Consider the following pairs:
- Radhakanta Deb — First President of the British Indian Association
- Gazulu Lakshmi Narasu Chetty — Founder of the Madras Mahajana Sabha
- Surendranath Banerjee — Founder of the Indian Association
Which of the above pairs is/are correctly matched?
[UPSC Civil Services Exam – 2017 Prelims]
(a) 1 only
(b) 1 and 3 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer: (b)
Explanation:
| Organization | Founding Date | Founders | Significance |
| British Indian Association | October 1851 | Raja Radha Kanta Dev (1st President) and Debendranath Tagore (Secretary) | One of the earliest political organizations that advocated for Indian interests during British rule. |
| Madras Mahajana Sabha | May 1884 | M. Veeraraghavachariar, S. Ramaswami Mudaliar, and P. Anandacharlu | One of the earliest organizations in the Madras Presidency that worked towards social and economic reforms. |
| Indian Association | 1876 | Surendranath Banerjee and Ananda Mohan Bose | First avowed nationalist organization founded in British India, aimed at promoting political and intellectual advancement of the people. |
Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.
