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1900-1901
163

and a memorial, which I had a large hand in drawing up, was sub- mitted to Government.

The agitation was not without its results. The Government of India partially accepted the popular view. In a letter issued by the Home Department, in October, 1902, the Government declared that the second-grade colleges occupy a definite place in the educational machinery of the country and fulfil a useful function'. As regards the abolition of the law classes, the Government of India were of opinion that a central Law College should be established in each province, but that it should be a model, and there should be no monopoly'. Whatever the spirit of the Govern- ment declaration may have been, the law classes in all the Calcutta colleges were abolished, excepting those of the Ripon College. The Government was silent with regard to the question of the minimum college fees.

Upon the basis of the recommendations of the Universities Commission, a Universities Act was passed. The Universities (I speak specially of the Calcutta University) have assumed in a large measure the function of teaching in the higher branches of Arts and Science, with results that are commendable. An impetus to higher learning and culture has also been imparted by regular lectures delivered by University Readers and Lecturers. But, all the same, the expense of higher education has increased with no sensible increase in the resources of the middle class, from whom the bulk of our college students come.