XI The University had no local habitation of its own, since its foundation in 1857 till 1872. During this period the University had to transact its business in rented houses. In 1864 the site to the west of the College Street, facing the tank to the south of the Hindu School and the Sanskrit College, was selected for The Public Works Department, Bengal, who was the University Buildings. entrusted with the work of constructing the Building on the land, submitted in The Buildings 1866 an estimate amounting to Rs. 2,52,221 and instructions were issued by the Government of India to take up the work in hand at once. known as the "SENATE HOUSE" were completed by the end of the year 1872 at a cost of Rs. 4,34,697 and the University took possession of them early in 1873. The Darbhanga Library Building has been built on the land to the west of the Senate House at a cost of over Rs. 8,00,000, of which two lakhs and a half have been contributed by the Hon'ble the Maharaja of Darbhanga and the remainder has been met out of Government grant of Rs. 2,00,000 and by a contribution of about double the amount from out of the Reserve Fund of the University. The Building accommodates the University Library, the University Law College, the University Classes in various subjects, the Registrar's Office and also provides Residential quarters for the Principal of the University Law College. The top floor which is utilised for holding the University Examinations accommodates about 700 candidates. The building on the land, to the south of the Darbhanga Library Building measuring about a bigha and a half, purchased at a cost of Rs. 1,50,000 by the University out of its Reserved Fund, has cost the University over Rs. 4,00,000 of which three lakhs have been met out of Government grant of three lakhs and the remainder out of the Reserve Fund of the University The building has been constructed for the purpose of providing Hostel accommodation to the Hindu students of the University Law College who do not live with their parents or guardians. It has been named "University Law College Hardinge Hindu Hostel," after the name of the then Chancellor of the University, and it The Hostel is under the direct provides accommodation for over 150 students. supervision of the Principal of the University Law College, subject to the general control of Governing Body of the College, whose proceedings are laid before the Syndicate for confirmation. The University Press is located in the shed to the immediate west of the Senate House, originally erected to accommodate the Law Classes of the University Law College temporarily, pending the completion of the Darbhanga Library Building to which the College has been permanently removed. The fish market, known as Madhab Babu's Bazar and situated to the south of the Senate House, has been acquired out of the Government grant of Rs. 8,00,000. The land measures over 3 bighas. It is proposed to construct on the land a building which will provide Examination Halls and Lecture Rooms. XII Maharaja Sir Rameshwar Singh of Babu Joykissen Mookerjee, of Uttarpara, made a donation of Rs. 5,000 to the University on the 20th July, 1869, for the purpose of forming a Library. The amount was invested in 4 per cent. securities till the completion of the University buildings. In 1874 the sum of Rs. 3,500 was added to the Library Fund from the surplus income of the University of that year; and the Syndicate having thus at their disposal more than Rs. 9,000, appointed a Committee to report on the steps it was advisable to take to form a Library. The Committee reported (see Minutes, Vol. XVIII, page 22) that they thought "if desirable to begin with procuring such books as shall render the Calcutta University Library Supplementary to the other Libraries now existing in Calcutta." The general principles laid down by the Committee, and the mode of procedure they proposed for adoption, were approved by the Syndicate; and further transfers have, from year to year been made to the Library Fund from the surplus income of the University. Several instalments of books have been received, and the Library now contains besides English works of reference, and of the chief authorities on the Indian antiquities, fairly complete sets of the Sanskrit, Arabic, Latin, French and German classics. In 1908 the Hon'ble Sir Rameshwar Singh, K. C. I. E., Maharaja Bahadur of Darbhanga, made over to the University a sum of rupees two lakhs and a half for the construction of a building in which the Library might be located. This munificent gift was accepted by the Senate with thanks, and it was decided to name the Library after the Maharaja, who was subsequently nominated an Honorary Fellow for life, as an eminent benefactor of the University. The following Rules for the management of the University Library have been approved by the Syndicate :- RULES FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF THE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY, UNDER SECTION 5, CHAPTER XXVIII OF THE NEW REGULATIONS. 1. The Library is for the use of Resident Fellows, University Prefessors, Assistant Professors, Assistants to Professors, Readers, Lecturers, Assistant Lecturers of the University, Resident Registered Graduates, students of University Post-Graduate Classes and Research Students working under University Professors, and they alone have the privilege to use it, subject to the present rules and to such further rules and orders as may be agreed to by the General Committee under Section 5 (1) of the Regulations of the University. 2. (a) Persons who are neither Resident Fellows of the University nor University Professors, Assistant Professors, Assistants to Professors, Readers, Lecturers, Assistant Lecturers of the University, Resident Registered Graduates, students of University Post-Graduate Classes and Research Students working under University Professors may receive special permission from the Syndicate to use the Library for the purpose of Literary or Scientific Research. Such permission will be granted on the recommendation of the Executive Committee. (b) In recommending any person to the Syndicate under this rule, the Executive Committee shall specify in writing, for the information of the Syndicate, the grounds on which they base their recommendation. 