§ SIR FRANCIS GOLDSMIDasked the Under Secretary of State for India, Whether during the present year there will be an examination, similar to that of 1870 and previous years, of candidates for admission to the service of the Government of India as civil engineers; and, whether after the present year there will be any and what mode besides the mode indicated in the revised prospectus of the Cooper's Hill College, of obtaining admission to the service of the Government of India as civil engineers?
MR. GRANT DUFFIn reply, Sir, to my hon. Friend's first Question, I have to say that there will be such an examination. That has been always part of our scheme, and the intention to hold it has been extensively advertised. It will be held in July. In reply to his second Question, I have to say that certain objections to the prospectus of the Civil Engineering College, as it now stands, which have been urged by my hon. Friend have been carefully considered, and it has been decided so to modify our arrangements as to remove any kind of inequality between the conditions under which the College students and outside students shall be admitted to the public service. We propose to allow students who have not studied at Cooper's Hill to present themselves for examination up to the age of 24, and to give them appointments in the Public Works Department in India, of the kind mentioned in the College prospectus, provided they satisfy independent examiners that they come up in all respects to the standard of qualification which will be required from the College students at their final examination, which will be conducted by the same independent examiners. The first of these examinations will be held in 1874, when the first batch of College students passes out of the College. The Government will of course continue to make appointments to the public service of civil engineers of experience and standing from time to time, as the wants of the service may require.