With reference to the Age of Consent Act, 1891 consider the following statements:1.It was Behramji Malabari, a Parsi reformer from Bombay, who advocated for this legislation.2.The Act was supported by the extremist wing led by Bal Gangadhar Tilak.Which of the above statements is/are correct?Select the correct answer from the code given below:

1. A

   Only 2

   Option (a) claims that only statement 2 is correct. This is incorrect because Bal Gangadhar Tilak actually opposed the Age of Consent Act, 1891, viewing it as unwarranted interference in social customs by a foreign government.

2. B

   Neither 1 nor 2

   Option (b) claims that neither statement 1 nor 2 is correct. This is incorrect because statement 1 is factually correct regarding Behramji Malabari's pioneering role in advocating for the reform.

3. C

   Only 1

   Option (c) claims that only statement 1 is correct, which is the right answer. Behramji Malabari tirelessly campaigned to raise the age of consent for sexual intercourse for unmarried and married girls to twelve years, leading to the enactment of the Age of Consent Act, 1891, whereas the extremist wing vehemently opposed state interference in traditional social and religious matters.

4. D

   Both 1 and 2

   Option (d) claims that both statements 1 and 2 are correct. This is incorrect because the nationalist extremists led by Tilak opposed the legislation, making statement 2 factually wrong.

Summary. Official key is (c) because statement 1 is correct while statement 2 is incorrect. The Age of Consent Act, 1891 was enacted largely due to the persistent efforts of the Parsi reformer Behramji Malabari. However, it faced severe backlash from orthodox nationalists and the extremist faction led by Bal Gangadhar Tilak, who resented colonial legislative interference in native social customs. Therefore, only the first statement holds true.