Colonial policy towards science education in India.

The colonial rule never gave any importance to science education in India. The British could well understand that if Indians were able to get scientific knowledge then they will no longer be dependent on the foreigners and began to find out solutions of their own problems. The charter of 1813 called for the introduction and promotion of knowledge of science among the inhabitants of British India. But it remained a pious wish: moreover, it gave no indication of which system of science, indigenous or European was to be preferred. The dissention of the British colonial rule to introduce science in the educational curriculum deprived the Indians from receiving scientific knowledge for a long time. In 1835, Thomas Babington Macaulay not only succeeded in making English the medium of instruction in school, college and universities, but was able to prepare an educational curriculum which was purely literacy. Hi personal distaste for science delayed the process of advent of science. A few medical and engineering colleges were opened, but they were meant largely to supply assistant surgeons, hospital-assistant, overseers etc. The educational curriculum was prepared in such a way that the requirement of only subordinate services was met. It was a strategy of British colonial rule i.e. not to give any scope to the Indian to get scientific knowledge of highest quality and complete the British. Later in 1870, the Indian universities began to show some inclination towards science education. In 1875, the madras university decided to examine its matriculation candidates in geography and   elementary physics in place of British history. Bombay was the first Indian city to grant degrees in science, Calcutta university divided its B.A into two branches--- ‘A’ course (i.e. literacy),’B’ course (i.e. science). Even the slow growth of science education was bestowed with many problem, first was the very aim and character of educational policy itself i.e. ’character formation’ K.M.Chatfield, principal of Elphinstone college, admitted that the institution of university professorship would indeed foster the development of knowledge through research but youth was the aim of the system. For this purpose a liberal-literacy education was found more suitable. The second problem was the shortage of funds in providing scientific education. In 1900 the four college of Patna, Cuttack, Hooghly and krishnanagar cost the government Rs 55,441 while the presidency college of Calcutta claimed Rs 1, 14,702.another problem of providing science education is that the authorities always looked for western model and did not try to follow any indigenous model. Major emphasis was laid on theoretical instruction without any proper model to follow. British institutions were looked upon as the ideal models. But they would not grant anything like, higher form of scientific or technical education. The most important feature that is to follow is a hybrid form of education which is the result of carless fusion between industrial and technical education. Further English was the only medium of instruction in science. As a result providing science education to the lower became very difficult as they didn’t understand English. The British educational experiments in India have often been severely criticized education was no doubt on important segment of the whole colonial enterprise and was definitely meant to strengthen it. Gauri Viswanathan calls it a ‘mask of conquest’. Use of education as a medium to strengthen colonial power raises many questions. Chance and bureaucratic momentums were two instruments which propelled colonial bureaucracy. This bureaucracy ensured the importance of colonial requirements before anything else. Colleges related to P.W.D were called civil engineering colleges. There were remarkable differences between engineering education in India and England. In England it started from the lowers classes and gradually being in corporate in university curriculum. On the other hand it was organized from above. Though in France also it was organized from above, the motive differed greatly. In Europe, engineering education was developed in order to facilitate the process of industrialisation.