Indian Universities Commission

 

Indian Universities Commission

It was a body appointed in 1902 on the instructions of Viceroy of India Lord Curzon intended to make recommendations for reforms in university education in India. Appointed following a conference on education at Simla in September 1901, the commission was led by Law member Thomas Raleigh and included among its members Syed Hussain Belgrami, future Justice Sir C. Sankaran Nair, and Justice Gooroodas Banerjee.

The recommendations of the commission included:

Regulations for reformation of University Senates in Indian Universities.

Greater representation of affiliated colleges in the senates.

Stricter monitoring of affiliated institutions by the universities.

Reform of school education,

Curricular reforms at universities,

Examinations,

Research,

Student welfare and state scholarships.

The recommendations were, however, controversial at the time. There was a growing nationalist sentiment in British India, and a number of colleges and institutions of higher education had risen in metropolitan suburbs which were linked to the major universities of Calcutta, Bombay and Madras.

 

Gokhale Bill 1913

Background

K.Gokhale, the moderate Congress Leader, being aware of the intention of the British Government, made attempts to draw the attention of the people of India as well as in England towards the condition of Education

Hence, he introduced a Bill to make elementary education free, compulsory, for children aged between 6 and 10 years. Further, Gokhale’s effort had a far-reaching consequence in the subsequent period

However, the British Government rejected the Gopal Krishna Gokhale’s Bill and refused to recognise the principle of compulsory education for paucity of funds; instead, they promised to extend grants for the widest extension of primary education on a voluntary basis and passed the Resolution on Education Policy on February 21, 1913

The Government Resolution on Education Policy, 1913

The Resolution advocated three cardinal principles of educational policy:

Ø The curricula of primary and secondary schools should be made more practical and useful

Ø Facilities of higher education should be provided in India so that Indian students may not have to go abroad.

Ø Instead of increasing the number of existing institutions their standard should be raised

Ø The government refused to take up the responsibility of compulsory education, but accepted the policy of removal of illiteracy.

Ø It urged provincial governments to take early steps to provide free elementary education to the poorer and more backward sections.

Ø A university, it was decided, was to be established in each province and teaching activities of universities were to be encouraged

Ø The universities were to be relieved of the responsibility of granting recognition to high schools

Ø The Policy also provided for sufficient expansion of lower primary schools with a simultaneous opening of upper primary schools.

Ø It proposed to streamline inspection and supervision, appoint trained teachers, subsidize Maktabs and Pathshalas, improve school facilities, and encourage girl’s education

Ø The subjects of industrial importance were to be included in the curriculum

Ø However, the First World War delayed the implementation of many recommendations set out in the Resolution