In 1919, the project to prepare a critical edition of the Mahabharata was headed by:

V.S. Sukthankar

The correct answer is Option (1) → V.S. Sukthankar

The Critical Edition of the Mahabharata: One of the most ambitious projects of scholarship began in 1919, under the leadership of a noted Indian Sanskritist, V.S. Sukthankar. A team comprising dozens of scholars initiated the task of preparing a critical edition of the Mahabharata.