| |
The idea of starting a University at Lucknow was
first mooted by Raja Sir Mohammad Ali Mohammad Khan,
Khan Bahadur, K.C.I.E. of Mahmudabad, who contributed
an article to the columns of "The Pioneer''
urging the foundation of a University at Lucknow.
A little later Sir Harcourt Butler, K.C.S.I., K.C.I.E,
was appointed Lieutenant-Governor of the United
Provinces, and his well-known interest in all matters
under his jurisdiction, specially in matters educational,
gave fresh life and vigour to the proposal. The
first step to bring the University into being was
taken when a General Committee of educationists
and persons interested in university education appointed
for the purpose, met in conference at Government
House, Lucknow, on November, 10, 1919. At this meeting
Sir Harcourt Butler, who was in the chair, outlined
the proposed scheme for the new university. A discussion
followed, and it was resolved that Lucknow University
should be a Unitary, Teaching, and Residential University
of the kind recommended by the Calcutta University
Mission, 1919, and should consist of Faculties of
Arts, including Oriental Studies, Science, Medicine,
Law, etc. A number of other resolutions was also
passed and six sub-committees were formed, five
of them to consider questions connected with the
University and one to consider the arrangements
for providing Intermediate Education. These sub-committees
met during the months of November and December,
1919, and January, 1920; and the reports of their
meetings were laid before a second Conference of
the General Committee at Lucknow on January 26,
1920; their proceedings were considered and discussed,
and the reports of five of the sub-committees were,
subject to certain amendments, confirmed. The question
of incorporation of the Medical College in the University,
however, was for the time being left open for expression
of opinion. At the close of the Conference donations
of one lakh each from the Raja of Mahmudabad and
Jahangirabad were announced.
The resolutions of the first Conference together
with the recommendations of the sub-committees as
confirmed at the second Conference were laid before
a meeting of the Allahabad University on March 12,
1920, and it was decided to appoint a sub-committee
to consider them and report to the Senate. The report
of the sub-committee was considered at an extraordinary
meeting of the Senate on August 7, 1920, at which
the Chancellor presided, and the scheme was generally
approved. In the meantime the difficulty of incorporating
the Medical College in the University had been removed.
During the month of April 1920, Mr. C.F. de la Fosse,
the then Director of Public Instruction, United
Provinces, drew up a Draft Bill for the establishment
of the Lucknow University which was introduced in
the Legislative Council on August 12, 1920. It was
then referred to a Select Committee which suggested
a number of amendments, the most important being
the liberalising of the constitution of the various
University bodies and the inclusion of a Faculty
of Commerce; this Bill, in an amended form, was
passed by the Council on October 8, 1920. The Lucknow
University Act, No. V of 1920, received the assent
of the Lieutenant-Governor on November 1, and of
the Governor-General on November 25, 1920.
The Court of the University was constituted in March,
1921, and the first meeting of the Court was held
on March 21, 1921, at which the Chancellor presided.
The other University authorities such as the Executive
Council, the Academic Council, and Faculties came
into existence in August and September, 1921. Other
Committees and Boards, both statutory and otherwise,
were constituted in course of time. On July 17,
1921, the University undertook teaching -- both
formal and informal. Teaching in the Faculties of
Arts, Science, Commerce, and Law was being done
in the Canning College and teaching in the Faculty
of Medicine in the King George's Medical College
and Hospital. The Canning College was handed over
to the University on July 1, 1922, although previous
to this date the buildings, equipment, staff, etc.,
belonging to the Canning College had been ungrudgingly
placed at the disposal of the University for the
purposes of teaching and residence. The King George's
Medical College and the King George's Hospital were
transferred by the Government to the University
on the March 1, 1921.
The following three Colleges provided the nucleus
for the establishment of the University:
This was a rich inheritance for the new-born University
in 1920, both materially and intellectually, and it
brought with it also the richest of all heritages
"a fine tradition of some fifty-five years in
the case of the Canning College and some nine years
in the case of the King George's Medical College."
To this the generous taluqdars of Oudh added an endowment
of nearly thirty lakhs. The support from Sir Harcourt
Butler's Government was strong and hearty. Since then
the Government of the United Provinces has annually
contributed a substantial share towards the maintenance
of the University. |
