Ganesh Dutt
Indian lawyer, educationist and administrator
title: "Ganesh Dutt" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["20th-century-indian-educational-theorists", "indian-philanthropists", "patrons-of-schools", "people-from-nalanda-district", "1943-deaths", "1868-births", "indian-knights-bachelor", "19th-century-indian-educational-theorists", "scholars-from-bihar", "lawyers-from-british-india"] description: "Indian lawyer, educationist and administrator" topic_path: "law" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ganesh_Dutt" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Indian lawyer, educationist and administrator ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox person"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| honorific_prefix | Sir |
| name | Ganesh Dutta Singh |
| birth_date | 13 January 1868 |
| death_date | 26 September 1943 |
| occupation | Indian lawyer, educationist and administrator |
| :: |
| honorific_prefix = Sir | name = Ganesh Dutta Singh | birth_date = 13 January 1868 Nalanda District, Bihar | death_date = 26 September 1943 Patna, Bihar | occupation = Indian lawyer, educationist and administrator
Sir Ganesh Dutta Singh (variously, Ganesh Dutt, Ganesh Dutt Singh; 13 January 1868 – 26 September 1943) was an Indian lawyer, educationist and administrator during the British Raj. He did much to improve education and health services in the state of Bihar and Orissa before the independence of India from Britain.{{cite news | url = http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2003-01-14/patna/27280341_1_nitish-kumar-nand-kishore-yadav-development | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121022024018/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2003-01-14/patna/27280341_1_nitish-kumar-nand-kishore-yadav-development | url-status = dead | archive-date = 22 October 2012 | title = Sir Ganesh Dutta's contributions recalled | work = The Times of India | date = 14 January 2003 | access-date = 4 April 2008 | url = https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/patna/Rishis-Maharshis-Brahmarshis/articleshow/39109373.cms | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121021220134/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2003-03-03/patna/27286273_1_bhumihars-swami-sahajanand-saraswati-tenants | url-status = live | archive-date = 21 October 2012 | title = Rishis, Maharshis, Brahmarshis... | author = Pranava K Chaudhary | work = The Times of India | date = 3 March 2003 | access-date = 25 March 2008
Dutta made generous donations from his earnings and personal property for the development of educational institutions, Darbhanga Medical College and Hospital, Ayurvedic College and schools for the blind and deaf. A short film based on the life and works of Dutta was made by Prakash Jha.
Dutta was Minister for Local Self Government of Bihar and Orissa under British rule, and one of the major public figures of the province of Bihar.{{cite news | url = http://www.lib.virginia.edu/area-studies/SouthAsia/Misc/Sss/whcastep.htm#fn07 | title = Changing images of caste and politics | author = Walter Hauser | date = 1 February 1997 | access-date = 24 October 2008 | archive-date = 11 December 2007 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071211005634/http://www.lib.virginia.edu/area-studies/SouthAsia/Misc/Sss/whcastep.htm#fn07 | url-status = dead | url = https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/patna/PU-institute-falls-prey-to-neglect/articleshow/507280.cms | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121022052655/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2002-02-10/patna/27119027_1_institute-counselling-patna-university | url-status = live | archive-date = 22 October 2012 | title = PU institute falls prey to neglect | work = The Times of India | date = 10 February 2002 | access-date = 9 November 2008
He took keen interest in the development of Patna University.{{cite news | url = https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/patna/Other-Side-Of-The-Coin/articleshow/3720952.cms | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121023143519/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2008-11-17/patna/27895222_1_private-colleges-constituent-colleges-patna-university | url-status = live | archive-date = 23 October 2012 | title = Other Side of the Coin | author = B K Mishra | work = The Times of India | date = 17 November 2008 | access-date = 28 March 2009
Biography
Dutta was the Minister of Local Self Government in the British Raj cabinet from 1923 till 1937 when the Provincial Government was established.{{cite book | first = Ritu | last = Chaturvedi | title = Bihar Through the Ages | publisher = Sarup & Sons | year = 2007 | isbn = 978-81-7625-798-5 | url = http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2009-06-10/patna/28191978_1_medical-colleges-govt-sanctions-posts | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110811063707/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2009-06-10/patna/28191978_1_medical-colleges-govt-sanctions-posts | url-status = dead | archive-date = 11 August 2011 | title = Govt sanctions 1785 posts for new medical colleges | work = The Times of India | date = 10 June 2009 | access-date = 11 May 2010
Dutta was a minister of Bihar and Orissa until 31 March 1936. After the separation of Orissa and Bihar he continued to hold the position. He became minister on 27 March 1923 and five years later in June 1928, he was knighted by the King Emperor, in recognition of his ability as an administrator and his service to the country. He retired from ministership on the introduction of provincial autonomy in 1937 after having held office continuously for 14 years from 1923.{{cite book | author = Mitraja | title = Sir Ganesh Dutt Singh: A life Study | publisher = Ganesh Dutt Parishad, Bihar, Vaishali Bhavan, Tikiatoli, Mahendru, Patna – 800006 | date = January 1991
Philanthropy
During Dutta's period of office as minister, he set apart most of his salary for charitable and educational purposes. He gave Rs. 100,000 to Patna University on 30 November 1931, and a further Rs. 200,000 on 27 May 1933.
With this endowment the Patna University Sir Ganesh Dutta Singh's Trust Fund was created, funding loan scholarships for higher studies in industry, agriculture, science, medicine, engineering, etc. Dutta required that all else being equal, preference was to be given to the untouchable castes and backward castes over the forward castes.
Patna University awarded him the degree of Doctor Honouris Causa in 1933.
Policy criticism
In 1928, there had been{{cite book | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=IJd1K2dbxcEC&q=gaya+district+board&pg=PA46 | title = Bihar through the ages, vol 4: Eminent Leaders | first1=S.R. | last1=Bakshi | first2=Ritu | last2=Chaturvedi | publisher=Sarup & Sons | location=New Delhi | page=46 | year = 2007 | isbn=978-8176257985 | access-date = 9 December 2013 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=IJd1K2dbxcEC&q=1928+sinha&pg=PA45 | title = Sri Krishna Sinha biography-Disapproved of LSG minister Ganesh Dutt's policy about Gaya district board and heavily opposed the move | date = 10 May 1987 | isbn = 9788176257985 | access-date = 11 January 2012 | last1 = Chaturvedi | first1 = Ritu | publisher = Sarup & Sons
References
References
- (1939). "[[Burke's Peerage". Burke's Peerage & Gentry.
- (13 January 2008). "Sir Ganesh Dutt birth anniversary celebrated". PatnaDaily.com.
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