Savitribai Phule Birth Anniversary: Tribute and Legacy
Why in the news
The Prime Minister remembered Savitribai Phule on her birth anniversary, praising her lifelong work for education, equality and social change.
Key facts
- Lifespan: 1831 to 1897.
- Roles: social reformer, poet and educator; called India’s first female teacher of modern education.
- 1848: co-founded India’s first girls’ school at Bhidewada in Pune.
- Satyashodhak Samaj: she played a central part in nurturing it; it stood for equality and rationalism.
- Satyashodhak marriages: simple weddings held with no priest and no dowry, which she popularised.
About Savitribai Phule
- Born at Naigaon, in present-day Maharashtra, and married in childhood to Jyotirao Phule.
- After moving to Pune, exposure to learning drove her mission to reform society through schooling.
- Seen as a foundational figure of Indian feminism and of anti-caste reform.
Exam angle
- First girls’ school: Bhidewada, Pune, 1848.
- Husband and co-reformer: Jyotirao Phule.
- Related term: Satyashodhak Samaj.