BANARAS, ALIGARH AND DELHI UNIVERSITIES
I-Banaras Hindu University 1. The Establishment of the University. 2. Special Features. 3. Objects of the University. 4. The Working of the Act. 5. Finances. 6. The All-India Character of the University. 7. The Residential Arrangements of the University. 8. Religious Instruction. 9. Changes in Constitution and Structure. 10. Recommendations.
II-Aligarh Muslim University 11. Inception of the University. 12. The Act. 13. The Work of the University from 1922 to 1949. 14. Finance. 15. The All-India Character of the University. 16. Suggested Changes in the Constitution. 17. Changes in Academic Work. (a) Arts and Science; (b) Engineering; (c) Agriculture. (d) Medicine. (e) The Library. (f) Advanced Work. 18. Recommendations.
III-Delhi University 19. The Establishment of the University. 20. The Teaching University; (a) Buildings ; (b) Teaching Posts ; (c) The Library. 21. Finances. 22. Future Expansion of the Teaching University ; University Proposals. 23. The Colleges. 24. Federation of Colleges. 25. Delhi as a Central University. 26. Development of the University as a Centre of Research. 27. Future Professional Education at Delhi. 28. General Remarks on Delhi University. 29. The Medium of Instruction in All-India Universities. 30. Recommendations.
We should like to make it clear that we are primarily concerned with principles of university reform rather than with the detailed applications of these principles to individual universities. Our visits to them were of too short a duration to permit of an exhaustive treatment of their administrative structure and working, programmes of study and research, financial resources and management. An entire book would be needed for each institution if it is to be discussed in detail. In the following account as also in Chapter XVI we refer to the leading features of the different universities so as to provide a concrete basis for the discussion of the general principles suggested in the other chapters.
I-Banaras Hindu University 1. The Establishment of the University-In Chapter I we have pointed out how, for nearly 30 years after the Allahabad University was founded, there was no new university. Act XVI of 1915 passed by the Indian Legislative Council brought the. Banaras Hindu University into being. Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya was primarily responsible for the collection of funds and working out the scheme which led to the passing of the bill.
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2. Special Features-It was a new development in university organization in India in several ways:-
(a) The University is denominational in this that membership of the Court is restricted to Hindus (the word Hindu includes Jains and Sikhs) and religious instruction is to be imparted in Hindu religion only. This instruction might by statute be made compulsory for Hindu students.
(b) The University was founded to meet a popular demand large contributions had been collected from princes and private individuals and thus the University could be more independent than the older ones. Rs. 50,00,000 out of these contributions had to be invested as a permanent endowment and the Government undertook to contribute Rs. 1,00,000 per annum.
(c) The head of the administration is not to be ex- officio the Chancellor of the University but the Chancellor is to be elected by the Court. The Vice- Chancellor in the older universities used to be nominated by the government ; here he also is to be elected by the Court. The nomination of the Provincial Government is restricted to five members of the Senate but there are provisions for control by the head of the Provincial Government in his capacity as Visitor.
He would have powers of inspection of annulment of pro- ceedings not in conformity with law, of the final sanction of the Vice-Chancellor's appointment and (except where certain powers are reserved to the Governor-General) of sanction to new or modified Statutes and Regulations. The Governor General is the Lord Rector and the Government of India had emergency powers to issue instructions in case of mismanagement etc.
(d) The University was to have no affiliating powers, but its jurisdiction was limited to Banaras and though the admission of Colleges was contemplated they were to be constituent units of the University which through its Senate was to be responsible for the entire organisation of studies.
(e) The constitution and functions of the Governing Bodies were different from those of the five existing universities. The latter possessed a Senate composed of teaching and lay elements and these were further organised in Faculties and Syndicates. The Syndicate was the Executive
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Committee of the Senate and performed administrative and academic functions. At Banaras administration is vested in a Court which is the supreme body and is mainly composed of donors and their representatives and of persons elected by Various bodies including the Senate. The Executive of the Court is a smaller body called the Council, mainly elected by and from the Court (the Senate sending five members as representatives and the Court 25). Academic control in such matters as the courses of study, teaching, examinations and general discipline is vested in the Senate which contains re- presentatives of the Court and includes Principals of Colleges, University Professors and other teachers.
