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I.-The National Impulse and New University.

1. The Nationalist Impulse in Education. 2. Gurukula Kangri. 3. The College of Engineering and Technology, Jadavpur, Calcutta. 4. Visva-Bharti at Santiniketan. 5. Jamia Millia, Islamia.

II.-The Planning of New Universities.

6. The value of Variety in Higher Education. 7. City Universities. 8. Rural-Urban Relationship. 9. Regional Universities. 10. Universities from Private Benefactions. 11. Conditions for Creating New Uni- versities. 12. University Charters.

III-13. Recommendatios.

I.-The National Impulse and New Universities

1. The Nationalist Impulse in Education.-During the earlier years of the nationalist movement a number of institutions of higher education were established independent of the government and without its support, determined to work out their own destinies in the spirit of a free India. Though their difficulties and discouragements were great, and the mortality among them high, a few of them survived and have justified the heroic struggle they made. Chief among these survivors are the College of Engineering and Technology at Jadavpur, Calcutta; the Visva-Bharati at Santiniketan; Jamia Millia Islamia, near Delhi; and the Gurukula Kangri at Hardwar, U.P.

2. Gurukula Kangri.-The institution with its branches has about 1,500 students, about 100 of the College grade. Vedic research, Ayurvedic research and advanced work in ancient Indian literature and history have been its specialities. Non-recognition of its degrees and diplomas had stood in the way of its popularity, but now after half a century of conscientious work it is being recognised as a real centre of learning.

3. The College of Engineering and Technology, Jadavpur, Cal- cutta. Of all the undertakings of the "National Council of Education" of a few decades ago, the College of Engineering and Technology is the only one to survive. Founded in about 1921, it has had a long and bitter struggle. Its teachers lived on very meagre salaries and were compelled to add to their income by outside work. Since the institution had no university affiliation and could not confer academic degrees, its graduates were excluded from responsible positions in the government service, where the holding of such a degree was a pre-requisite to appointment. However, the educational work of the College was of such a high order that among the industries of Calcutta the diploma of the College came to be held as in no way inferior to a university degree.

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With the advent of independence, substantial grants have been made to it by the government. Also, a very substantial gift of machine shop and laboratory equipment was made by the American Army at the close of the War. With a well-established reputation for high' quality, the Jadavpur College of Engineering and Technology seems to have a promising future. We understand that its governing body prefers that it remains independent and unattached to the Calcutta University, free to continue to work out its own programmes.

We believe that such freedom to poineer is a valuable resource for our country. Therefore we approve of the attitude of the govern- ing body and we hope that substantial support will continue to be given by the government but without infringing on the freedom of the institution. However, we suggest that liberal courses be added to the curriculum, so that graduates of the institution may be well educated men as well as competent engineers.

4. Visva-Bharati at Santiniketan.-Founded in 1921 by Rabindranath Tagore, Santiniketan has become a unique, expression of his mind and spirit. The "Memorandum of Association" of Visva- Bharati states :-

Objects : "To study the Mind of Man in its realisation of different aspects of truth from diverse points of view".

"To bring into more intimate relation with one another, through patient study and research, the different cultures of the East on the basis of their underlying unity".

"To approach the West from the standpoint of such a, unity of the life and thought of Asia".

"To seek to realise in a common fellowship of study the meeting of the East and the West, and thus ultimately to stengthen the fundamental conditions of world peace, through the establishment of free communication of ideas between the two hemispheres".

"And with such ideals in view to provide at Santiniketan aforesaid a Centre of Culture where research into and study of the religion, literature, history, science and art of Hindu, Buddhist, Jain, Islamic, Sikh, Christian and other civilizations may be pursued along with the culture of the West, with that simplicity in externals which is necessary for true spiritual realization, in amity, good fellowship and co- operation between the thinkers and scholars of both Eastern and Western countries, free from all antagonisms of race, nationality, creed or caste, and in the name of the One Supreme Being who is Shantam, Shivam, Advaitam".

Membership : "The membership of the Visva Bharati and of its Constituent Bodies shall be open to all persons

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irrespective of sex, nationality, race, creed, caste or class; and no test or condition shall be imposed as to religious belief or profession in admitting members, students, teachers, workers, or in any other connection whatsoever In the last available announcement we have the following information :-

The Society is at present maintaining the following institutions :-Patha-Bhavana (School), Siksha Bhavana (College), Vidya Bhavana (Research Institute), Rabindra Bhavana (Museum and Institute of Researches on Rabindranath), Cheena Bhavana (Sino-Indian Dept.), Kala Bhavana (School of Arts and Crafts), Sangita Bhavana (School of Music & Dancing), Hindi Bhavana (School of Hindi Studies & Research) at Santiniketan; and the Institute of Rural Reconstruction and Silpa Bhavana at Siriniketan. The Society manages its own Press at Santiniketan and the Publishing Department at 6/3, Dwarkanath Tagore Lane, Calcutta.

