The idea of
starting a University at Lucknow was first mooted by Raja Sir
Mohammad Ali Mohammad Khan, Khan Bahadur, K.C.I.E. of Mahmudabad, who contributed
an article to the columns of "The Pioneer'' urging the foundation of
a University at Lucknow. A little later Sir Harcourt Butler,
K.C.S.I., K.C.I.E, was appointed Lieutenant-Governor of the United
Provinces, and his well-known interest in all matters under his
jurisdiction, specially in matters educational, gave fresh life and
vigour to the proposal. The first step to bring the University into
being was taken when a General Committee of educationists and
persons interested in university education appointed for the
purpose, met in conference at Government House, Lucknow, on
November, 10, 1919. At this meeting Sir Harcourt Butler, who was in
the chair, outlined the proposed scheme for the new
university.
A discussion
followed, and it was resolved that Lucknow University should be a
Unitary, Teaching, and Residential University of the kind
recommended by the Calcutta University Mission, 1919, and should
consist of Faculties of Arts, including Oriental Studies, Science,
Medicine, Law, etc. A number of other resolutions was also passed
and six sub-committees were formed, five of them to consider
questions connected with the University and one to consider the
arrangements for providing Intermediate Education. These
sub-committees met during the months of November and December, 1919,
and January, 1920; and the reports of their meetings were laid
before a second Conference of the General Committee at Lucknow on
January 26, 1920; their proceedings were considered and discussed,
and the reports of five of the sub-committees were, subject to
certain amendments, confirmed. The question of incorporation of the
Medical College in the University, however, was for the time being
left open for expression of opinion. At the close of the Conference
donations of one lakh each from the Raja of Mahmudabad and
Jahangirabad were announced.
The resolutions of the first
Conference together with the recommendations of the sub-committees
as confirmed at the second Conference were laid before a meeting of
the Allahabad University on March 12, 1920, and it was decided to
appoint a sub-committee to consider them and report to the Senate.
The report of the sub-committee was considered at an extraordinary
meeting of the Senate on August 7, 1920, at which the Chancellor
presided, and the scheme was generally approved. In the meantime the difficulty of
incorporating the
Medical College in the University had been removed. During the month
of April 1920, Mr. C.F. de la Fosse, the then Director of Public
Instruction, United Provinces, drew up a Draft Bill for the
establishment of the Lucknow University which was introduced in the
Legislative Council on August 12, 1920. It was then referred to a
Select Committee which suggested a number of amendments, the most
important being the liberalising of the constitution of the various
University bodies and the inclusion of a Faculty of Commerce; this
Bill, in an amended form, was passed by the Council on October 8,
1920. The Lucknow University Act, No. V of 1920, received the assent
of the Lieutenant-Governor on November 1, and of the
Governor-General on November 25, 1920.
The Court of the
University was constituted in March, 1921, and the first meeting of
the Court was held on March 21, 1921, at which the Chancellor
presided. The other University authorities such as the Executive
Council, the Academic Council, and Faculties came into existence in
August and September, 1921. Other Committees and Boards, both
statutory and otherwise, were constituted in course of time. On July
17, 1921, the University undertook teaching -- both formal and
informal. Teaching in the Faculties of Arts, Science, Commerce, and
Law was being done in the Canning College and teaching in the
Faculty of Medicine in the King George's Medical College and
Hospital. The Canning College was handed over to the University on
July 1, 1922, although previous to this date the buildings,
equipment, staff, etc., belonging to the Canning College had been
ungrudgingly placed at the disposal of the University for the
purposes of teaching and residence. The King George's Medical
College and the King George's Hospital were transferred by the
Government to the University on the March 1, 1921.
The
following three Colleges provided the nucleus for the establishment
of the University:
