UPSC Mains 2017 GS1 Q18 — Social Reform

• The ideological underpinnings and motivations of male reformers vs early female voices.
• The tension between 'revivalist' and 'reformist' approaches to women's status.
• The transition from legal-protection focus (Sati/Widow Remarriage) to empowerment focus (Education/Property).
• Limitations of the movement, such as its upper-caste/class bias and the 'Public vs. Private' sphere debate.

• Mixing up 20th-century freedom struggle movements (like Satyagraha) with 19th-century social reforms.
• Failing to distinguish between 'issues' (the problems) and 'debates' (the conflicting viewpoints on how to solve them).
• Neglecting the role of Christian Missionaries and the colonial 'Civilizing Mission' as catalysts for the debate.
• Writing a generic list of reformers (Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Vidyasagar) without analyzing the specific 'questions' they raised.

Allocate 50 words to the introduction linking the 'women's question' to the colonial encounter. Spend 150 words on the core 'issues and debates'—specifically contrasting the perspectives of different reform schools. Use the final 50 words to conclude on how these 19th-century debates laid the foundation for the 20th-century feminist consciousness.