Ganesh Dutt

rdf:langString Ganesh Dutt

rdf:langString Sir

rdf:langString Sir Ganesh Dutt(a) 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. 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. Sir Ganesh Dutta 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 on the initiative of Sir Chandeshwar Prasad Narayan Singh Sinha, the Vice-Chancellor of Patna University. Dutta 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 took keen interest in the development of Patna University. He donated some of his assets to the University and worked towards abolishing the practice of appointing former Judges as vice-chancellors; Sachchidanand Sinha became the first VC of Patna University who was not a judge.