History of Educational Development in India from period 1813 to 1947

Charter Act of 1813

It marked the beginning of modern or western education in India. The Act sanctioned Rs.1.00 Lakhs for education. Three Sanskrit Colleges at Calcutta, Delhi and Agra were set up.

Macaulay’s Famous Minute, 1835

It is very famous minute which ended the hot debate of Orientalist Vs Anglicist debate. The minutes decided the medium of education as “English medium” because Lord Macaulay wanted to create an Indian Class which is Indian in blood and color but English in tastes, in moral, opinion and intellect.

Wood’s Dispatch of 1854

Wood’s Dispatch of 1854 is also called Magna Carta of English Education in India. It was very comprehensive and given responsibility of education to the masses to the Government. It established hierarchy from primary education to higher education and proposed vernacular language as the medium of education at primary level in villages, Anglo-vernacular medium at high school level and recommended English language as medium of education of Higher Education. In 1857, Universities at Calcutta, Bombay and Madras was set up.

Hunter Commission on Education, 1882-83

This Education Commission was appointed under the chairmanship of W.W. Hunter to review the progress in the education after implementation of the Wood’s Dispatch. This commission primarily focused it recommendation at primary and secondary level.

Indian Universities Act, 1904/ Raleigh Commission, 1902

Raleigh Commission was appointed in 1902 to look into the possibility to establish Universities in India. Based on the recommendation of this commission, in 1904 the Indian Universities Act, 1904 came into existence.

Saddler University Commission, 1917-19

Primarily the objective of this Commission was to look after different issues in Calcutta University. However, its recommendations were implemented in all other Universities.

Hartog Committee, 1929

Hartog Committee was constituted in 1929 to look after the issues behind deteriorating education standards due to increase in number of students.

Wardha Scheme on Education, 1937

This Scheme was formulated by Congress party at its national conference held at Wardha in 1937. The scheme proposed by Zakir Hussain Committee proposed change in basic education and linked it with some vocational training i.e. learning through activity such as education of handicraft etc. But this scheme was not got realized.

Sergeant Plan, 1944

Unlike other Committee or Commission which reviewed the past policies, the Sergeant Plan on education was formulated to look after future challenges in education via a long-term plan. The plan recommended pre-primary education for child of 3-6 years age and universal, compulsory, free primary education or basic education between the ages of 6-14 years. This report was not accepted and severely criticized because the report had projected 40 years of for attaining universalization of primary education.

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