Lucknow University and office of Shri R.R. Khanna

 

This is the office of the Shri Nathji’s devotee Shri R.R. Khanna, who served as the registrar of Lucknow University. The Registrar Office still runs from the same building as it used to, during the time of R.R. Khanna. His name can be seen in the display board at the office, which shows the names and tenure of all the registrars of Lucknow University. These photos are provided by Shri Abhishek Nagar, Shri Nathji’s devotee for Allahabad.

Shri Ram Ratan Khanna was the most dynamic and longest serving registrar of Lucknow University. He was the Registrar for 20 years, (From 1924 to 1944), which is infect among the longest any one has ever served as registrar in any university of India. As registrar, he has served under the first Vice Chancellor of the University and subsequently under five more  Vice Chancellors. Namely, Rai Bahadur G N Chakravarty, Dr. S B Cameron, Pt. Jagat Narain, Dr. R P Paranjape, Sri S M Habibullah, Kunwar Sir Maharaj Singh and Lt. Col. Raja Visheshwar Dayal Seth.

R.R. Khanna was the second registrar of Lucknow University after taking over the post from the Englishman Major T.F. Donal. After his retirement . After the retirement of R.R. Khanna, Shri I. U. Battat become the registrar of the University.

The University of Lucknow grew out of the prestigious Canning College, Lucknow, founded in 1867 by Raja Dakshinaranjan Mukherjee and also grew out of King George's Medical College and the Isabella Thoburn College. Lucknow University was set up as a result of the far-reaching recommendations of the Sadler Commission which had been set up in 1917 to just investigate the "“conditions and prospects of the University of Calcutta".

The Honorable Raja Sir Muhammad Ali Mohammad Khan of Mahmudabad made a strong plea in the Pioneer newspaper for the creation of a separate University at Lucknow which was reinforced by all the Taluqdars of Awadh. Sir Harcourt Butler, the then Lt. Governor of United Provinces gave active support to the idea.

Lucknow University was established in law by the Governor General on November 25, 1920. Sir Harcourt Butler laid the foundation stone of the University on March 19, 1921, and Dr. Gyanendra Nath Chakravarti became its first vice-chancellor. On July 17, 1921 classes commenced. The expansion of the University began with generous support from the Taluqdars and the Government and within twenty five years, the University had established itself as a respected seat of learning in the country and was specially famous for the teaching of English Literature.

The famous teachers being Prof Dhurjati Prasad Mukhopadhyay (Economics), Radhakamal & Radhakumud Mukhopadhyay (History) Professor Nirmal Kumar Sidanth, Birbal Sahni, Laurence Brander, R. R. Sreshta and Ahmed Ali (English). Presently, it is one of the largest universities in India with over 101 affiliated colleges and over 100,000 students.