The nation today is paying homage to Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, a towering figure of India’s social reform movement, on his 207th birth anniversary. Born on 26 September 1820 at Birsingha in Paschim Medinipur district in West Bengal, Vidyasagar dedicated his life to education and social reform. He was a strong advocate of women’s education and played a historic role in the campaign for Hindu widow remarriage, which led to the enactment of the Hindu Widows’ Remarriage Act in 1856.