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Since 1813 the policy of the East India Company's administration was to support the spread of the western education among the Indians. In this connection an important step was taken with the Wood's dispatch in 1854 which included the proposal for the establishment of a university in Calcutta a as well as in Bombay and Madras. The aims and objects of the proposed, university in Calcutta would be as follows:
The rapid spread of a liberal education among the natives of India since the time, the high attainments shown by the native candidates for government scholarships, and by native students in private institutions, the success of Medical Colleges and the requirement of an increasing European, and Anglo-Indian population, have led us to the calculation that the time is now arrived for the establishment of universities in India, which may encourage a regular and liberal course of education, by conferring academic degrees as evidences of attainments in the different branches of arts and science and by adding marks of honour for those who may desire to compete for honourary distinction....The examination for degrees will not include any subjects connected with religious belief; and the affiliated institutions will be under the management of persons of every variety of religious persuasion... We should refuse to sanction any teaching as directly opposed to the principle of religious neutrality to which we have always adhered.1
Thus the University of Calcutta, one of the oldest Universities of India, was established. It was founded in 1857 along with the Bombay and Madras Universities. It was more prestigious and outstanding than any of the two others. The higher education of Bengal, Central Province (CP), Uttar Pradesh (UP) and part of Burma and Ceylon was under its jurisdiction. It was started as an affiliating and examining body with a nominated Vice-Chancellor who was to act upon the advice and consent of a Senate and a Syndicated Lord Curzon's University act of 1904, reduced the jurisdiction of the Calcutta University over Burma and Ceylon, but assigned the University with the function of teaching post-graduate classes. It was also empowered to appoint the teaching staff for academic activities. During the Vice-Chancellorship of Sir Asutosh Mukherjee (1906-1914) teaching function of the university was set in motion.3
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