Explain the factors that led to the birth of socio-religious reform movements in India.

The factors that led to the birth of socio-religious reform movements in India were:

1. Educated Indians began to look for the defects in their society and for ways and means of removing them. While a large number of Indians believed in traditional ideas and institutions, others gradually came to hold the view that modern western thought provided the key to regeneration of their society.
2. They were particularly impressed by modern science and the doctrines of reason and humanism.
3. Indian scholars discovered that many beliefs and practices were no longer of any use and needed to be discarded. They also found that some aspects of the cultural heritage were of intrinsic value and needed to be revived.