APPENDIX H (b)- MEMORANDUM ON THE REPORT OF THE GEOLOGICAL EDUCATION, COMMITTEE
As the result of a decision taken at an interdepartmental meeting of the Government of India held on the 9th April, 1945, a Committee was set up by the Labour Department (now Ministry of Works Mines and Power) with the following terms of reference viz. :-
(i) to suggest steps for the improvement of Geological
training in India-
(ii) to suggest what financial assistance should be given by
the Government of India to Universities to effect the
improvements ; and
(iii) to make specific recommendations as to the more
important Centres of Geological education.
2. The Report was considered by the Coordinating Committee of the All-India Council for Technical Education held on the 5th February 1947 and the Committee endorsed the recommendations made therein for the improvement of facilities for Geological Education in India. They also decided that the Central Government may be requested to take necessary steps forthwith for the expeditious implementation of these recommendations.
3. Copies of the Report have been sent to the Provincial Govts. and institutions concerned, viz., the Governments of West Bengal, Madras and Bombay, the Fergusson College, Poona, the Calcutta, Madras, Mysore, Aligarh Muslim and the Bonares Hindu Universities and the Indian School of Mines, for eliciting their views in the first instance. The further steps to be taken will be considered on receipt of their replies.,
Annexure to Appendix H (b)
REPORT OF THE GEOLOGICAL EDUCATION COMMITTEE, 1946 Appointment of Committee.-This committee was appointed by the Government of India in the old Labour Department as the result of a decision taken at a inter-departmental meeting held on the 9th April 1945, at which the following minute was recorded-
"Geological Education.
This fell under two heads--
(1) the reorganization of the School of Mines which concerns
not only geological education but also mining and mining
engineering education
(2) revision, if necessary, of courses at Universities.
It was recognized that certain proposals had already been put forward by Dr West, that Dr Wadia was shortly going to put forward his proposals and that Dr. Dunn differed in some respects from the proposals put forward by Dr. West. It was recognised also that it was most important that any proposals put forward should receive the full concurrence of Universities. It was felt advisable in these circum- stances that a small Committee should be appointed with a Vice- Chancellor as Chairman to examine the various proposals put forward and to arrive, if possible, at
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an agreed solution. After this agreed solution had been reached Government should consider the matter and take a tentative decision. Thereafter the Committee should again sit with a view to persuading the Universities to accept the arrangements proposed. It was for this purpose that it would be particularly advantageous to have a Vice- Chancellor as Chairman of the Committee.
This proposal was generally accepted by representatives of P. & D. and Labour Departments, but the E., H. & L. Department representative considered that it ,would need further examination in his Department.
2. Terms of reference.-The terms of reference are formulated as follows:-
(i) to suggest steps for the improvement of geological
training in India
(ii) to suggest what financial assistance should be given by
the Government of India to Universities to effect the
improvements; and
(iii) to make specific recommendations as to the more
important centres of geological education.
3. Member and Meetings.-The three original members were :-
1. Dr. P. Parija, Vice-Chancellor, Utkal University.
2. Dr. J. A. Dunn, Director, Geological of Survey of India,
3. Mr. D. N.Wadia, Mineral Adviser, Planning and
Development Department
The Committee held three meetings at the Secretariat, New Delhi, on 28th August 1945 and 29th August 1945 and drew up an interim report (vide. Appendix 1) in the basis of the report prepared by Dr. W. D. West after he had visited several centres of geological education. This interim report was circulated to the Universities for comment and criticism. In the meanwhile Dr. Dunn went away on leave and Dr. W.. D. West took his place on the Committee.
The Committee met again on 25th February 1946. After considering the view. of certain Universities, the Committee decided to circulate Dr. West's specific recommendations to the Universities concerned for the improvement of geological training at those centres.
When all the replies were received from the Universities, the Committee met Now Delhi on the 17th and 19th October 1946 and drew up its final report.
The Committee had the advantage of having before it 2 reports namely (1) by Dr. W. D. West (vide appendix II) and (2) by Mr. D. N. Wadia-(vide appendix III). Having considered these documents the Committee is submitting the following report
I-IMPROVEMENT OF GEOLOGICAL TRAINING IN INDIA 4. Report.-The Committee, consider that there is room for improvement in geological training given in the country. India cannot go on depending on other countries for the training of her geologists. The training should be so improved that it may not be necessary for the average geologist to go abroad.
