The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-07-31
THE CALCUTTA UNIVERSITY
All Creeds and Castes Represented IN
the stusient body.


A great modern university In Calcutta
Il something Of a surprise To the Western
mind. IL was founded in 1887. modelled
after the University Of London. The
idea was to make IL an examir ing insti-
tuition with the right Of comforting de-
grees In art. law. medicine and civil engi-
neerinz.
Experiencs ls1 TO radical changes.
The institution became a teaching a.
well a. an examining one. But II still
remains a place to which most Of the
students come from other colleges either
TO finish their course or merely To take
their degree. Some Of these colleges
are missionary: others are moro Of the
private school character.
At any ono of the university examir A.
lions. says the Indspendsni. may be found
students from Hindu. Mo hamme1an.
Christian and other colleges The exami-
nation room In the Senate House OF the
university ON an examination day u a
microcosm Of the races. the religious
beliefs. the castles and the diverse culture
of India.
The breaith Of the service rendered TO
the people OF India and To the people Of
the world by the University of Calcutta
u intimatei Ira the number and variety
of subjects in which it examines candi-
dates for its degrees
Among them are English. Bengal,
Hindi. Trivia. AsSames". Burmese. Urdu.
Modern Armenian. Classical Armenian.
Arabic. Persian Sanscrit. Hebrew. Greek
Latin. French. German. history. political
economy and political philosophy, mental
and moral philosophy. mathematics
physics. chemistry. physiology. botany
ana zoology.
The great day for the student for the
teacher. for the examiner for the vice
chancellor and the chancellor Of the
University % Calcutta. as 81 every univer-
sitv. " the day of the annual convocation.
This day falls in what would he in America
the very midst Of the academic year. IL
is a day not unlike the similar day at
oxford or at either the old or the new
Cambridge.
but IN one repsect the difference 10
marked. In India the State or civil au-
thority IL manifestly made superior TO
the academic. The Governor General or
Lieutenant Governor presides. confers
degrees and awards honors.
The Indian university ~ also more
i'unctilious a. regards academic order
ana ceremonial. Academic costume "
prescribed on tho degree comforting &C.
Casion with far more care than in the |
American college. II II said that grad |
ate- shall wear "a European dress with a
college cap. or q chaplain and trousers |
with a shawl pagree and black tar
NJ les= than eight requirements are !
also laid down for the gowns and hoods |
OF the several degrees. Tho Indian /
student ~ not a student Of the tvs, in |
which the college officer and teacher re- |
joIce. He lacks those virtues which are |
summed up in the good old word thor |
oughness He finds IL hard to cuncen-
trats his mind nn a single subject His |
heart seems fixed upon the prizes which !
the higher education may uffer rather |
than upon the higher education itself. |
He - preco,inu-. premature. He may
enter the university nc IL and become
bachelor ~ arts at ~. He NAV also he !
married before the age OIL The support
Of a family does not promote thorough
ncss OF length Of university careers.