lowering the standard of examinations and the selection of some totally unworthy text-books and by the introduction of a mercenary spirit in the educational system by the practical sale of diplomas and degrees in order to maintain the vast unnecessary expenditure of the University. What I mean by these words is practically known to everybody tn Bengal, though only a few have dared to voice their disapproval of the state of affairs in the University. The public exposure of the so-called research work carried out by some of the teachers and lecturers of the Calcutta University, such as Dr. Gauranga Nath Banerjee and Dr. Ram Das Khan, has brought ridicule upon the heads of all Indian scholars in Europe and America. The practical sale of University degrees in the shape of a very liberal percentage of passes in all examinations of the University, beginning with the Matriculation and ending with the Premchand Roychand Scholarship and the Ph.D. had handicapped the young men of Bengal in competing with the graduates and under-Graduates of other provinces in all-India competitive examinations; such as the Indian Civil Service, Indian Financial Service, etc. I have often been told by certain persons in Calcutta that this statement emanates from implacable enemies of the University, but now I know from personal experience that as a scholar the Madras and the Bombay graduate is far more accurate than the Calcutta graduate of the last ten or twelve years, and such graduates of the Calcutta University as still maintain the reputation of the country in India and outside are men of exceptional merit, who would have held their heads high even if the Calcutta University had ceased to exist.
The principal defect in the constitution of the Senate of the Calcutta University lies in the present system of nominations by the Chancellor and the totally inadequate number of graduates who are registered and are therefore entitled to elect ten members of the Senate. The defect in the system of nominations lies principally in adherence to a particular custom. It appears that the Chancellor in Calcutta is bound to nominate only such Fellows as are recommended by the Vice-Chancellor or whose names are not objected to by the Vice-Chancellor—a custom which is unknown in the case of other Universities. The manner in which the nomination of Mr. Charu Chandra Biswas as one time a member of the Syndicate, was opposed by the then Vice-Chancellor, proves the existence of this pernicious custom. This custom is the principal cause of the present state of affairs in the Calcutta University and its steady decay in the field of education. On the 12th November, 1924 the following 23 out of 78 members of the Senate nominated as Fellows by the Chancellor, were salaried officers of the University of Calcutta ;—
(1) Mr. Heramba Chandra Maitra,
(2) Dr. H. Stephen,
(3) Dr. P. J. Bruhl,
(4) Sir Prafulla Chandra Roy,
(5) Mr. Jnan Chandra Ghosh,
(6) Dr. Satish Chandra Bagchi.
(7) Dr. Dines Chandra Sen,
(8) Mr. Jnanranjan Banerjee,
(9) Mr. Biraj Mohan Mazumdar
(10) Mr. S. Khodabuksh,
(11) Dr. Prafulla Chandra Mitra,
(12) Mr. Monmatha Nath Roy,
(13) Dr. D. R. Bhandarkar,
(14) Dr. A. Suhrawardy,
(15) Mr. Abinash Chandra Bose,
(16) Aga Muhammad Kazim Shirazi.
(17) Mr. Promatha Nath Banerjee,
(18) Mr. Rama Prosad Mukherjee,
(19) Dr. Abanindra Nath Tagore,
(20) Dr. Ganesh Prasad,
(21) Dr. Pramatha Nath Banerjea,
(22) Dr. C. V. Raman,
(23) Mr. Shyama Prosad Mukherjee,
The dynasty of the late Sir Ashutosh Mukherjee has, further strengthened its hold by enlisting among its supporters a number of men who ought to have been otherwise independent and open-minded. The facts of the cases regarding these members of the Senate are too well-known to the public. A prominent supporter of the party in power is said to be interested in the contracts for electrical installations which are given to one of his near relatives. A number of eminent scholars have been practically purchased by a liberal supply of honoraria for doing very little work in connection with the text-books published by the University. A certain amount of reciprocity was noticeable in the case of certain persons in the matter of appointing each other’s relatives in the Calcutta University. These are the methods employed by the late Sir Ashutosh Mukherjee and his successors to keep their hold firm upon the University of Calcutta. In the case of packing the Senate from the members of its paid teaching staff the remedy is easier and if the Chancellor will only keep his eyes open, then this thirty per cent of the packing can be immediately removed.
