Statement I : The Bethune School, founded in Calcutta in 1849 was the first fruit of the powerful move- ment for women’s education that arose in the 1840s and 1850s. Statement I : The first step in giving modem education to girls was undertaken by Vidyasagar in 1800.

Statement I is true as the Bethune School, established in Calcutta in 1849 by John Elliot Drinkwater Bethune, was a landmark achievement of the women's education movement that gained momentum in the 1840s and 1850s [2]. Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar served as its first Secretary and was a pioneer in the field [1]. However, Statement II is false. While Vidyasagar was a monumental figure in female education, his major contributions, such as organizing thirty-five girls' schools and serving as Secretary of Bethune School, occurred in the mid-19th century (1840s-1850s) [1]. In 1800, Vidyasagar was not yet born; he was born in 1820. Early efforts in modern female education in Bengal were actually initiated by Christian missionaries, such as the Calcutta Female Juvenile Society in 1819.

Sources

1. [1] Modern India ,Bipin Chandra, History class XII (NCERT 1982 ed.)[Old NCERT] > Chapter 7: Social and Cultural Awakening in the First Half of the 19th Century > MODERN INDIA > p. 131
2. [2] Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 9: A General Survey of Socio-Cultural Reform Movements > Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar > p. 214