Why in the News?
The Prime Minister and several Union and State leaders paid tribute to Savitribai Phule on her birth anniversary, highlighting her role in education and social reform.
Who was Savitribai Phule
- Born in 1831 in Maharashtra
- Social reformer, poet and educationist
- Recognised as the first female teacher of modern India
- Worked closely with her husband Jyotirao Phule
Key Contributions
- Established India’s first girls’ school in Pune in 1848
- Pioneered education for women and marginalised communities
- Actively opposed caste discrimination, untouchability and gender inequality
- Promoted widow remarriage and shelter for destitute women
- Believed education was the primary tool for social transformation
Literary Contribution
- Used poetry as a medium to spread ideas of equality, justice and rational thinking
- Her writings criticised social orthodoxy and promoted human dignity
Legacy and Significance
- Laid the foundation for women’s education in India
- Inspired later social reform and feminist movements
- Symbol of social justice, inclusive education and empowerment
Prelims Pointers
- First girls’ school in India was started in Pune
- Education and social equality were central to her reform agenda
- Worked during the 19th century social reform movement in Maharashtra
- Closely associated with anti caste and anti patriarchy movements
| [2016] Satya Shodhak Samaj organized
(a) a movement for upliftment of tribals in Bihar (b) a temple-entry movement in Gujarat (c) an anti-caste movement in Maharashtra (d) a peasant movement in Punjab |
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