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The Institute's History
VICEREGAL LODGE
From 1823 onwards, for some six decades the Governors-General
and later Viceroys of India had shuttled from one unsuitable
residence to another during their summer sojourns in Shimla.
It was Lord Lytton (1876-80), who chose Observatory Hill for
constructing the building that was to be the final Viceregal
address in town. The hill derives its name from Observatory
House which was built in 1840 by Captain J. T. Boileau. In
time, Observatory House became the residence of the Viceroy's
Private Secretary. Observatory Hill is a watershed which stands
figuratively astride India. The waters from one side of the
hill flow down to the Bay of Bengal, and the wash from the
other heads towards the Arabian Sea.
The first designs for the new Viceregal residence were prepared
by Captain H. H. Cole of the Royal Engineers. These were presented
before the workaholic Viceroy, Lord Lytton at the Simla Fine
Arts Exhibition of 1878. It was Lord Dufferin (1884-88), however,
who took great personal interest in the matter. He persuaded
the Secretary of State for India, Lord Randolph Churchill,
to sanction the project that was finally to cost thirty-eight
lakh rupees. The annual upkeep of the estate was estimated
to be one and a half lakh rupees.
To breathe life into the Viceregal vision, Henry Irwin was
appointed architect and chief superintendent of  works.
F. B. Hebbert and L. M. St. Clair were associated as executive
engineers. With them were three assistant engineers - A. Scott,
T. Macpherson and T. English. The overall plan of the Lodge
was suggested by Lord Dufferin, who repeatedly examined and
modified the drawings. The machinery of the Public Works Department
was placed in high gear and work on the site began in 1886.
The top of Observatory Hill was leveled out to create a wide
plateau. But this also revealed a surface of crushed shale
that was 'fissured and cracked in every direction'. To remedy
this, concrete was liberally used so as to create a strong
base for the foundations. The structure that finally rose
had a style of architecture that drew inspiration from the
'English Renaissance'. Yet it also overwhelmingly reflects
elements of the castles of the Scottish highlands. The building
is of light blue-grey stone masonry with tiled pitch roofing.
Lord and Lady Dufferin moved into the building on 23 July
1888. It was the newly installed electric lighting in particular
that Lady Dufferin found a pleasure. A fortnight later, the
Dufferins gave their first entertainment. Sixty-six people
sat down for dinner at the table, and while the electric light
was enough, candelabra were used to ornament the table. And
the large dimensions of the new building could host over 800
guests that were to attend state balls in the coming years.
The Viceregal Lodge was now almost complete, though some construction
continued till September 1888. Minor works were, nevertheless,
to continue for a much longer time as the hurried construction
schedule followed by Lord Duffferin had left numerous defects.
Embellished with wrought stone-work, the main block has three
storeys and the kitchen wing has five. A tower strikes above
the rest of the building and its height was increased during
Lord Curzon's tenure (1899-1905). In Lord Irwin's time (1926-31),
a public entry building was added in 1927. By this date the
character of the building was formed and remains to the present
day.
In so far as the interior is concerned, it is the elaborate
wood-work that has stood the real test of time. Along with
the paneling and pilasters, the staircase with its heavy newels
and handrails is remarkable. A massive shipment of teak was
procured from Burma for this purpose and supplemented, wherever
required, by local cedar wood (deodar) and walnut. During
the time of Marquis Curzon, many parts of the building came
in for major refurbishing. The carving in the dining room
was completed, and a replica of the screen that stood behind
the Emperor of China's throne was added. In the old Council
Chamber, that later became the billiards room, portraits of
every Governor-General and Viceroy were hung.
A collection of Indian arms was displayed on the walls of
the main gallery where their impressions are still visible.
