With reference to educational institutions during colonial rule in India, consider the following pairs:

Institution                       —       Founder

1. Sanskrit College at Benaras — William Jones
2. Calcutta Madarsa —           Warren Hastings
3. Fort William College —                 Arthur Wellesley

Which of the pairs given above is/are correct?

[UPSC Civil Services Exam – 2018 Prelims]

(a) 1 and 2

(b) 2 only

(c) 1 and 3

(d) 3 only

Answer: (b)

Explanation:

• Pair 1, which matches the Calcutta Madrasa with the opening of the Sanskrit College, is incorrect as the Sanskrit College was opened by Jonathan Duncan in Banaras in 1791.
• While Warren Hastings had set up the Calcutta Madrasa in 1781 for the study of Persian and Arabic.
• Similarly, Pair 3, which matches the Fort William College with its purpose for training civil servants in vernacular languages and customs of India, is incorrect as it was actually set up by Lord Wellesley in 1800.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.