Till the sixties it was expected of undergraduate and post-graduate students of Calcutta to write their answers in Sanskrit at the examination. This started at the higher secondary level in the explanation of Sanskrit verses. Some took to English but writing in one’s mother tongue did not create good impression.

In the Departmental magazines of the undergraduate classes Sanskrit compositions were encouraged under the supervision of a teacher towards the development of skill. Philological deliberation was not encouraged. Poems or articles singing to the glory of Sanskrit, apart from secular poetic compositions, were welcomed. An article by me was revised by Pandit Sitaram Shastri (Mithila) as it did not contain sufficient ‘māhātmyakīrtana’ of Sanskrit. I made additions that made it acceptable.

Writing answers in Sanskrit had been the convention but was not compulsory. It was supposed to be a mark of distinction and it paid by way of relatively favorable assessment.  The emphasis was greater in the post-graduate classes. Later, under vigorous political emphasis on the mother tongue, it became the practice to write answers in one’s mother tongue. The earlier enterprise petered out.

Sorry for a long lecture. I request forgiveness.

Best

DB