§ Mr. WEDGWOODasked the Undersecretary of State for India whether his attention had been called to the action of the Governor of Bombay in warning the Senate of the Bombay University against retaining English history as a compulsory subject for the examination for a B.A. degree; what were the grounds of this action; and had it the sanction of the Secretary of State?
§ Mr. MONTAGUI understand that, the Senate proposed to substitute "the History of England, political and constitutional," as an obligatory subject for the present group "history and political economy," which includes the History of England (political and constitutional), the History of India, and political economy. The Bombay Government think that the proposed change would encourage cramming, and have in the ordinary course put their opinion before the Senate of the University. There was no necessity for their consulting the Secretary of State before doing so.
§ Mr. WEDGWOODAre we to understand that the Government of Bombay disapprove of the study of English history by Indians?
§ Mr. MONTAGUThe hon. Member's question arises from a misapprehension of the circumstances. History of England is already an obligatory subject, but the Senate endeavoured to narrow the number of subjects that are to be compulsory, limiting it to the History of England, whereas now, in fact, the History of England and the History of India are compulsory subjects. The Government of Bombay made representations upon the subject, with a view, not to abandoning the History of England, but to maintaining a wider syllabus.