Vol. 10 · pages 446–450

425 POLITICAL GRIEVANCES IV. Absence of representation of the Federal Public Service Commission 32. There are four members who at present constitute the Federal Public Service Commission. Of these, two are Europeans, one is a Hindu and one is a Mohamedan. The Scheduled Castes have been left out in framing the composition of the Federal Public Service Commission. There is no ground why they should be denied representation on the Federal Public Service Commission. There are three main sections of the people in India. Of these the Scheduled Castes form the third main section. The population of this section is measured in millions. Their interest in the service question is quite as important as those of the other two main sections of the populations. The danger to their interests is no less real than to the interests of the other two sections. And the necessity of warding off that danger is much greater than it is in the case of the other two. Judged by any test it is difficult to justify the refusal to give representation to the Scheduled Castes from the Federal Public Service Commission. The Federal Public Service Commission has definitely been given communal character. There can be only two conceivable reasons for doing this. In the first place it may be because it is desirable to have representatives of large sections of the people on the Commission. The second reason one can conceive of for giving communal composition to the Commission is to set off the communal bias of one community by the communal bias of the other community. Whichever way one looks at it, the omission to give representation to the Scheduled Castes on the Federal Public Service Commission is sheer injustice. The Scheduled Castes cannot have any confidence in a Public Service Commission which is infected by the point of view of the Hindus and the Muslims who with all their quarrels can very easily unite to distribute the loaves and fishes among themselves and to keep out the Scheduled Castes from getting their due share. It is difficult to prove that the Commission has been unjust to the Scheduled Castes though the fact remains that not a single Scheduled Caste candidate has so far been certified by the Commission to be fit. For no Commission can be convicted of partiality. It is open to every Commission to take shelter under that most elusive term “unsuitable”. That tern far from giving an explanation is intended to cover a multitude of sins. Justice requires that the Scheduled Castes should get representation on the Federal Public Service Commission which is their due. zz

PART II EDUCATIONAL GRIEVANCES V. Want of Assistance for Advanced Education 33. Looking at the growth of Advanced Education among the Scheduled Caste boys, the following conclusions are deducible :— (1) That education in Arts and Law is progressing satisfactorily. (2) That education in Science and Engineering has made no progress. (3) That Advanced Education in foreign Universities is a very far cry. 34. This sad situation needs to be properly appreciated. As was said in discussing the question of the entry of the Scheduled Castes in the public services the welfare of the Scheduled Castes depends entirely upon a sympathetic public service and that the public service if it is to be sympathetic must be representative of the different elements in the national life of the country, and particularly of the Scheduled Castes. To this it must be added that the representation of the Scheduled Castes if it is confined to ministerial posts will be of no consequence no matter how numerous are the posts they are permitted to occupy. This may be good from the standpoint of providing a career for educated young men. It cannot affect the condition of the Scheduled Castes. The status and condition of the Scheduled Castes will be improved only when the representatives of the Scheduled Castes come to occupy executive posts as distinguished from ministerial posts. Executive posts are strategic posts, posts from which a new direction can be given to the affairs of the State. The attainment of executive post it is obvious requires a high degree of education. Such posts will not be open except to those who have acquired advanced education. 35. Education in Arts and Law cannot be of much value to the Scheduled Castes either to the graduates themselves or to the people. It has not been of very high value even to Hindus. What will help the Scheduled Castes is education of an advanced type in Science and

