Mr. HERBERT ROBERTS (Denbighshire, W.)To ask the Secretary of State for India will he state how many Indian students presented themselves at the entrance examination of Cooper's Hill College, and how many were selected for the Indian Services during the last three years; whether, seeing that the number of selected Indian students is limited to two, even if more are included in the list of successful candidates, and that the admission of these two Indian students is left to the discretion of the Principal of the College, irrespective of the merits of the candidates, he will say whether the candidates are selected according to the order of merit; whether the results 672 of the entrance examinations are made public; and, if not, whether he will state the reasons for such a course.
(Answered by Secretary Lord George, Hamilton.) During the last three years thirteen Indians presented themselves at the entrance examination of Cooper's Hill college; of these eight were unsuccessful; of the remaining five, one, who was nominated for the telegraph service, has for private reasons resigned; two have obtained, or are about to obtain, appointments; the other two are still students at the college. The candidates are selected in order of merit, as shown by the entrance examination, subject only to their possessing the qualifications laid down in the public prospectus of the college, and the result of the examination is communicated to the candidates individually.