Women Freedom Fighters — Set 4

Correct Answer: B. France

Bhikaji Cama lived in exile in France for most of her active revolutionary life, working tirelessly for Indian independence from Paris. She edited a revolutionary journal called 'Bande Mataram' with Shyamji Krishna Varma and Lala Lajpat Rai. She unfurled the Indian flag at Stuttgart in 1907. She returned to India only in 1935 shortly before her death in Mumbai.

Correct Answer: C. Three months

Usha Mehta operated the Congress Radio (also called Secret Congress Radio) for approximately three months during the Quit India Movement in 1942 before she was arrested by the British. The station broadcast nationalist messages and information about the movement when all major leaders had been arrested. She was sentenced to four years imprisonment for this act. She received the Padma Vibhushan in 1998.

Correct Answer: D. Bharat Ratna

Aruna Asaf Ali received the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honor, posthumously in 1997. She had died in July 1996 at the age of 87. During her lifetime she had also received the Lenin Peace Prize (1964) and the Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding (1991). She is remembered as the 'Grand Old Lady of Indian Independence' for her fearless hoisting of the flag on August 9, 1942.

Correct Answer: B. Pune

Savitribai Phule, along with her husband Jyotirao Phule, opened India's first school for girls at Bhide Wada in Pune in 1848. She is considered India's first female teacher. She faced enormous social hostility including people throwing dung and stones at her while walking to school. She trained as a teacher through the efforts of Savitribai Phule's mentor, the American missionary couple Cynthia and Thomas Farrar.

Correct Answer: C. Surya Sen (Masterda)

Pritilata Waddedar was a devoted follower of Surya Sen (Masterda) and participated in the Chittagong Armoury Raid of April 18, 1930. She was one of the first women revolutionaries to take part in an armed attack. She swallowed potassium cyanide on September 23, 1932 to avoid capture after the attack on the Pahartali European Club. She was only 21 years old at the time of her death.

Correct Answer: B. Adyar Cancer Institute

Muthulakshmi Reddi founded the Adyar Cancer Institute (Cancer Institute, Adyar) in Chennai in 1952, which became one of India's premier cancer treatment centers. She was the first woman to be nominated to the Madras Legislative Council in 1927. She worked for abolition of the devadasi system and for women's education and health. She received the Padma Bhushan in 1956.

Correct Answer: B. Andhra Mahila Sabha

Durgabai Deshmukh founded the Andhra Mahila Sabha in 1926 to promote women's education and welfare in Andhra. She began her nationalist activities at the age of 12 when she addressed a meeting in support of the Non-Cooperation Movement. She was imprisoned by the British multiple times. She later served as a Member of Parliament and as Chairman of the Central Social Welfare Board.

Correct Answer: B. Political Agent St. John Thackeray

Kittur Chennamma's forces killed Political Agent St. John Thackeray during the first battle in Kittur in 1824, which was a major blow to British authority. The British then sent a larger force under Mr. Chaplin which eventually defeated her. She was captured and imprisoned at Bailhongal fort in present-day Karnataka. October 23 is celebrated as Kittur Utsav to commemorate her heroism.

Correct Answer: C. Uttar Pradesh

Sarojini Naidu served as the first Governor of Uttar Pradesh from 1947 until her death in March 1949. She was the first woman to hold a gubernatorial position in India. Her birth anniversary on February 13 is celebrated as National Women's Day in India in her honor. She was also the first Indian woman to preside over the Indian National Congress in 1925.

Correct Answer: A. Seva Sadan

Ramabai Ranade established the Seva Sadan institution in 1909 in Pune to provide education and vocational training to women from all communities and castes. She was inspired by her husband Justice M. G. Ranade's social reform work. The Seva Sadan grew into an important social institution running schools, hostels, and vocational training centers. She is regarded as one of the early pioneers of women's education in Maharashtra.