Geologists are of opinion that geological training in India suffers from two defects namely (1) the syllabus is too heavy for the time allotted and (2) the field training given is inadequate. These have resulted from inadequacy of teaching staff and inadequacy of funds. The Committee note with satisfaction that there, is general agreement among the Universities on these points and the Universities express their willingness to effect improvement.
We recommend that certain steps be taken to improve the courses in geology in India. These fall under the following heads
(i) Length of B. Sc. Course;
(ii) Length of M. Sc. Course
(iii) Post M. Sc. work;
(iv) Staff;
(v) Equipment;
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(vi) Restriction of teaching geology for a career to certain
selected centres;
(vii) Instruction in specialised courses.
(i) Length of the B. Sc. Course.--We recognise at the outset the defects of the present Geological training in the Universities, in particular that the syllabus is too heavy for the time devoted to it and that insufficient attention is paid to fieldwork. The Committee considers that the ideal solution would be to have a three years honours course in all the Universities devoting the Intermediate course to basic Sciences only, but as all the Universities do not have this system of three years honours course, the Committee is of opinion that in those Universities in which the B. Sc. Course extends over 2 years, Geology may be taught at the Intermediate Science stage. This preliminary training combined with a 2 year honours course can be regarded as equivalent to a three-year honours course.
It is preferable that students taking up Geology in the Universities should have studied Physical Geography for the Matriculation Examination.
The Universities which teach only the Pass course in Geology should be better advised to teach the Honours Course as well.
(ii) Length of the M. Sc. Course.-The Committee is of opinion that for an Honours Graduate, M.Sc. Course should partly be by examination and partly be by thesis based mainly on field work done either under the direction of the Geological Survey of India, or of a State Geological Survey or under the University Professor. The course should extend over at least one year for Honours Graduate and two years for the Pass Graduate. A Pass Graduate should not ordinarily be permitted to submit a thesis for the M.Sc.
There should be full facilities for transfer of Post, Graduate students from or Universities, having Geology only as a cultural subject, to institutions specialising rin geology. The Committee suggests the grant of suitable bun or other financial help to promising students desiring to have such transfer specialised courses in geology at the latter institutions.
Wherever possible provision should be made for a course of lectures in Mining and Surveying for the post-graduate students.
The Committee understands that the Geological Survey of India will maintain its training scheme permanently. As soon as the full cadre of the Department is iocruited and trained, the Geological Survey of India will be able to accept a limited number of post- graduate students from Universities for field training.
(iii) Post M.Sc. Work.-This can be done at the Universities or in the Laboratory of the Geological Survey of India which should be recognised by the Universities as a "Post-Graduate Institution" in due course.
(iv) Staff.-(a) The Committee discussed this question in detail. They agreed that those centres which specialise in geology should have the following minimum staff
Rs.
Professor on 500-1,000.
3 Readers or Associate Professors 300-600 each.
5 Lecturer Demonstrators 200-400 each.
2 Laboratory Assistants 75-150 each.
(b) Strength of classes.-The strength of classes should be limited by the adequacy of the staff, equipment, laboratory space and efficient supervision in the field.
It is suggested that with the staff proposed in (a) above, the Intermediate science classes should not exceed in number 150 students.
B.Sc. classes in the third and fourth year each should not exceed in number 32.
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For practical classes the number should not exceed 15 in one batch.
M.Sc. classes should not exceed in number S.
(c) Co-operation with the Geological Survey of India.-In their interim report the Committee had suggested the deputation of G.S.I. officers to Universities as Heads of Departments in exchange of their Professors, but in view of the adverse opinion received from the Universities the Committee do not favour such deputation now. They, however,. desire that there should be closer co-operation between the G.S.I. and the Universities in the matter of field training under G.S.I. officers and also in the matter of special courses of lectures by senior G.S.I. officers.
(v) Equipment.-The Committee is of the opinion that almost the centres which teach Geology are not sufficiently equipped even for the numbers of students admitted at present. The Committee has recommended in sub-paragraph 11 below the manner in which the Government of India may give financial assistance to the institutions. They, however, strongly recommend that, to help the Universities in acquiring the much needed scientific equipment, apparatus, etc., Government should, give every help through the Disposals Board in acquiring goods as tents, transport trucks or lorries, and scientific apparatus such as microscopes, compasses, levels, clinometers, binoculars, chemical apparatus, etc. This will be of great assistance to the Universities at the time when such supplies are not available from overseas.
