§ SIR ROPER LETHBRIDGE (Kensington, N.), asked the Under Secretary of State for India, Whether the Government of India recognises the preferential claims of officers of the Graded Educational Departments to the appointments of Director of Public Instruction in the various Indian Provincial Administrations; whether, on the occasion of the last vacancy in the Directorship of Public Instruction in the North Western Provinces, a junior covenanted civilian was appointed to the post, in supersession of all the educational officers of the Department; whether Mr. J. C. Nesfield, M. A., of Merton College, Oxford, Inspector of Schools in Oudh, had formerly served with credit as Acting Director of Public Instruction in Burma, and subsequently as Director of Public Instruction in Oudh; whether, on the amalgamation of Oudh with the North Western Provinces, Mr. Nesfield had been reduced from the grade of Director of Public Instruction to that of Inspector of 352 Schools, for the convenience of the Government; and, whether Mr. Nesfield was one of the educational officers recently superseded; and, if so, for what reason?
§ THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE (Sir JOHN GORST) (Chatham)The facts referred to in the Question are substantially as stated. A discretion is, however given to the Local Government to depart from the general rule when the interests of the Public Service require it; and in the exercise of this discretion Mr. Nesfield and others were passed over.