 THE PRESENT SITUATION

1. In the course of our tours, which had been fairly extensive, we visited a variety of institutions and agencies in the country promoting Sanskrit education and studies at various levels. We had many opportunities to examine, on the background of local conditions, different aspects of Sanskrit Education of the traditional and the modem types, in Tols, Pathasalas, Gurukulas and Mahavidyalayas, as well as in English Schools, Colleges and Universities. We also visited several religious institutions such as Maths, temples, and foundations belonging to the different schools of philosophy and religion. There were also, at different centres, movements, associations or institutions organised in a non-official manner by persons interested in Sanskrit, and these ranged from private Sanskrit classes to Sanskrit colleges and-research institutes run on modern lines. With a view to obtaining an adequate idea of the extent to which the old methods still survived and functioned effectively, we visited several famous centres hallowed in history and saw individual Pandits carrying on the time-honoured practice of teaching some students at their own houses. We made the necessary enquiries with a large number of persons responsible for or actively associated with all these agencies of Sanskrit Education and Research-official and non-official, traditional and modern, big and small, and working from the preliminary stage to the most advanced stage. In this survey here, which is essentially objective in character, we have tried to present as full an account as possible of the situation as it obtains in all aspects and at all levels of Sanskrit education and studies in the country.

(i) Traditional Sanskrit Learning

2. We shall begin with the institutions occupying themselves with Sanskrit Education of the traditional type. So far as we know, no country-wide survey of these has been attempted so far. The institutions which we visited are mentioned in the log-book appended to this Report. Naturally we could not visit all the institutions of this type. They still exist in very large numbers. In Uttar Pradesh alone, there are 1.381 Pathasalas and Mahavidyalayas. Uttar Pradesh leads in this respect, and the Holy Cities of Varanasi, Prayaga and Ayodhya are practically open University Towns, if we may say so. Besides those which we visited, we could know of several such institutions and their work through the written evidence submitted by them. The total number of traditional Sanskrit institutions in the different States which we have thus taken into consideration is 181.

3. Next to Uttar Pradesh, Bengal and Bihar, particularly the Mithila region, still maintain the largest number of these traditional institutions. Rajasthan and Saurashtra, being the regions of the old Native States and Principalities, have a number of Sanskrit schools and

colleges, each Ruler having started and maintained at least one in his State. Next come Bombay, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa and Assam. The regions of South India have served as a 'veritable haven of indigenous culture during the centuries when circumstances had become unfavour- able in North India owing to the political convulsions into which that part of the country had been thrown. In the other States-Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Panjab, and Jammu and Kashmir-the traditional institutions are not many, though, in all these regions, there are some famous centres of such learning and there are still a certain number of traditional scholars, schools and colleges. The number of traditional schools and colleges is, however, no guide to_ the extent and intensity of the tradition of Pandit learning extant in a particular part of the country.

4. In the previous Chapter, Historical Retrospect, we have traced the circumstances under which this strong tradition-of Pandit learning became pitted against the new English education and how it began to grow weaker and weaker. As pointed out already, the authorities did not allow the traditional system either to die out or to flourish, but, by a process of nominal assistance, retained it alongside of modem education, in an unhealthy condition, ever subject to difficulty-always, open to criticism. Two circumstances averted the rot to some extent: one, the Princely States and the native patterns of life there; and the other, the new awakening in the country of a nationalistic spirit which sought to make up for the drawbacks in the scheme of education on the cultural side by founding institutions of cultural importance. Thanks to both of these, a net- work of Sanskrit colleges of a quasi-modern set-up came into being. And with the new outlook which was steadily gaining ground among the people-and particularly among those who were in charge of modern University education this conspicuous bulk of indigenous type of education could not be ignored. Therefore, in some of the former provinces, these Sanskrit Pathasalas were brought under the Department of Public Instruction, and Government examinations were organised for them through departmental associations or some other machinery, as in Uttar Pradesh, Bengal, Bihar and Mysore. In other regions, the traditional institutions were classified under two categories according to the standard of their teaching-schools and colleges. The supervision and examinations of the former were and are still being looked after by the Department of Public Instruction; the latter were affiliated to the local Universities which laid down the syllabus, prescribed the texts, held the examinations, and awarded a Diploma, though not a Degree. This latter pattern has been prevailing almost uniformly all over South India. In a few other regions, the University itself opened an Oriental Department or College, where, side by side with the M.A. classes, classes for advanced instruction in Sanskrit on traditional lines were also organised. This system is found in the Banaras Hindu University and in Lucknow. Panjab and Annamalai Universities. Even in the regions where Universities were in charge of the examinations, it was the Government which inspected the Pathasalas and gave them some grant-in-aid, however meagre it might have been.