(vi) Restriction of teaching Geology for a career to certain selected centres.-The Committee then discussed the question whether the Universities and Colleges, should not be free to develop geological study. After discussion it was agreed that for cultural purposes any University may teach geology, but the Committee suggest that the following centres should specialise in the intensive study of geology, for those taking Geology as a life career, viz., Calcutta University, Benares Hindu University, Madras University, Mysore University and Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad.
We are guided in our selection of these five centres for reasons of certain natura advantages possessed by them viz.,-
(a) Geographical position.
(b) Advantage of situation either in areas of geological
interest or of raining activity.
(c) These centres have, during the last 20 or 25 years
expended much money and effort in maintaining a
geological department. It is these institutions which
have supplied the few working geologists in India. -
The Universities are, however, against such restriction on the grounds
that-
(a) separation of geology for a career from geology as a
cultural subject is educationally unsound ;
(b) restriction to certain selected centres is against the
very spirit of freedom in education ; and
(c) the best talent cannot be guaranteed to be found in the
chosen centres only. The Committee understands that
since the writing of the interim report, several new
centres have opened Geology classes either of their own
accord or because they received endowments.
The Committee is still of the opinion that the intensive study of Geology for preparing Geologists for a professional career should be confined to centres which are either well situated for geological training or which have already a well developed geological department. Nevertheless, it recommends that to the centres already given above may be added any other centre which satisfies Government that it is, by virtue of its work and equipment, or for any other special reason, fit to specialise in the intensive study of geology. In this connection we recommend that the cases of Andhra, Lucknow and Aligarh Universities be considered.
(vii) Instruction in specialised courses.-These Universities which are suitably equipped for imparting a course of post-graduate instruction in specialised subjects
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like Geophysics and Radioactive investigation of rocks and minerals should receive a subvention for initiating these special branches. In these the co-operation between Physics and Geology Departments will be necessary.
II-FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO UNIVERSITIES The centres specialising in Geology should receive suitable financial aid from the Government of India under the following heads, to bring their departments to the level of efficiency contemplated in the above paragraphs :-
(a) Contribution towards the salary of one Professor if
specially recruited for his ability to re-organise the
Geology Department.
(b) The cost of advanced apparatus and equipment subject to
a maximum of 50 per cent. of the total cost.
(c) Cost of sending overseas for further study one member of
the teaching staff of each University.
(d) Annual grant for field training of post-graduates and
undergraduates subject to a maximum of 50 per cent. of
the total cost.
(e) A subvention for initiating a special branch of
geological research.
(f) Assistance towards the construction of Laboratories or
extensions to the existing buildings.
The above financial assistance from the Government of India should be given contingent upon the University or the Provincial Governments concerned bearing a proportionate share of the total expenditure as suggested above.
It is not the intention of the Committee to exclude other centres teaching Geology from receiving financial aid from the Government of India for any specific purpose designed to improve their geological training.
The Committee recommends that each case be considered on its own merit by the University Grants Committee and financial aid be given, wherever necessary.
III-SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING IMPORTANT CENTRES (a) Calcutta.-The Geological Faculty needs re-organisation very Urgently. The existing division of undergraduate teaching at the Presidency College and post graduate teaching by the University is most unsatisfactory and steps must be taken to amalgamate the two divisions either at the University or at the Presidency College and bring them under one head. If this is agreed to and if the University or the Presidency College provides necessary extension of buildings Government help may given in providing the scale of equipment that is now urgently in demand and also in deputing, if -possible a senior experienced officer of the G.S.I. as Professor for a term of years for higher study and research.
(b) Madras.-This University has a well conducted geology department with nearly 150 B.Sc. Pass and Hons. students. In proportion to its commitments, however, the staff and equipment are insufficient. It is also impossible to arrange for field training of such large numbers with the small staff and poor grant allocated for the purpose. Government assistance should be provided, therefore, in giving all additional number of the staff, in acquiring more advanced and research microscopes and other accessories and in a substantial grant for field excursions and studies under proper supervision. This latter grant is not likely to exceed 6 thousand rupee,; per annum, according to the member of students and the programme of visits to geological study centres.
(c) Dhanbad.-The Committee understands that the Government of India have appointed a separate Committee to examine the re- organisation of the Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad.
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(d) Mysore University (Bangalore).-The Committee is not quite sure if it is competent to make recommendations for this University in an Indian State. They, however, would like to state that the same remarks shown against Madras in (b) above apply more or legs to this centre also.