Notes and News

NOTES AND NEWS SIXTH CONVOCATION OF THE TATA INSTITUTE OF SOCIAL SCIENCES The Sixth Convocation of the Tata Institute of Social Sciences was held on the 12th April, 1946. After the Director presented his report for the year 1945-46 (see page 61), Sir Sorab Saklatvala, who presided on the occasion, welcomed Sir Mirza M. Ismail, the Convocation Speaker, in the following words :— "This is the sixth Convocation of seem that we are little concerned with Sir the Tata Institute of Social Sciences and Mirza as an administrator, and perhaps the fifth occasion on which it has been I should dwell exclusively on his work in my privilege to preside. We have had matters of educational policy and social distinguished visitors from near and far reform. But I do not take that view. I as our convocation speakers at these think it is a mistaken view, and I am gatherings, and today it is our great good sure my young friends, who are presently fortune to have amongst us yet another of to receive their diplomas with due academic India's distinguished sons—Sir Mirza Ismail. gravity, do not so mistake the purpose of the education that they have received here. "His name is inseparably associated with the flourishing State of Mysore and "The student or educationist or in more recent years with the progress of social reformer who thinks only in terms Jaipur. Since 1943 I have paid several of study or education or social reform visits to Bangalore and have heard and seen generally takes too narrow a view of his ample evidence of Sir Mirza's great work own special province. Such lack of perspec for the State. His genius as an administrator tive is, I venture to think, our handicap. is writ large in the progress that Mysore We have few men in India who have the has made in Education, Industry, Agricul breadth of outlook that should inform ture and Rural Reconstruction. social and educational policies. Sir Mirza, "Perhaps not many of you are aware however, is no newcomer to this field. how far back Sir Mirza's experience of His convocation addresses to universities administration stretches, for he carries his in different parts of the country have years better than does many a younger always been characterised by freedom man. I trust I shall not embarass him by from the conventional, by a bold forth disclosing that he started his career in the right quality, born of a many-sided Mysore State Service in 1905. He rose to experience. We look forward this evening the highest position in the State, that of to a like address, and I feel sure our young Dewan, in 1926 and a new era of prosperity graduates are with me in this. opened for Mysore. For 15 years Sir "I should like to assure Sir Mirza Mirza brought all his great gifts of energy, that he has come today to an institution integrity and vision to the service of which seeks to promote a wide outlook. Mysore. He grew in these years from an I am proud to say that our young students able administrator into a statesman of are trained to follow a profession which, liberal views and wide outlook, being though it offers few material rewards, can present at the Round Table Conference be rich in many-sided experience drawn and at Inter-Governmental Conferences. from their contacts with labour and "Here today in an academic institu industry, with medical and social work, tion and at an academic function it may and with welfare administration. These NOTES AND NEWS 57 men and women go forth as social adminis necessity in this country. More and more trators, if I may use the term, whose task, young people, well-trained, equipped with whose privilege it is to harmonize human the requisite knowledge, full of energy, relationships, to remedy mal-adjustments and imbued with zeal to work for humanity, and to promote co-operation for the are required for this kind of work, not welfare of all. only in villages but in towns and cities as '' You, Sir, in your high office have well. As we know, the conditions in the ever stood for the advancement of the latter also are far from satisfactory. These common people by improvement in their trained persons can do invaluable work. standard of living through broad, sane They will know what has to be done, and concrete measures. Your influence and how it is to be done, to make the lot has ever been on the side of co-operation of the common man happier. They should and goodwill. Your constructive policies be adequately paid, and should have have made your name a household word. reasonably good prospects. I don't believe It is, therefore, with confident expectation in paying inadequate salaries and expecting that I now invite you on behalf of all of devoted service in return. The labourer us here assembled and on behalf of the must be worthy of his hire, but his hire Tata Institute of Social Sciences to deliver too must be worthy of him. the Convocation address." '' The economic and political pro At the outset, Sir Mirza Ismail, the blems and programmes of the whole Prime Minister of Jaipur, thanked the world, and particularly of our country, Chairman for his cordial invitation to are so vast and involve so much that there come to Bombay to deliver this year's is not a phase of the life of our people Address to the graduating students of the to which they are not related. Hence the Institute. And then in delivering his unique importance of such a preparation Address Sir Mirza said : as is given here. "This Institution is associated with a " It is the aim of the Institute to make name which has become a household social service scientific, and even, in an word in this country. And deservedly so. appropriate sense, scholarly. Those ad For the Tatas have not only been pioneer mitted are graduates ; that is to say, they industrialists in India but are also un are persons who are presumed to have surpassed as philanthropists and public gained already a certain breadth of know benefactors. What pleases one particularly ledge and a certain habit of intellectual is that their beneficence is all embracing. discipline. Such men are fit to be taught It recognises no barrier of any kind. how to deal with social problems and social For these reasons I regard the Tatas as a work in a scientific spirit and by scientific national institution, an institution in the methods, the wastefulness of personal success and prosperity of which the whole trial and error thus being avoided. In country is interested. this the Institute is indeed a pioneer in "One of the most useful schemes India, and its usefulness and responsibility which the Tatas have founded is that of cannot be exaggerated. The list of former this Institute, the principal aim of which students in your Bulletin sufficiently sug is the training of young men and women gests the varied of professional employment for responsible positions in social welfare for which it successfully prepares. I presume work. Training for rural uplift is a great that in every part of its organizations and 58 SIXTH CONVOCATION OF THE TATA INSTITUTE OF SOCIAL SCIENCES work political tendencies are sedulously spent under the direction of the Institute avoided. There is no sphere in which it is should have its bearing upon practical and more desirable that the staff should disinterested service. keep themselves remote from political " It is good to read that ' no student utterance or influence ; for that would is permitted to register for law or any other immediately both narrow and weaken this outside classes or take up part-time work.' great Institution. Any doctrine, that is even There is an admirable and necessary in the most tolerable sense party or firmness in this. I am sure that pressure sectarian, or is even regarded as such by must often be exerted upon you to change sections of the people, should not have this rule or make exceptions to it, and that expression in this place. Above all, since you will never yield to such pressure. this is a school of social service, the very The mastering of this social theory and essence of which is a wide and eager genero practice will always be even more than a sity, the hatred and malice that have been full-time task. in these days the keynote of our politics should be felt here to be unworthy of both '' I learn from Dr. Kumarappa that the intellect and the spirit of the staff a good deal of time has to be spent here on and students. that preliminary study of Sociology which might well form a part of degree courses "Your General Announcement for in the universities. I agree with him that 1945-46 indicates that hitherto there has Sociology is an admirable degree subject. been great difficulty in providing satis For many years it has been a B.A. and B.Sc. factorily for field work. While the many optional in Mysore University, and it has visits to social institutions must be been very popular, and has aroused the keen extremely enlightening, and many agencies and permanent interest of its students, and co-operating in field work are mentioned formed a very valuable part of their also, nothing can make up for the lack of equipment for future service. On the exactly suitable centres on modern lines. other hand, even if this subject is introduced You say that they are difficult to find, in the near future in the curricula of most but can they not be made ? Just as any universities, I would deprecate your making good teachers' college should have its a degree with Sociology a condition of own practising schools, so this Institute admission here.

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