3. Objects of the University-The objects of the University are:-
(i) to promote the study of the Hindu Shastras and of Sanskrit literature generally as a means of preserving and popularising for the benefit of the Hindus in particular and of the words at large in general, the best thought and culture of the Hind-us and all that was good and great in the ancient civilization of India ;
(ii) to promote learning and research generally in arts and science in all branches;
(iii) to advance and diffuse such scientific, technical and professional knowledge, combined with the necessary practical training, as is best calculated to help in promoting indigenous industries and in developing the material resources of the country ; and
(iv) to promote the building up of character in youth by making religion and ethics an integral part of education.
4. The Working of the Act-The Act provided for new university authorities like the Court and the Council and new officers in the Pro-Chancellor and the Pro-Vice-Chancellor. An extensive site outside but adjoining the city was acquired and the first Statutes and Regulations passed for starting the work of the University.
The Central Hindu. College which was founded in 1898 with the object of imparting religious and moral instruction based on Hinduism side by side with a thorough secular education, was under this Act to be maintained by the University, and the University might found and maintain other colleges at Banaras or admit them to certain privileges of the University.
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Some of the provisions of the Act were vigorously criticised. Objections were raised to the amount of control retained by the Government, to the multiplicity of the Governing Bodies and to the composition of the Court.
This Act was amended in 1922 and 1930 but the provisions have remained substantially the same. During these 33 years the University has expanded in every direction and now it has twelve colleges and seven Faculties. These Faculties have between them about 40 departments and nearly 150 subjects of study. Few other universities in India have anything like the comprehensive scope of this university. On 31st March, 1948 there were 5,233 students of whom about 50% were resident in the hostels. The University still retains its Intermediate, classes and out of the total number mentioned above, above 25 per cent were in the Intermediate classes. It is instructive to note that though the University is an All-India one, the major part of the, students in all colleges excepting those in Agriculture, Engineering, Mining and Metallurgy, Technology and Theology are drawn from the United Provinces. In the Arts College, for example, out of the 598 students in the B.A. classes 429 belong to the United Provinces. About half of the students in the Law College and in the College of Science belong to the same province. In the Professional Colleges each Province has a certain quota but here again the largest number comes from the United Provinces.
5. Finances-The number of students in the University has not changed materially during the last three years. The total enrolment in 1945-46 was 4,536, in 1946-47 it was 5,083 and in 1947-48 it was 5,23.3. The expenses of the University during this period show substantial variation from year to year. According to the Budget Statement for 1948-49 passed by the Council at its meeting on 28-3- 1948 the actual revenue expenditure for 1945-46 was Rs. 20,61,931 ; that for 1946-47 was Rs. 24,84,573 ; the revised budget for 1947-48 was Rs. 33,07,942 the budget estimate for 1948-49 Rs. 42,09,973. The revenue expenditure has therefore been more than doubled during these four years. The Annual Report for 1947-48 mentions the actual revenue payments as Rs. 29,90,029 which is much less than the revised budget figures. Similarly the revenue income for 1947-48 in the revised budget was estimated at Rs. 28,70,920, but the report mentions the actual receipts as Rs. 30,27,167. We hope therefore that the Budget Estimates for 1948-49 were unduly pessimistic and that the revenue expenditure will be very much less than the estimated one of Rs. 42,09,973 and the deficit nothing like Rs. 20,29,977.
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But the budget estimates need some explanation. The actual expenditure on the Central Hindu College (Arts and Commerce) was Rs. 2,18,363 in 1945-46 : the estimated expenditure for 1948-49 Is more than double this amount,Rs. 4,68,046. The actual expenditure on the College of Science was Rs. 2,41,932 in 1945-46 and it is estimated at Rs. 5,41,382 in 1948-49. The Women's College spent Rs. 33,954 in 1945-46, the Law College Rs. 16,776. In 1948-49 the former is expected to spend Rs. 95,495 and the latter Rs. 29,234. In the Colleges of Engineering and Technology too there is similar increase,in the former from Rs. 1,92,546 (on educational items) to Rs. 4,78,041 (educational) and in the latter from Rs. 99,908 to Rs. 2,34,110.