3. Subject to the exceptions specified in Rule 5, Resident Fellows, University Professors, Assistant Professors, Assistants to Professors, Readers, Lecturers, Assistant Lecturers, Resident Registered Graduates and Research Students working under University Professors and such other persons as are allowed to make use of the Library under Rule 2 and who reside in Calcutta, may borrow and temporarily remove from the Library such books as they may require on the following conditions: ་ (a) In this rule the term ' volumes' shall include pamphlets and parts of . works separately sewn. time. (b) Resident Fellows will be entitled to take out up to ten volumes at a (c) Under special circumstances Resident Fellows may, with the sanction of the Executive Committee, take out more than ten volumes. (d) Resident Registered Graduates and Research Students working under University Professors will be entitled to take out not more than four volumes at a time and, in order to be allowed this privilege, will have to make a deposit of Rs. 25. The Registrar may, in the case of specially valuable books and with the sanction of the Executive Committee, ask for a special deposit. (e) Persons who are allowed to make use of the Library under Rule 2 and who reside in Calcutta, may take out books on the same conditions as Resident Registered Graduates. (f) University Professors, Assistant Professors, Readers, Lecturers, Assistant Lecturers, and Assistants to Professors, will, during the time they hold office, be entitled to the same privileges as Resident Fellows. (g) No book shall be issued and delivered except to the authorised borrower in person or to some one having written authority from him to receive it on behalf of the authorised borrower. (h) Every volume borrowed shall be returned to the Library within two calendar months of the date on which it was removed from the Library. In case any borrower fails to return any book within this period, a notice shall be sent to him by the Librarian calling for the return of the book. (i) If a book called for under the previous section be not returned within one week after the receipt of the Librarian's notice, the person who has borrowed the book from the Library shall be subject to a fine of one rupee for each volume so retained, and to a further fine of an equal amount for each additional week that he may retain it after the expiration of the second week. (j) Subject to the provisions of Rules 4, 5, 6 and 7, a book returned to the Library may be again borrowed by the same person, provided that no other Fellow or person entitled to use the Library has lodged with the Librarian an application for the same work. If such application has been made the book may not be taken out by the original borrower until returned by the second applicant. 4. The privilege of any Fellow or other person to use the Library shall be suspended so long as he retains any book which, under these rules, he is not entitled to retain, or so long as he leaves unpaid any fine which may have been imposed on him under Rules, 3, 6 and 7. 5. (a) Books which are valuable on account of their rarity or which belong to a series and which, being out of print, it may be difficult or impossible to replace if lost, or books required for constant reference shall not be removed from the Library. (b) A list of the works excluded from removal under this rule shall be drawn up by the Executive Committee, and will be subject to revision and extension from time to time. 6. (a) The Librarian shall report to the Executive Committee all cases to which books have been mutilated, disfigured by writing on the margin or otherwise injured while in the possession of readers. (b) Any person guilty of such an offence shall be required to replace the injured by an uninjured copy of the book, and shall be liable to the cost of its proper binding and other charges. Further, he shall be fined and suspended from the privileges of the Library at the discretion of the General Committee. 7. (a) A general inspection of the Library and of the record of books issued and returned, shall be made annually in the first week of May by the Executive Committee, or by one or more members of the Committee deputed by them for that purpose. (b) During this period of inspection the Library shall be closed and all books whatever and by whomsoever borrowed shall be returned to the Library by the 31st March of each year. (c) Any person who fails to return, in accordance with this rule, all books borrowed by him, shall be subject to a fine of not less than two rupees for each volume retained and if such volume is not returned bofore the expiration of one week after the last day of inspection, a further fine of an equal amount shall be imposed for each volume, for each additional week until that volume is returned or until a copy of the same edition and of equal value is placed in the Library in its stead, and all expenses connected therewith paid by the borrower. 8. The Library shall be closed on Sundays and all public holidays and on all days for holding public examinations. Subject to the exception under Rule 7, it shall be opened on other days between the hours at 7 A.M. and 7 P.M. XIII University Laboratories The princely gift of the late Sir Taraknath Palit, Kt., D.L. and Sir Rashbehary Ghose, Kt., C.S.I., C.I.E., M.A., D.L., Ph.D., have enabled the University to start the University College of Science, and the Laboratories of Physics, Chemistry, applied Mathematics and Experimental Psychology have been equipped in the Science College Buildings at 93 Upper Circular Road. The Biological Laboratories have been equipped in the buildings and the surrounding grounds of No. 35 Ballygunj Circular Road which was the residence of the late Sir Taraknath Palit, and a University Professor of Botany and University Professor of Zoology have been appointed by the Senate. PART I-21 |