Q. With reference to the efforts towards women’s rights in colonial India, consider the following statements:
1.The Age of Consent Act, 1891, was passed primarily due to the efforts of B.M. Malabari and the public attention generated by the Rukhmabai case.
2.The Child Marriage Restraint Act, 1929, popularly known as the Sarda Act, raised the legal age of marriage for girls to 18 years.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Quarterly-SFG-Jan-to-March
Red Book

[A] 1 only

[B] 2 only

[C] Both 1 and 2

[D] Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: A
Notes:

Explanation:

  • The Age of Consent Act (1891) was indeed influenced by the reform efforts of B.M. Malabari and the famous Rukhmabai case, which highlighted the plight of child brides and the issue of conjugal rights being enforced on them.
  • The Sarda Act of 1929 raised the age of marriage to 14 for girls and 18 for boys, not 18 for girls. The age for girls was later raised to 18 by the Child Marriage Restraint (Amendment) Act of 1978.

Source: Spectrum’s A Brief History of Modern India

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