5. The modern Sanskrit schools and colleges, if we 'may so designate them to distinguish them from the still older Sanskrit institutions of the pre-British times, had to develop on the background of the dual set-up of the Department of Public Instruction on the one hand, and the University on the other. As these institutions had grown out of the older pattern of Gurakulas, they could not shake off certain features of the latter; and the perpetuation of these features eventually proved a great handicap to them. The new Sanskrit institutions could neither go in for the building and equipment plans nor could afford the full complement of staff and cadres of salaries of the modern schools and colleges. Except in some former Princely States, where imposing buildings could be placed at the disposal of the managements of these institutions, they, were housed in poor habitations. In almost all the places which we visited, these institutions presented a dilapidated look in their premises and surroundings. If modern schools and colleges had such buildings, the Government or the Universities would withdraw their recognition. The same applies to the salaries of the staff, which are invariably low compared to modern standards. The libraries are not well equipped. Some of these institutions, which are the continuations of the older ones, have manuscript collections, but they cannot be said to be properly looked after.

6. There is not much enthusiasm evident on the faces either of teachers or of students; and the managements in many centres do not appear to pay sufficient attention to the proper conduct and improve- ment of these institutions. Generally speaking, all over the country, in spite of the comparatively better provision available in some centres, there is a steady fall in the strength of the students in all these institutions-in some classes the number being not more than one, sometimes two or at the most three. Even in some well-established institutions, in some of the branches in which they were affiliated, there was no student offering the subject. From what we saw and heard, it generally appeared that most of the students came to those institutions because they had nothing else to do, and the free boarding and lodging or the small stipends available were the main inducements. In the course of the, discussions which we had with the teachers and the managers at various centres, we heard the same argument over and over again, namely, that the fact that this education was not able to provide to students any useful avocation in life was the main cause of the poor and dwindling strength in these institutions. We watched the teaching in some of these institutions and also put some questions to the students. As the Pandit went on lecturing, the students sat mutelycompletely irresponsive both to the exposition of the teacher and the questions put to them by the Members of the Commission. There is no extra-curricular activity of any kind in most of these institutions, except probably once a year on the occasion of the anniversary or the visit of some distinguished person. The generally prevailing lack of interest is thus vividly reflected in the actual class itself.

7. The total number of students who take the traditional exami- nation in Sanskrit is highest in Bengal, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh; on a rough calculation, about 30,000 students sit for these examinations

annually in these three States together. So far as the actual classes are concerned, in a Bihar Sanskrit School and College, the total strength comes to about 800. But sometimes this figure includes casual students and other irregular types who do not continue ;their studies up to the examination. The casual student who studies for only a few months in the year is quite common in Uttar Pradesh. In some places where the strength is small and attendance irregular, the roll call is not possible and even the teacher is left to the mercy of ,the students. In some centres, the Sanskrit colleges allow students from the English schools and colleges, and even interested adults from among the public, to attend the classes, though they are not registered for the examination. In the Deccan and the South, such a practice does not exist; the strength is limited, but all the students attend regularly and go up to the examination. Whether the inflow and continuance of students in the different centres are regular or irregular, one thing is common all over the country, namely, that the quality of the students joining these Sanskrit Institutions is, as many witnesses and Superintendents of Sanskrit studies emphasised, regrettably poor.

