§ SIR ROPER LETHBRIDGE (Kensington, N.)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for India whether he is aware of the fact that Babu Radhika Prasanna Mukharji and Babu Brahmo Mohan Mallik, formerly Deputy Inspectors of Schools in Bengal, having been promoted to be Inspectors of Schools, on the ground of long and eminent service, have suffered a considerable pecuniary loss, instead of deriving any advantage, from their promotion; whether this is due to the operation of the rule by which a native officer is only allowed to draw two-thirds of the pay that would be drawn by an English officer doing the same duty; and whether any steps will be taken to exempt the Education Department from the operation of this rule?
* SIR J. GORSTThe information in the possession of the Secretary of State does not corroborate the assertion of the hon. Member that the rule referred to operated in the case of the two officers in the manner described. But the rule in question will be dealt with in connection with the changes in the Public Service in India now under consideration.
§ SIR R. LETHBRIDGEArising out of that answer, I should like to ask the hon. Gentleman if we are to understand that the Government will see that the gentlemen named in the question have not and will not suffer pecuniary loss from their promotion, and whether any return has been made to the India Office upon the subject?