Indian (National) Social Conference was founded by M.G. Ranade and Raghunath Rao. It was virtually the social reform cell of the Indian National Congress. Its first session was held in Madras in December 1887.
The Conference met annually as a subsidiary convention of the Indian National Congress, at the same venue, and focused attention on social reform. The Conference advocated inter-caste marriages and opposed kulinism and polygamy. It launched the famous “Pledge Movement” to inspire people to take an oath to prohibit child marriage.