§ *MR. NAOROJI (Finsbury, Central)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for India whether, in order to afford greater facilities to Indian candidates, the Secretary of State for India would arrange through the Civil Service Commissioners that all open competitive examinations, heretofore held in England alone, for appointments to the Civil Services of India, shall henceforth be held simultaneously both in India and England, such examinations in both countries being identical in their nature, and all who compete being finally classified in one list according to merit by the Civil Service Commissioners?
*MR. GEORGE R USSELLThis question has been frequently raised, and it was fully considered recently by the Public Service Commission in their Report which has been laid before Parliament. The view that has always prevailed has been, in the words used by Lord Dufferin's Government and adopted by Lord Cross in his Despatch of the 12th September, 1892 (which has also been presented to Parliament)—
That the conditions of the competitive examination should be trained with the object of securing candidates trained in the highest and best form of English education—a principle which would be sacrificed by the establishment of simultaneous examinations in India.There are various other grave practical objections to such a scheme. The Statute 33 Vic, cap. 3, was passed by Parliament for the express purpose of enabling Government to admit natives of India, when qualified, to the highest offices in India without having to come to England to compete, and the Secretary of State considers that by the recent arrangements under that Act ample facilities have been afforded for the admission of natives in India to the Civil Service, and that it is not desirable to establish simultaneous examinations in India and England.
§ *Mr. NAOROJII beg to give notice that on an early date I shall call attention to the examinations held in England for the Civil Services of India, and to move a Resolution.