8. Where the traditional institutions depend upon private endow- ments, old or comparatively recent, it is found in several cases that there is not only an inadequacy of resources but the endowments themselves are mismanaged and great difficulty is experienced in realising their proceeds. Several persons interested in Sanskrit learning, who appeared before us, gave names and numbers of Sanskrit endowments in the neighbourhood which were lying defunct and infructuous. The attention of the Commission was also drawn to more serious cases of diversion by authorities of such endowments to non- Sanskritic purposes. such as the establishment of modern English Schools.

9. Taking the whole system of traditional Sanskrit learning as we found it obtaining in different parts of the country, we might observe that there were differences in the courses, their extent and duration, and in the types of texts or schools of thought studied. There is diverse nomenclature of the diplomas awarded at the end of the examinations, and no attempt is made to define the equivalence of these diplomas. This latter fact, we were told. often hampered the employment of the Pandits from one region in another region. In some regions, the courses are properly graded in three stages-lower, middle and advanced; but in some places there is only one examination. In Bengal and Panjab there is no provision for an examination higher than Tirtha and Sastri respectively. From what we saw of the courses and syllabuses in various centres, it appeared that the Acharya of Uttar Pradesh. the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Bombay, and the Tilak Maharashtra Vidyapitha, Poona, the Siromani of Madras, the Vidvan of Mysore, the Mahopadhyaya of Travancore, and the Vidyapravina of Andhra were of sufficiently high standard. As for the provision for higher post- title study, in Madras both the University and the State Government award research studentships to advanced students, and the University there has instituted the research title of M.O.L. for

Pandits who produce a thesis. Similarly in the Banaras Hindu Univer- sity, there is provision for two post-Acharya titles, Vachaspati and Chakravarti.

10. In respect of the appointment of teachers, we did riot find any minimum qualifications prescribed for the different posts. Few teachers, if at all any, possess pedagogical qualifications. As a matter of fact, except in Panjab and at Rajahmundry and Annamalainagar, there is no provision for the training of Sanskrit teachers. In several places, qualified Pandits are employed in Degree Colleges, University Departments and Research Institutions, and there they actively participate in the higher study of Sanskrit and Sanskrit research on modern lines. While we did not come across any State which did not have a traditional Pathasala or a distinguished Pandit teacher, we did notice that, in some States, the number of the, Pathasalas and Pandits was not at all commensurate with the extent and importance of those States. Again, in some States, there are no Government examinations in Sanskrit, nor is there any high grade Sanskrit College run or aided by the Government.

11. It is highly regrettable that, on the whole, there are, about many of these institutions, no signs of a living or growing organism but only symptoms of a decaying constitution. This unfortunate state of affairs has not escaped the attention of educationists, persons interested in Sanskrit, and the Governments. Among the public and the Pandits themselves, a new 'consciousness as to the value of traditional learning has dawned, and it was a great pleasure for us to have met several of them who had firm faith in this type of learning and who were doing substantial work for its rejuvenation. It was in such ,a favourable atmosphere that the Governments of different States recently took up the question of the Tols and the Pathasalas and the lines on which they could be reorganised both from the academic and the financial points of view. It had become a matter of real concern to Sanskritists, educationists and the Governments that, while no one ,could deny the cultural value of this type of Sanskrit learning and the depth and mastery that it gave, no one could also shut his eyes to the steady falling off of the soil and background that had sustained this learning, as also to the lack of any relation of such traditional education to the walks of life and avocations of the present day and the gradual disappearance of Sanskrit tradition in the families of Pandits caused by the younger generations steadily opting for modern education. There was the sorry spectacle of the old Pandits, who were deep in erudition, but who were nevertheless unable to know how to make their learning useful to themselves and others. The problem was realised in all its seriousness by at least some of the States, and they took up the question of reorganising the Pathasala education.

