Act of Incorporation, passed by Lord Canning in January 1857, provided for the establishment of which of the following Universities?

A. University of Calcutta
B. University of Delhi
C. University of Madras
D. Bombay University

Choose the correct answer from the options given below:

Correct option is B

The Act of Incorporation (1857) was a historic legislation passed under the governance of Lord Canning, the then Governor-General of India, to formally establish three Presidency Universities in India:

1. University of Calcutta – Established in January 1857
2. University of Bombay (now Mumbai) – Established in July 1857
3. University of Madras – Formally incorporated in September 1857

These three universities were modeled after the University of London and were intended to provide higher education to Indians under British rule.

The University of Delhi, however, was established much later in 1922, under the Delhi University Act.

Thus, the Act of Incorporation, 1857, was responsible for establishing Calcutta, Bombay, and Madras Universities, not Delhi.

Information Booster:

• These three universities marked the beginning of modern university education in India.
• The model was colonial in nature, mainly examining bodies at first and not focused on research or teaching.
• These institutions later evolved into major centers of learning, contributing significantly to India’s academic framework.

Additional Knowledge:

• University of Calcutta: First university to be established in India (January 1857).
• University of Bombay: Second to be established (July 1857).
• University of Madras: Incorporated shortly after in September 1857.
• University of Delhi: Came much later, in 1922, established by the British Parliament and not part of the 1857 Act.

Key Fact: The Act of Incorporation 1857 is considered a milestone in British India's educational reform, aligned with the Wood’s Despatch of 1854, which emphasized education in India.