The supreme control is vested in the Parishat, the Sadasyas (members) in General Meeting assembled. The Governing Body is the Samsad, consisting of members elected by the Sadasyas and the reprsentatives of the different departments.

The Commission was impressed with the spirit and with the quality of the work done at Santiniketan. Two elements of the programme seemed particularly valuable, the effort to discover, preserve and transmit the vast elements of old Indian Culture, and the work with the surrounding villages.

The Preservation of Indian Culture.-In times of rapid transition there is a strong tendency to minimize the values of the past, and to look only to the present and the future. What priceless treasures of human culture, in skills, attitudes, folkways and arts have been lost by this habit the world will never know. In India as in few other countries, some of the great cultural expressions of the past still maintain a precarious existence while we face the many problems of a new era. Without friendly attention and a nurture these may die.

It is a main purpose of Santiniketan to search out the living cultural values wherever they may persist, to bring them to light, and to nurture, develop and disseminate them; so that the new India shall carry with her the values of the old. At Santiniketan we saw this

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process under way, in teacher training, in the graphic arts, in literature, music and the dance. We saw a priceless collection of old manuscripts from Tibet and other sources, being guarded and trans- lated. We saw and felt a spirit of graciousness and refinement pervading the institution. We understand that the Central Government has made substantial grants for furthering this project.

Village Development.- "the Institute of Social Reconstruction" was founded at the neighbouring village of Siriniketan in 1921. The hopes for the institution as expressed by Tagore are "to bring back life in its completeness to the villages, making the rural folk self- reliant and self-respectful, acquainted with the cultural traditions of their own country, and competent to make an efficient use of modern resources for the improvement of their physical, intellectual and economic condition." The Institute conducts a village school somewhat along basic education lines, and uses it as a guru training school ; works on village health and sanitation, with a central dispensary, a clinical laboratory, and by organizing co-operative health societies; has a department of village welfare which promotes irrigation, seed stores, crafts and improved varieties of crops ; does propaganda for village improvement and collects statistics on village conditions ; makes regional and all-Bengal economic studies ; and works at soil conservation and afforestation.

5. Jamia Millia Islamia.-Founded in 1920, the college was, distinctly an expression of the nationalist movement, and is an expression of the educational spirit and philosophy of Gandhiji, interpreted with a wide knowledge of world movements in education. Shortly after the founding of the institution the staff members, including the Head, pledged themselves to serve the cause of education for 20 years without ever claiming more than Rs. 150 per month as remuneration for their work. During the long period since then this rate has never been exceeded and seldom equalled, except in a very few special cases, which did not include the head of the institution. In about 1925 the college was moved to "Jamia Nagar" about 8 miles from Delhi, where a substantial beginning of a College plant has been constructed with grants from the Central Government, though the plant is still very inadequate.

The parts of the institution which impressed us most were those of teacher training, and of the extension-adult education-work To equip itself as a training institution the college has established, in addition to the regular college departments, the following :-

A residential High School along modern lines, with provision for Arts and Crafts, and with emphasis on individual

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work ; a residential Primary School which is doing out- standing work in methods of primary education ; a community educational centre, which combines a Middle School and a Community Hall ; an Institute of Adult Education with 5 Centres in Delhi suitable for training workers in that field ; a Teachers' Training Institute for preparing teachers for basic education ; the Urdu Academy, publishing serious literature in that language ; and a book department, publishing children's literature and other publications. (This had a plant and stock valued at 5 lakhs before it was destroyed during the disturbances. It is being renewed.)

We were impressed by the quality of the work done and by the spirit of the institution. The-development of primary school methods may well set standards for all India. Similarly, the extension-adult education-work at the various centres is creating and demonstrating high standards of effectiveness in that field.

Jamia Millia has become a recognised centre for training teachers and leaders in basic education. In addition. to being the accepted institution for training such teachers for Delhi Province it has trained teachers from U.P., Bombay, Assam, Hyderabad, Jaipur, some of the Indian States, and from societies and municipalities undertaking to establish basic education. It also serves as an institution for pioneering and experiment in higher educational methods.