12. In Bengal, there was a large number of Tols, about 1,320, of which 652 were in a better condition, while among the rest, there were some getting a pittance of a monthly allowance varying between Rs. 15 and Rs. 25. The Government (of old:, Bengal and new West Bengal) appointed three Committees to report on Tol education, in

1923-26, in 1936, and in 1948. As a result of the recommendations of the last mentioned Committee, which the Government has accepted, grant-in-aid to Tols is increased, stipends and scholarships for students are introduced, and a few select traditional institutions are up-graded with higher salaries for staff, additional sections, research Chairs, facilities for publication, etc. The examinations for the Tols are conducted by the Vangiya Sanskrita Siksha Parishad and they comprise three grades, Pravesika, Madhya and Tirtha. Veda, Sahitya and Vyakarana, the six Darsanas, Arthasastra, Jaina, Bauddha, Saiva and Vaisnava Darsanas, Itihasa-Purana, Karmakanda, Jyotisa and Ayurveda are provided for. We visited two up-graded Sanskrit institutions, the Sanskrit College at Navadwip, the famous centre of Navya-Nyaya and Dharma Sastra, and the Government Sanskrit College and Research Department in Calcutta. The Calcutta Sanskrit College is made accessible to the University Sanskrit students also. We were particularly pleased to see the Research Department which the Government of West Bengal has added to the old Sanskrit College at Calcutta. In it there are fullfledged Chairs for research in Veda, Classical Sanskrit, Indian Philosophy, and Smriti and Purana. The difficulty of getting the right type of students, the lack of adequate research facilities, and the delay in the publication of the research work already done are, of course, not quite absent there; but this is really the kind of step which will help to revitalise the higher type of traditional Pathasalas. The total amount spent on traditional Sanskrit Education by the West Bengal Government, including the contributions of District Boards and Municipalities, is about Rs. 4 lakhs.

13. In the administrative unit of Tripura, there are 9 Tols, two of them being State-managed and the remaining State-aided, and to- gether having 80 students and 10 teachers. The annual expenditure incurred by the State in' this behalf is about Rs. 10,000. These Tols are now affiliated to the West Bengal Sanskrit Association. In the past, the Rulers of Tripura used to hold annual gatherings of Sanskrit Pandits. There is a fairly good Sanskrit tradition here, which the State proposes to strengthen by establishing a regular Sanskrit College, under the Second Five Year Plan.

14. Assam has a Government Sanskrit Examination and an Association to conduct it. The amount spent by the State on Sanskrit Education is about Rs. 80,000. There are three examinations, Adya, Madhya, and Sastri, together of six years' duration. Most of the Sastras are taught including Jyotisa, Ayurveda and Vaisnava Sastra. There are 104 Tols in Assam, but the general level of Sanskrit study and specialisation in Sastras is not high. There is no Government Sanskrit College, but the State gives a special subsidy to the College at Nalbari. In 1948, the State appointed a Committee to reorganise Sanskrit Tols. At present, in four model Tols, English is also taught. The Manipur area has one, Tol in which there are 7 teachers and 46 students.

15. In Bihar, the reorganisation of the traditional system of Sanskrit Education has been seriously taken in hand. Like Bengal, Bihar has a Government-sponsored Association for examining the Tol students. This Association, which is constituted on the lines of a University, holds an annual Convocation for the award of the titles. The total number of Tols affiliated to the Government Sanskrit Exami- nations is 365. Out of these, reorganised courses have been introduced in 50 aided institutions. The proposed plan of the Government envisages at least one Government Sanskrit School in every District. Twelve such Schools and four Sanskrit Colleges for the four administrative divisions of the State have already been started. The total number of students studying in all these Sanskrit Schools and Colleges is about 11,000. In the general up-grading which is effected, the Principal of a Sanskrit College will be a class 11 officer, whose salary will go up to Rs. 850. If the management could give only Rs. 10 to a Sanskrit teacher, the Government would make a contribution of Rs. 50 to bring the salary to the approved scale. The Bihar Government spends Rs. 3 lakhs a year on the traditional Sanskrit Pathasalas. As modern subjects have been introduced in the reorganised courses, the Government is also encouraging the production of Sanskrit books on modem subjects by awarding decent prizes for such publications.