nery required for Technical Education are now working under Government management, direct or indirect. All that is needed is to bring them together at one place, make a few additions and alterations and set up the whole thing dexterously. So that highly expensive as the scheme we have put forward may appear, Government could in reality, work it out at but comparatively little extra cost. For any other agency, the whole thing would have to be organized almost afresh, and that would make it too expensive to be within the scope of any fund raiseable by subscription. Two movements were started a few years ago, one with the sole object of Technical education, and the other having this for one of its objects. The first, called the Indian League, has been a signal failure. The second, the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, has been doing good work as far as its funds would allow. But the funds at its disposal would not go far towards meeting the wants of Technical

Education.

25. Even if the Government were to undertake the entire work of Technical Education, a great deal would

still be left for the public to do.

Beyond the stage of

Laboratory or Field instruction, all that Government may be reasonably expected to do would be to foster

any industries that may be started. In order to help in the starting and development of Indian Industries, to point out to Government where and in what way its patronage or legislation may be advantageous, and to watch the cause of Technical Education generally, we think an organization is needed, which may be called the "Society for the Development of Indian Industries." Enormous difficulties may be expected to attend the early stages of Technical Education in this country; and the public must move earnestly and energetically to remove them. Whatever scheme of Technical Education may be adopted by Government, success would be impossible without the hearty co-operation of the public.

IT is now twenty years since I first ventured to make some suggestions for the development of the scientific and higer technical education on this side of India ;* and it may be both interesting and profitable to take stock of the progress made within that period.

The Calcutta University exercises, through its examinations, a potent influence on the education of the province, and I shall first review the steps taken by it to promote scientific education. The first outward sign of the recognition by that body of the different branches of Natural Science as independent subjects of education was the institution of a science degree during the closing decade of the last century. But, the students

"Technical and Scientific Education in Bengal." - 1886.

going up for that degree have hitherto had no special preliminary preparation. Their curriculum after pass. ing the Entrance Examination has been that of the First Examination in Arts which, as the name implies, is specially intended to meet the requirements of Arts students. The B. Sc. course was a sort of compromise between the literary and the scientific courses, and, like many such compromises, has to a great extent proved a failure. As I observed in my pamphlet on "Scientific and Technical education in Bengal;" what-ever objections may be raised with respect to any attempt to introduce science in the Entrance Examination, we are aware of none, at least of a serious nature, to its introduction into the First Arts as an alternative branch of study. The students after passing the Entrance Examination should decide upon their future career. For those who intend to pursue literature, the present First Arts course will serve with perhaps slight alterations. The rest may be grouped under three heads:

(A) Students of General Science.

[The various branches of Natural Science.]

(B) Students for Engineering.

(C) Students for Medicine."

In each of these three cases, the second language,

history and logic may be altogether dispensed with and the following alternative course substituted for students coming under the heads (A) and (B).

(a) English-Two papers.

(b) Mathematics-Two papers.

(c) Physics-Two papers.

(d) Chemistry-One paper.

(e) Biology or drawing-One paper."

( Drawing being intended for engineering and biology for the other students.)

It is only since last year, that the Calcutta University has waked up to a sense of the necessity of early specialisation in modern scientific study, and I am glad to note that an Indermediate Science Examination ( corresponding to the First Examination in arts) is about to be instituted for the special benefit of the science students. It differs from the one recommended by me twenty years ago in having three, instead of two papers in English and in omitting biology altogether. Englisk being the medium of instruction in this country, a good knowledge of that language is no doubt indispensable. But I am still of opinion that two properly set papers should be quite enough to test it, and that all students of natural science, whatever may be the special subject taken up by them, should have a knowledge of elemen