Assertion (A) : The first ever Bill to make primary education compulsory in India was rejected in 1911. Reason (R) : Discontent would have increased if every cultivator could read.

The correct answer is Option 1. Both the Assertion and Reason are true, and the Reason provides the underlying logic for the Assertion.

In 1911, Gopal Krishna Gokhale introduced a historic Bill in the Imperial Legislative Council to provide a phased framework for free and compulsory primary education in India. This was the first ever attempt of its kind; however, the British government and official members rejected the Bill in 1912.

The primary reason for this rejection was the colonial administration's fear of the political consequences of mass literacy. The British believed that if the peasantry and cultivators became literate, they would become more aware of their rights, leading to increased political consciousness and widespread discontent against colonial exploitation. The government feared that education would make the masses harder to govern and would eventually challenge the stability of the British Raj, thus justifying the rejection of the Bill.