As one looks into the details one finds that the increase is mainly On establishment, from Rs. 2,13,080 to Rs. 4,50,946 in the Central Hindu College ; from Rs. 1,91,486 to Rs. 4,33,738 in the College of Science, ; from Rs. 33,264 to Rs. 93,785 in the Women's College from Rs. 1,43,971 to about Rs. 3,53,000 in the Engineering College; from Rs. 72 301 to Rs. 1,81,984 in the College of Technology.
One does not get the full explanation for the rise in estimated expenditure from either the Annual Report or the Budget Statement. The rise in the number of students was not such as to require many new posts nor had the University added many new courses of study. So the explanation for the increased expenditure seems to be mainly in (a) the improvement of grades of salaries and (b) the promotion of teachers from lower grades to higher ones through the creation of new senior posts. Both of these steps are necessary in most of our universities; the Central Advisory Board and the Inter-University Board had recommended the first step some years ago but not many universities have so far been able to give effect to these recommenda- tions on account of paucity of funds. The funds (potential and actual) at the disposal of the Banaras Hindu University do not seem to justify the increase in expenditure unless the Government of India or the Government of U.P. comes to the assistance of the University. The endowments which the University possesses are not likely to be substantially increased in the near future on account of the present financial condition of industrialists and princes. When the scales of salaries are improved, care should be taken to see to it that those who get the benefits are properly qualified for them. It was said in some cases that promotions or enhancements of salaries were not made with due care. The present constitution of the Appointments Board does not secure proper selections and needs to be altered in accordance with our recommendations.
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The salary scales in the provincial Universities of Allahabad and Lucknow, cannot be a guide to Banaras for they have no Intermediate classes while Banaras has a substantial number of Intermediate students. In 1948 out of 1,708 students in the Central Hindu College 554 were students in the Intermediate classes; in the College of Science out of 1,194 they numbered 703. Teachers for Intermediate classes are not regarded as University teachers in the rest of the province (except at Aligarh and Banaras). Steps should be taken to separate the Intermediate classes form the University. A separate institution may be established with the two highest classes of the Central Hindu School and the Intermediate classes in Arts, Science and Commerce. This separation of the Intermediate classes will also be of advantage to the University in effecting a reduction of its enrolment which has gone beyond what we contemplate as the maximum for a teaching university.
In order to balance the budget the income of the University has to be increased. It may not be possible to increase the receipts from students' fees as already there are frequent protests against the recent increases. If our recommendations about scholarships, main- tenance grants and fellowhips are accepted the expanses of the University will be further increased. Therefore the University will have to look to the Governments, Central and Provincial, for increased grants.
6. The All-India Character of the University-To judge the, All- India character of the institution we may take the number of students from the different provinces in the various Colleges. In the Central Hindu College out of 1,708 students 1,035 are from the United Provinces and in the College of Science out of 1,209, 574 are from the same province. Out of 240 in the Oriental College 141 are from U.P.. 78 out of 140 in the Women's College, 84 out of 121 in the Teachers Training College, 83 out of 166 in the Law College.
The work done in these colleges is not of a different type from what is being done in the Provincial Universities. The fields of study and the departments of teaching are practically the same as at Allahabad and Lucknow. The four-year Intermediate College will naturally cater mainly to the needs of the city of Banaras and its surroundings. As it will be under the supervision of the University authorities it should be a model Intermediate College. But we do not feel justified in describing the work at any one of the. institutions mentioned above as of an All-India character.
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It is however quite different with some of the other institutions like the Engineering College where out of 535 students only 106 are from U.P.,-Engineering students from the Panjab number 64, those from Bengal are 47, and Madras has 65. In the College of Technology U.P. has 69, Madras 63, Bengal 23 and Bombay 47. In the College of Mining and Metallurgy out of 199, 61 are from U.P., 29 from Madras, 18 from Bengal and 13 from the Panjab.
These colleges are moreover doing work of a type which is not duplicated by any other institution in the province or in any of the neighbouring provinces. The University has done pioneer work in Mechanical and Electrical Engineering and in Mining and Metallurgy. It has attempted to combine theoretical with practical training in these branches of technical and professional knowledge, thereby fulfilling one of the main aims with which the University, was founded.
