Consider the following statements : 1. Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar founded the Bethune School at Calcutta with the main aim of encouraging education for women. 2. Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay was the first graduate of the Calcutta University. 3. Keshav Chandra Sen’s campaign against Sati led to the enactment of a law to ban Sati by the then Governor General. Which of the statements is/are correct?

The correct answer is B (1 and 2).

• Statement 1 is considered correct: Although Bethune School was officially established by J.E.D. Bethune in 1849, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar was instrumental in its foundation. He served as its founding Secretary and kept the institution running after Bethune's death, earning him recognition as a co-founder.
• Statement 2 is correct: Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay and Jadunath Bose became the first two graduates of Calcutta University, passing their B.A. examinations in 1858.
• Statement 3 is incorrect: The campaign to ban Sati was led by Raja Ram Mohan Roy, not Keshav Chandra Sen. Roy's efforts resulted in the Bengal Sati Regulation of 1829 by Governor-General Lord William Bentinck. Keshav Chandra Sen was a later reformer who campaigned against child marriage.