427 EDUCATIONAL GRIEVANCES Technology. But it is obvious that education in Science and Technology is beyond the means of the Scheduled Castes and this is why so many of them send their children to take up courses in Arts and Law. Without Government assistance, the field of Advanced Education in Science and Technology will never become open to the Scheduled Castes, and it is only just and proper that the Central Government should come forward to aid them in this connection. 36. This problem will be solved if the following proposals are accepted by the Government of India :— (1) An annual grant of Rs. 2 lakhs for scholarships for Scheduled Caste students taking science and Technology courses tenable at the Universities or other Scientific and Technical Training Institutions in India. (2) An annual grant of one lakh of rupees to be spent on scholarships for the education of Scheduled Caste students for Science and Technology in foreign Universities in England, the Dominions, in Europe and in America. 37. There is nothing to prevent the Government of India from undertaking this responsibility. Education it is true is not a Central subject for legislative purposes. Still, section 150 (2) of the Government of India Act says that the Central Government may make grants for any purpose, notwithstanding that the purpose is not one with respect to which the Central Legislature may make laws. This power has been used by the Government of India to support Educational Institutions. Below is given a list of Educational Institutions outside the centrally Administered Areas, which receive grants-in-aid from the central revenues. Amount per annum I. Educational Institutions 1. Indian Women’s University, Bombay Two non-recurring grants of Rs. 50,000 were made to this Institution in 193738 and 1941-42. Rs. 2. Visva-Bharati, Santinikctan 25,000 3. Inter-University Board, India 1,000 4. Inter-Provincial Board for Anglo-Indian and European Education 3,600

428 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES Rs. II. Scientific Societies 1. Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Calcutta. 18,000 2. Royal Asiatic Society of Bengal, Calcutta 2,500 3. Indian Statistical Institute, Calcutta 37,000 4. National Institute of Science of India, Calcutta 6,000 5. Vishvesharanand Vedic Research Institute, Simla 2,500 6. Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 1,50,000 7. Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, Poona 4,000 8. Bose Research Institute, Calcutta 45,000 III. Miscellaneous 1. Indian Olympic Association 2,000 2. Girl Guides Association, India 2,500 Total of annual Recurring Grants ... 2,99,100 38. This docs not include the annual subvention which the Government of India gives of Rs. 3 lakhs per annum to the Muslim University of Aligarh and of Rs. 3 lakhs per annum to the Hindu University of Benares. The claim made on behalf of the Scheduled Castes for help in the matter of advanced education at home and abroad receives great support from the financial aid given by Central Government to these two Universities. The grant made to the Universities is really grant made to the Hindu and Muslim communities for supporting higher education. That being so, there is no reason why the Central Government should not undertake to make a similar grant of 3 lakhs of rupees annually to promote higher education among the Scheduled Castes. If the Government are interested in raising the status of the Scheduled Castes, which they have often proclaimed to be their duty, it is high time that a similar provision was made for them in the education budget of the Central Government. 39. The scheme if it is given effect to will revolutionize the condition and status of the Scheduled Castes. The Scheduled Castes lay great store by it. They would even be prepared for the scheme being made a loan system rather than a system of grants. The Scheduled Caste boys who receive these scholarships shall be glad to take

429 EDUCATIONAL GRIEVANCES advantage of it even if they are required to refund the sums received by them when they are employed or they may be made to serve the Government for a term under a lower scale of salary. There can be no objection to Government accepting these proposals. 40. For the purpose of assisting Advanced Scientific and Technical Education among the Scheduled Caste students I am making two other proposals. One is to make : (3) Provision for Scheduled Caste students in the School of Mines. The Government of India has under its control the Indian School of Mines which is located at Dhanbad. The school provides high grade instructions in Mine Engineering and in Geology. The training given in the Indian School of Mines is calculated to train men who can serve in the coal mining industry and other mineral industries in India. The number of students that are at present taking instructions in the Indian School of Mines are about 97. The school is open to students from all parts of India. From enquiries made it is established that out of the 97 students there is not a single one from the Scheduled Castes. It is very necessary that some special measures should be taken by the Government of India to sec that the students belonging to the Scheduled castes are in a position to take advantage of the Indian School of Mines. To achieve this object it will be necessary : (a) To reserve a certain number of seats for the Scheduled Caste boys having the minimum standard of education required for admission. (b) The grant of free-ships. (c) The grant of scholarships. It will not be too much to claim that one-tenth of the total number of admissions should be reserved for the Scheduled Castes. This is a matter which falls within the scope of the Labour Department. But it is a question which concerns also the Finance Department in as much as the free-ships and scholarships would mean the loss of revenue to the State. But the loss on acccount of these measures will not be very great. The annual fee on an average which a student has to incur in the School of Mines be about 60 rupees a month which would mean a monthly expense of Rs. 60 per student.