The Colleges of Engineering, Technology and Mining (to which one may add Agriculture if it expands its sphere of post-graduate work) have made good their claim to be regarded as All-India institutions and they have to be generously financed by the Central Government. All deficits on these institutions should be met and financial provision made for advanced work and research of which there is little at present. Advanced work in the basic sciences and humanities as well should be the concern of the Central Government which should ensure a higher grant for the University library and for laboratory equipment while providing for an adequate number of research fellowships.
But the Intermediate College, the Central Hindu College, the College of Oriental Learning, the College of Science, the Teachers Training College and the Women's College should be primarily the responsibility of the Provincial Government. Except the College of Science, the others are not likely to attract a large number of students from outside the province. It is not of much use to expand their activities in fresh fields of study at the under-graduate level. The Provincial Government will have to see to what extent the dupli- cation of the work of the Provincial Universities is necessary at Banaras (and at Aligarh) and apportion responsibilities accordingly. It may perhaps want Banaras to specialise in certain branches like Sanskrit and Hindi, Ancient Indian Culture, coordinating this work with what will be done in the other universities of the province. In this connection the Provincial Government will have to examine whether there is any duplication of work in the Government Sanskrit College and in the College of Oriental Learning and, if so, to what extent this duplication is justifiable. It may consider the possi-
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bility of combining the resources of the two institutions in a strong Oriental College where the best traditions of orthodox scholarship will be kept alive. The province needs more Medical College. Banaras is one of the centres where a Medical College can be located as the city by itself will supply sufficient clinical material for the College Hospital. The study of Ayurveda can then be correlated with the study of western medicine and the training will then be on stronger foundations and likely to be of greater benefit to the masses
These remarks about provincial responsibility should not however be misconstrued: we do not want this University to lose its character as an All-India University nor do we want to lessen the financial burden on the Central Government. We only wish to point out that in some subjects and Faculties there should be academic coordination with Provincial Universities in order that the money spent on the University may go the longest way. If our recommendations regarding Engineering and Technological education are given effect to and if we have new branches of Engineering studied at this great institution much larger sums of money will have to be provided. Some economy of teaching may be ensured by avoiding duplication of teaching in the same subject in different Colleges. Chemistry, and Elementary Biology, for example, are now being taught in several Colleges, practically the same course being covered everywhere. Co-ordination of teaching would effect economy and increase efficiency. For the courses on general education in the colleges of Engineering, Mining and Technology, the help of teachers in the Central Hindu College will be required. The work for the ordinary B.A. curriculum should therefore be a small item in the University programme. We cannot place the B.Sc. work on entirely the same level. In most provinces for Science courses there are many more candidates than seats. If in the College of Science Banaras has a regular quota for the, various provinces as it has in the College of Engineering it will raise this institution from the Provincial level.
7. The Residential Arrangements of the University.-The attraction of students from outside the Province leads to the natural corollary of providing more accommodation for resident students. As it is, the pressure on available space in the Hostels is very heavy and even with great congestion the University is able to accommodate a little less than 50% of its enrolment in the residential units. The original ideal of a residential university has been only partially fulfilled and the University should expand and improve its residential facilities according to our recommendations in Chapter XI. This will mean
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alteration of the present buildings, addition of new ones and a different system of supervision. The kitchens in particular have to be cleaner and better managed. We emphasise this as these Hostels must be centres of corporate life and should bring together young men from different parts of India to inculcate in them a sense of Indian nationality as opposed to provincial insularity.
8. Religious Instruction.-Banaras Hindu University is charged to give religious instruction to Hindu students. Even the new constitution permits it. While therefore the Banaras and Aligarh universities may give religious instruction in Hinduism and Islam respectively to the Hindu and Muslim students who desire to learn it, we hope that they will adopt our recommendations in the Chapter on Religious Education and give to their students instruction In the essential principles of other religions and the unity of all religions.
