§ MR. O'DONNELLasked the Under Secretary of State for India, If it is true that under the limit of age, namely, twenty-two years, for the admission of candidates to the India Civil Service examinations, which prevailed from 1851 to 1866, a number of Natives of India were enabled to outer by competitive examination; whether the limit of ago was reduced during the period from 1866 to 1876 to twenty-one years, but Natives of India, though only in the proportion of one a year, were still enabled by exceptional study to enter by competitive, examination; whether the limit of age was reduced in 1876 to nineteen years, and has been maintained at that early age ever since, with the result that not a single Native of India has been able to enter by competitive examination for the past eight years; whether the Government was informed that if the age of entrance was fixed sufficiently early it would practically exclude Natives of India from the competition for the India Civil Service, owing to the difficulty of acquiring the English language and of crossing the seas to England in mere boyhood; and, whether Her Majesty's Government will take immediate steps to restore their former opportunities of examination to the Natives of India?
§ MR. J. K. CROSSThe best answer to this Question will be an accurate statement of the facts relating to the maximum limits of age, fixed from time to time, and of the number of Natives who have been selected by open competition for the Indian Civil Service. From 1855 to 1859, inclusive, 23 was the limit of ago. During those years no Native of India was selected. From 1860 to 1865, inclusive, 22 was the limit. During that period one Native was selected. From 1866 to 1878, inclusive, 21 was the limit of age. Thirteen competitive examinations were held in those years, and 10 Natives of India were selected. From 1878 to 1883, inclusive, 19 was the limit; and during this period one Native of India was selected. The limit now (under an alteration, taking place last year for the first time) is practically 19½ for the examination takes place in June, and what the Rule requires is that the candidate should not be over 19 on the 1st of January preceding the examination. The hon. Member asks whether Government was informed that, if the age of examination was fixed sufficiently early, it would practically exclude Natives? The Government of India, in a letter of the 2nd of May, 1878, written some time after it had been decided to reduce the age to 19, expressed the opinion that
The recent reduction of the standard of age for the competitive examination will practically render the competition of Natives educated in their own country a matter of exceptional difficulty.The assumption that the limitation of age to 19 years prevents the appointment of Natives is hardly borne out by the facts. Twelve Natives altogether have entered the Covenanted Civil Service. One, aged 20, was selected in 1863; four, three aged 20, and one 19, were selected in 1869; one, aged 19, was selected in 1870; one, aged 20, was selected in 1871; one, aged 20, was selected in 1873; two, aged 18 and 17 respectively, were selected in 1874; one, aged 19, was selected in 1877; one, aged 17, was selected in 1882. Of this total 11 were selected when the limit was 21 or upwards. Of these, six were 20 when they competed, three were 19, one was 18, and one was only 17; and the one successful candidate since 1878 was only 17. The establishment of the "Statutory" Civil Service, to which 1001 Natives are appointed in India in the proportion of one to every six selected by competition in England, must be taken into account in estimating the effect of the present arrangements. The Government has no present intention of making any alteration in the Rule as to the limit of age.