the Child Marriage Restraint Act (1929) were passed after long campaigns.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Boycott, sati and temple entry were the subjects of other movements.
Quick tip
Remember: pledge movement of the Indian National Social Conference (founded 1887 by M. G. Ranade and Raghunath Rao) = pledge against child marriage.
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Socio-Religious Reform Movements — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Socio-Religious Reform Movements, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
In the 19th century, reformers worked to remove social evils and revive Indian society. This topic covers organisations such as the Brahmo Samaj, Arya Samaj, Prarthana Samaj, Ramakrishna Mission, Theosophical Society, Satyashodhak Samaj and the Aligarh Movement, along with their founders and the social reforms they achieved. Questions usually ask who founded an organisation and when, or which reformer is linked to a reform. For example, Raja Ram Mohan Roy founded the Brahmo Samaj and campaigned against sati, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar championed widow remarriage, and Jyotiba Phule founded the Satyashodhak Samaj. A table of organisation, founder, year and place covers most questions. Practise the socio-religious reform movements questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.