9. Changes in Constitution and Structure.-In order to follow our recommendations in Chapter XIII it will need to change some of its administrative machinery. At present the Court is an unwieldy body and only one meeting can be held annually. Even this one meeting is attended only by a small fraction of the total number of members. The clause about representatives of donors being members has not operated well as sometimes members of the lower staff of the University have been Dominated by donors as their representatives. Under our recommendation the Court and the Council will have a different composition. If the former body has 100 members 50 will be drawn from the Heads of Departments and Principals of Colleges. The other 50 will Include representatives of the Alumni Association, of Donors, of Industry and Commerce as also nominees of the Chancellor and Co-opted members. The donors of one lakh of rupees or more will be Honorary Fellows of the University. The Senate and the Syndicate will merge in an Academic Council with the powers and membership recommended in Chapter XIII. The Standing Finance Committee must function as an effective organization for ensuring financial stability. It will have to be differently composed and the members will have to exercise a rigorous supervision of the expenditure. A living organization like the University cannot be allowed to stagnate for want of adequate funds, but it can never have unlimited resources at its disposal. Once the block grant of the University has been fixed after full discussion with the University Grants Commission it will be for the University authorities to see that the money is put to the best use for advancing the academic well-being of the University and for extending the frontiers of knowledge.
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10. Recommendations.-We, therefore, recommend:-
(1) that the denominational character of the University Court be eliminated and people of all castes and creeds be eligible for membership; and provision for religious education be made along the lines suggested in Chapter VIII;
(2) that the composition of the Court and the other Univer- sity authorities follow our recommendations in Chapter XIII;
(3) that the All-India character of the University be maintained in all Colleges;
(4) that where the College caters mainly to the need of one province its requirements be considered along those of other universities of the province;
(5) that the Intermediate classes be separated and form an independent institution with the two highest classes of the Central Hindu School;
(6) that efforts be made to combine the College of Orienta Learning and the Government Sanskrit College in a strong institution;
(7) that more generous block grants be provided for the Colleges of Engineering, Technology, Mining and Metallurgy and Agriculture as also for the Science College and the Central Hindu College after a proper scrutiny of all expenditure;
(8) that the possibilities of establishing a Medical College be investigated;
(9) that the courses be remodelled according to our recom- mendation in Chapters V and VII and provision made for General Education in all Faculties;
(10) that research work be encouraged in all Faculties through the appointment of the best men as teachers, through better provision of Library and Laboratory facilities and through the award of generous Fellowships;
(11) that the Standing Finance Committee be composed of men with financial experience who may not necessarily be members of the Council and that it be empowered to exercise rigid supervision of the expenditure.
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II.-Aligarh Muslim University 11. Inception of the University.-The University owes its origin to the Aligarh movement started by Sir Syed Ahmad Khan in the second half of the nineteenth century. The M.A.O. College, Aligarh, was opened as a school in 1875 and developed into a college in 1881. "The original object of some of the supporters was to confine the college to the Mohammedans for whose special benefit educational facilities were to be provided. But so much good-will, sympathy and generosity were displayed by the Hindu nobility and gentry that the Committee declared the college open to Hindu students also especially as the curriculum (beyond religious instruction) pursued in the college suited Hindus and Mohammedans alike" 1. From 1899 an attempt was made to collect funds for raising the college to the status of a university. The funds were collected and the University should have come into existence in 1915 along with the Hindu University but a section of the Muslim community was dissatisfied with the conditions contained in the Banaras Act, on which that for Aligarh would naturally be modelled. The measure of control retained by the Government and the unitary nature of the University were probably the main causes for the dissatisfaction.
12. The Act.-The Act for the establishment of the University was passed by the Indian Legislative Council in 1920 and the following points may be noted in it:-
(a) The University is denominational in this that no person other than a Muslim is eligible for membership of the Court which is the supreme governing body of the University. Further the study of Muslim Theology is, compulsory for all Muslim students;
(b) The Mohammedan Anglo-Oriental College is merged in the University and its aims and objects are to be continued by the latter;
(c) among these objects one of the most important is the promotion of Oriental and Islamic studies and instruction in Muslim Theology and Religion;
(d) the University is a teaching and residential one with provision for tutorial instruction in the residential Halls. It was further given the power to recognise colleges and schools within the Aligarh district;
(e) the Governor-General as Lord Rector is given the power of appointing a Visiting Board which can inspect the