Alternative Ideas and Initiatives (From mid-19th Century to the Early 20th Century): Characteristics and observation

1.What was the role of the ‘Bengal Technical Institute’ in the development of technical education in Bengal?

Answer: The Bengal Technical Institute 1 was established as part of the anti-Partition national education movement.

Establishment: This educational institution was established in Calcutta in 1906 AD through the initiative of prominent lawyer and education enthusiast Taraknath Palit.

• Objectives: The main objectives of this educational institution were the introduction of an education system free from foreign control and the promotion of science and technical education.

Patrons: The first principal of this institution was Pramathanath Basu, and the first president appointed was Rash Behari Ghosh. Besides them, Maharaja Manindrachandra Nandi, Bhupendranath Bose, Nilratan Sarkar, and other educationists patronized this educational institution from the very beginning.

Curriculum: Initially, two types of curricula were introduced here. One was a three-year intermediate curriculum, and the other was a four-year secondary curriculum. Students who did not pass the entrance examination also had the opportunity to enroll in the intermediate curriculum. Here, bookbinding, coloring, carpentry, various types of engraving, soap making, and leather tanning were taught. Those who passed the entrance examination had the opportunity to enroll in the secondary curriculum. The three main subjects of their curriculum were mechanical and electrical engineering, applied chemistry, and geology. Renowned teachers such as Pramathanath Basu, Sarat Dutta, and Prafulla Mitra were associated with this institution.

Integration: In 1910 AD, this institution merged with the National Council of Education. And after independence, in 1955 AD, the National Council of Education was transformed into Jadavpur University.

Commentary: Through this science education institution of the Swadeshi era, undoubtedly, the seeds of patriotism and nationalism were sown. This educational institution and the educationists associated with it took a vow to break the mold of creating puppets of colonial education and to build real human beings.

2.Analyze the relationship between printing and the spread of education. What kind of changes did the printing press bring about in the spread of education in Bengal? 

Answer: The introduction of movable type and the printing revolution freed the pursuit of knowledge worldwide from the hands of a select few privileged individuals and brought it to the doorsteps of the common people. The role of the printing press and printed books was significant in the social and cultural awakening, and above all, in the spread of mass education in India and Bengal.

In fact, the establishment of printing presses and the expansion of education have been complementary to each other in all countries of the world. The huge demand for books can only be met when a sufficient number of printing presses are ready to print them, and without the expansion of mass education, there is no value for printing presses and printed books.

Earlier handwritten manuscripts were often incomprehensible and naturally unfavorable for reading and teaching. But printed books from printing presses eliminated this difficulty. Due to the convenience of printing many copies of the same type of book, it became easier to formulate a universal curriculum. As printed books were cheaper, they easily reached the hands of ordinary people, and ordinary students got the opportunity to receive education in their mother tongue. As a result, there was a huge expansion of mass education.

When William Carey established the Serampore Mission Press in 1800 AD, it was a groundbreaking event in the field of education. Numerous textbooks were printed affordably from the Mission Press. The ‘School Book Society’ was established in 1817 AD with the aim of providing textbooks to students affordably or free of charge. Numerous newspapers and periodicals such as ‘Digdarshan,’ ‘Samachar Darpan,’ ‘Sambad Kaumudi,’ ‘Samachar Chandrika,’ and ‘Sangbad Prabhakar’ were published from here, accelerating the flow of mass education. Gradually, many more printing presses were established, and printed books continued to be published in competition.

The printing press facilitated the progress and expansion of children’s education; books such as Madanmohan Tarkalankar’s ‘Shishushiksha,’ Vidyasagar’s ‘Barnaparichay,’ and Ramsundar Basak’s ‘Balyashiksha’ were published. Almanacs, law books, religious texts, moral stories, history books, agriculture books, music books, and medical books began to be published in the mother tongue from printing presses, as a result of which the doors of higher education began to open for students. Regional and translated literature was printed.

Thus, the establishment and expansion of printing presses in the mid-eighteenth and nineteenth centuries enlivened Bengal with multidimensional significance. Educated in modern education, Bengalis and Indians reached the threshold of the Renaissance.