APPENDIX N (b)- REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON AN INDIAN NATIONAL COMMISSION FOR COOPERATION WITH UNESCO WHICH MET AT SIMLA ON THE 28TH JUNE, 1947.
At their 13th meeting hold in January, 1947 the Central Advisory Board of Education received a brief account of the 1st General Conference of the UNESCO hold in 1946 and the part played by the Indian Delegation thereat. The Board attached great importance to the question of the formation of a National Education Commission for India and appointed the following committee to examine the issue
1. Dr. Ziauddin Ahmad, Vice-Chancellor, Aligarh University.
2. The Hon'ble Sri Avinasilingam Chettiar, Education
Minister, Madras.
3. Rajkumari Amrit Kaur
4. Sir V.T. Krishnamachari, K.C.I.E., Prime Minister,
Jaipur.
5. Mrs. Renuka Ray, B.Sc. Econ. (London).
6. Sir John Sargent, C.I.E., M.A., D.Litt., Educational
Adviser to the Govt. of India.
and 7. Chairman of the Inter-University Board, India.
2. Subsequently the Hon'ble, the Chairman of the Board
appointed the, following additional members to the
Committee.
1. Dr. H.J. Bhabha, B.A. (Cantab), Ph. D., D.Sc., F.R.S.,
Director, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research Bombay.
2. Dr. Zakir Hussain, M.A., Ph. D., Principal, Jamia
Millia Islamia, Delhi.
3. Prof. Humayun Kabir, B.A. (Oxon)
4. K.G. Saiyidain, Esq., M. Ed. (Leads), Educational
Adviser to the Govt. of Bombay.
5. Sir Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan, D. Litt., LL.D., F.B.A.,
Vice-Chancellor Benares Hindu University, Benares.
He also appointed Rajkumari Amrit Kuar to be Chairman of the Committee
3. The Commitee met at Similla on the 28th June, 1947, The
folling were prsent:-
1 . Rajkumari Amrit Kaur (Chairman)
2. Dr. Ziauddin Ahmad, D.sc., M.L.A.
3. H.J. Bhabaa, B.A. (Cantab), ph. D.sc., F.R.S.
4. The Hon'ble Sri T.S. Avinasilingam Chettiar
5. Dr. Zakir Hussain, M.A. ph. D.
6. prof. Humayan Kabir.
7. K.G., Saiyidan, Esq., M.Ed. (Leeds).
8. Sir John Sargent, C.I.E., M.A.,D.Litt.
9. prof. N. K. Sidhanta, M.A. (Cantab).
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The following members were unable to be present :-
1. Sir V.T. Krishnamachari, K.C.I.E.
2. Sir Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan.
3. Mrs. Renuka Ray, B.Sc. Econ. (London).
Dr. D.M. Son, O.B.E., M.A., Ph. D. (London), Deputy Educational Adviser to the Government of India, was Secretary to the Committee.
4. The agenda and papers circulated to the members previous to the meeting are included in the Annexure to this report (not attached). They included among others, the constitution of the UNESCO and a letter from the General Secretary of the UNESCO regarding the establishment of National Commissions in certain countries and recommendation made by the 1st General Conference of the UNESCO and the Executive Board of the Organisation (Appendix E).
5. The Committee stated that if India was to derive the benefits of membership of UNESCO it was important that a National Commission on the lines envisaged by the UNESCO should be established to carry out the functions indicated in Section B of the Document Unesco/Cons. Exec/2C, Sess /12/1947 rev (vide Annexure*E). The National Corn : would be concerned with a variety of important subjects and apart from Provincial and State Governments there are several important bodies in the fields of education, science and culture whose cooperation will be required in the matter of participation in the activities of the UNESCO and implementation of its recommendations and programme. The Committee noted that the Central Advisory Board of Education which included the Provincial Ministers of Education and certain Indian States, the Central Legislature and the Inter-University Board and also prominent persons in the educational field, constituted a nucleus of a National Commissions for India. At the same time that Board being mainly interested in Education could not serve the purpose of a National Commission, for all the subjects covered by the, constitution of the UNESCO. The Committee therefore came to the conclusion that the National Commission for India should consist of 80 members of whom 30 should be members of the Central Advisory Board of Education appointed by that body. Another 30 members should be nominated by Voluntary Organisations interested in Education, Science and Culture, the balance of 20 members being nominated by the Government of India from among prominent persons whose interests in the public life of the country and its development on the cultural side is widely accepted. The Committee hoped that the C.A.B. of Education in nominating their representatives would take into account geographical distribution as well as the fact that the Universities, Provinces and States would not have direct representation under other heads.
6. The Committee then proceeded to consider a tentative list of All-India Societies and Organisations interested in educational scientific and cultural matters who should be given representation on the National Commission. They, on a prima facie view, thought that the following would have a claim to be represented:-
1 . All-India Council for Technical Education.
2. All-India Federation of Educational Associations, Kanpur.
3 . All-India Women's Conference.
4. All-India Hindi Sahitya Sammelan, Allahabad.
5 . All-India Muslim Educational Conference, Aligarh.
6. Anjuman-e-Tarraqi-e-Urdu, Delhi.
7. Association of Principals of Technical Insitutions, India.
8. Association for Moral and Social Hygiene in India.
9. Central Advisory Board of Archaeology in India.
10. Hindustani Pracharni Sabha.
11. Hindustani Talimi Sangh, Wardha.
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12. Indian Adult Education Association, Delhi.
13. Indian Cultural Trust (when established).
14. Indian Historical Records Commission.
15. Indian Library Association.
16. Indian P.E.N.
17. Lilian Progressive Writers' Association.
18. Inter-Provincial Board for Anglo-Indian and European Education.
19. Jamia Millia Islamia, Delhi.
20. National Institute of Sciences of India.
21. Rama Krishna Mission.
22. Royal Asiatic Society of Bangal.
23. Sikh Educational Conference, Chief Khalsa Diwan, Amritsar.
24. Viswa-Bharati.
The Committee wished to make it clear that the above list was only tent tive and they wore sure that the Educational Adviser could, after a thorough survey select soma more orginisations which would have a claim to be represented. The Committee also thought that some of the organisations might be given more than one place in accordance with there importance. The Commission, when established, should have power to give representation to more bodies or to withhold representation from others.
7. The term of members would normally be 3 years and it would be necessary to provide for rotation e.g. by making it obligatory for one third of the representative to retire at the end of the first two years.
8. To begin with, Committee. considered it necessary that the Secretariat of the Commission should be provided by the Government of India and attached to the Education Department. At the end of three years the Commission may consider whether they should have their own Secretariat.
9. In conclusion the Committee authorised the Educational Adviser to amplify the list of Voluntary Organisations, and along with recommendations for the allocation of seats to these organisations, submit the report to the C.A.B. of ducation.