Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
Tracing the history of key agricultural research institutions and scientific societies helps map the development of horticultural science in India.
Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
Let us establish the year of establishment for each of the listed organizations:
1. E. Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR): Established on July 16, 1929, as the Imperial Council of Agricultural Research following the Royal Commission on Agriculture report.
2. D. The Horticultural Society of India (now known as the Academy of Horticultural Sciences): Established in 1942 to promote horticultural research and development in India.
3. B. Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR): Established by ICAR on September 5, 1967, initially at New Delhi and later shifted to Hessaraghatta, Bengaluru, in 1968.
4. C. Indian Society of Vegetable Science (ISVS): Founded in 1973 to support researchers, scientists, and students working on vegetable crops.
5. A. Indian Institute of Vegetable Research (IIVR): Upgraded to a full-fledged institute in 1999 at Varanasi (having previously operated as the Project Directorate of Vegetable Research since 1992).
Arranging these from the earliest to the most recent:
E (1929) $\rightarrow$ D (1942) $\rightarrow$ B (1967) $\rightarrow$ C (1973) $\rightarrow$ A (1999).
This sequence is represented by E, D, B, C, A.
Step 3: Final Answer:
The correct chronological sequence of establishment is E, D, B, C, A, which corresponds to Option (C).