In addition to pressing needs for plant, equipment and salary increases, Jamia Millia has certain other disadvantages. As it is not affiliated with a university, its intermediate graduates are not accepted by the universities. Also with the large demand on Jamia Millia for teacher training it is necessary that additional schools be available to its students for practice teaching. Lack of transportation equipment prevents access to other schools for this purpose, and is seriously limiting the teacher training service of the institution. Visva-Bharati and Jamia Millia need recognition as universities, with the right to grant degrees, and adequate plant and recurring grants to enable them to make their programme fully effective. Since they are in rural areas, they would be particularly suitable as the first All-India Rural Universities.

II-The Planning of New Universities

6. The Value of Variety in Higher Education-The full genius of a country can develop only with freedom to create variety. Our university system has not had that freedom. Foreign control could best be maintained by regimented uniformity. Something new and different might threaten control, and therefore was to be looked

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upon with suspicion. This regimented uniformity, which originated partly in bureaucratic unimaginativeness, and partly as an adminis- trative convenience whereby a foreign ruler could maintain control with a small administrative staff, because it is all we have known in our universities, has become a habit of mind of Indian higher education. It is not inherent in the nature of good education. Re- peatedly we have received suggestions that uniformity and stand- ardization be increased, as though they were prime educational values.

With the requirement, which has existed of an academic degree as a condition for appointment to any responsible position in the government service, this demand for uniformity had a very practical if unwholesome, basis. We have recommended that, except in some of the professions, this requirement be abolished. With that action taken, such need for uniformity will no longer exist.

Each of the institutions we have described, beginning and working against great odds outside the university system, has made and is making a significant contribution to our national life but, at least up to the recent past, under extreme financial privation and hardship. Each of them, so far as it meets the fundamental requirements of our constitution for equal treatment and opportunity for all classes and communities, and so long as it maintains acceptable quality in its work, should receive grants-in-aid on a par with other recognized colleges and universities, and should be given university status if that is desired. Such support and recognition should be granted without infringement upon the freedom and initiative of the institution.

A live,progressive society must rely, not upon rules of uniformitty but upon live, competent judgment of actual merit. To deny capacity for such judgment is to deny possession of the capacity and integrity necessary to encourage the full cultural and spiritual resources of the country. The University Grants Commission in deciding the degree of recognition and support to be given to any institution should be governed, not by the likeness of that institution to others of a standard type, but by its judgment of whether that institution is making a substantial contribution to the economic, intellectual, cultural and spiritual life of India. By such encouragement of quality with variety, the educational resources of India will be enriched.

7. City Universities-It is natural that when a city reaches a population of several lakhs it probably will desire a university of its, own. Usually in such a case there are a number of colleges already in existence which are affiliated with some other university, and

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occasionally an independent institution, which can be constituted a unitary university.

We may take the instance of the college at Meerut. It is one of the largest units of Agra University, with over 2,000 students. If finances are adequate, and if the authorities of the institution are prepared to undertake the academic responsibility, it might well be converted into a unitary university. Similarly Jubbulpore may develop a unitary university with faculties of arts, science, education and engineering. Kanpur has a number of populous arts, science and commerce colleges in addition to its colleges of agriculture and tech- nology. The possibilities of a university at this city are not remote. In the South, Madras has three colleges which in time might evolve into a city university.

Conditions differ so widely that it would be inappropriate for our Commission to go over Indian cities one by one to suggest which local colleges should be given university status, or what new urban universities should be created. This probably should be the work of the University Grants Commission.

The difficulties of developing wholesome and creative academic life in a crowded city are well known. We have referred to some of these in our discussion of Calcutta University.

8. Rural-Urban Relationship-The establishment of rural uni- versities is discussed in the next chapter. Rural and urban universi- ties should supplement each other so that the total needs of the na- tion shall be most adequately met.

9. Regional Universities-In the past universities have been established chiefly to meet the needs of cities or limited areas, usually where well-established colleges had served the needs of higher education, or where a generous donor has offered funds for that purpose. Among recent foundations are Gauhati, Rajputana, Poona, Kashmir, Roorkee and Baroda in the first category, and Saugor in the second.

Since higher education has been the responsibility of provinces' and states, little thought has been given to so locating universities that they will best serve the national or cultural regions of India. If we locate on a map of India the natural, linguistic, cultural or economic regions and then also locate existing universities, we see that some such regions are very much more fully supplied than others. The United Provinces, for example, now has six universities. Madras Presidency has three each to serve the needs of a fairly distinct area.