Ganesh Dutt

Sir Ganesh Dutt Singh KCIE (1868–1943) was an Indian administrator and educationist. He did much to improve education and health services in the state of Bihar and Orissa in the pre-independence era. Dutt made generous donations from his earnings and personal property for the development of educational institutions, such as the radium institute in Patna Medical College, Darbhanga Medical College and Hospital, Ayurvedic College and schools for the blind and deaf. A short film based on the life and works of Dutt has been made by Prakash Jha.

Dutt was Minister for Local Self Government in the British Government of Bihar and Orissa and one of the major public figures of the province of Bihar. Sir Ganesh Dutt had donated his house Krishna Kunj to Patna University to start the Patna University Institute of Psychological Research and Service, one of the oldest psychological service centres in Eastern India in 1945 at the initiative of Sir Chandeshwar Prasad Narayan Singh Sinha, who was the then Vice Chancellor of Patna University. Dutt saved nearly three-quarters of his salary each month for 14 years to give it to various charities to benefit orphans, widows, and schools in the state.

He a took keen interest in Patna University's development. He donated some of his assets to the University and worked hard to terminate the practice of appointing former judges as vice-chancellors; Dr Sachchidanand Sinha became the first VC of Patna University who was not a judge.

Biography

dutt was born in a Bhumihar Brahmin family. He matriculated five years later with first division and a scholarship for proficiency in mathematics. He then became a modestly successful lawyer, and later a minister in the government of Bihar and Orissa from 1923 to 1937, the longest tenure for any minister anywhere in the whole British Empire. Dutt was the Minister of Local Self Government in the British Cabinet from 1923 till 1937 when the Provincial Government was established. While he was the Minister of Local Self Government, Dutt was made Knight Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire by the British for his contributions to the public good. State functions are organised by the Government of Bihar on the anniversary of Dutt's birth on 13 January every year.

Policy Criticism

In 1928 there had been widespread agitation in Bihar due to an ill-advised step on the part of the ruling British Government in superseding the District Board at Gaya and removing Anugraha Narain Sinha, a prominent national leader, from its chairmanship. Eminent nationalists led by Rajendra Prasad strongly denounced the decision, as the reported allegations were found to be baseless.

Sri Krishna Sinha(first Chief Minister of Bihar),leader of the Congress party,disapproved of the policy of Ganesh Dutt Singh as Minister of the Local-Self Government in superseding the Gaya district board, and heavily came down on the government in the Bihar and Orissa Legislative council.