The huge estate of 331 acres provided a splendid setting for
the fancy fairs and garden parties. It was during the Viceroyalty
of Lord Lansdowne that the colossal task of landscaping the
lawns and grounds began but it continued during succeeding
regimes. Though somewhat smaller today, the estate is still
a princely 110 acres. The estate staff of 23 is now far fewer
than the original 700. But the collection of rare and exotic
plants and numerous grasses is as remarkable as ever. The
glass-house is a little shrine for any gardening aesthete.
As the Second War drew to a close, India lay like a seething
cauldron. On 14 June 1945, the  Viceroy,
Lord Wavell, in a radio broadcast, called for what was termed
'The Simla Conference'. This was designed 'to ease the present
political situation and to advance India towards her goal
of full self-government'. The Conference was to propose the
reconstitution of the Viceroy's Executive Council. Except
for the Viceroy and the Commander-in-Chief, it was intended
to be an entirely Indian Council with an equal numbers of
Hindu and Muslim members. From 25 June to 14 July 1945 the
Conference was held at the Lodge. A wide spectrum of Indian
political leadership was present - Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru,
Maulana Azad, Liaqat Ali Khan, Bhulabhai Desai, Master Tara
Singh and Mohammed Ali Jinnah. Though Mahatama Gandhi was
present in Shimla throughout the Conference, he did not personally
attend any of the sessions. The Conference staggered on, till
everyone, including the Viceroy admitted its failure. What
was perhaps the last chance for India to remain undivided
was gone.
The War ended and in March 1946, a Cabinet Mission was sent
to negotiate and work out the modalities by which power could
finally be transferred to the Indians. A tripartite conference
between the Congress, the Muslim League and the British took
place at Viceregal Lodge from 5-12 May 1946. Once again, the
Congress and the League failed to agree on many of the main
issues, and the partition of India was now certain.
RASHTRAPATI
NIWAS
The Viceregal Estate passed into the hands of the President
of India after Independence in 1947. The spectacular building
was renamed 'Rashtrapati Nivas' (Presidential Residence) and
came to be occupied by the President - if at all - for only
a few days in a year.
INDIAN INSTITUTE OF ADVANCED STUDY
Because of the common vision of President S. Radhakrishnan-the
remarkable philosopher-statesman-and Prime Minister Pandit
Jawaharlal Nehru, the Indian Institute of Advanced Study Society
was registered on 6 October 1964 under the Registration of
Societies Act of 1860. Exactly fifty-four weeks later, the
Institute was formally inaugurated by President Radhakrishnan
himself.
Under the Memorandum of Association, the primary objective
of the Institute was 'to provide an environment suitable for
academic research' in the humanities, and the social and natural
sciences. In his inaugural address, Professor Radhakrishnan
emphasized that a crucial question for the Institute to engage
with was 'whether what has come down to us as truth is in
fact true or requires some kind of modification'. 'We should
not', he said, 'be prisoners of the status quo'.
A host of luminaries were closely associated with the Institute
at its inception. The President of the Society was Dr. Zakir
Husain, Vice-President of India, and Shri M.C. Chagla, Education
Minister, was its Vice-President. Professor Niharranjan Ray
was chosen as its first Director. In 1968, a review committee
appointed by the Governing Body recognized that the country's
first institution for multidisciplinary studies had come into
existence. By bringing together 'Fellows in Residence', the
Institute had begun to promote an 'inter-change of ideas,
methodologies and techniques between scholars belonging to
different fields of knowledge'. While paying a glowing tribute
to Professor Niharranjan Ray, the committee recommended that
'the residential character, the autonomy and the academic
freedom of the Institute should be preserved'.
At that time, the academics at the Institute consisted of
Professors, Senior Research Fellows, Junior Research  Fellows,
Guest Fellows and Scholars. The review committee recommended
that this hierarchy of academics be replaced by a single category
of Fellows. Among the special areas of interest identified
by it were: social sciences, historical studies, philosophy
and letters, and pure mathematics. Apart from individual research,
it was suggested that a group of Fellows from different disciplines
could also undertake joint research, and a Fellow may be helped
by research assistants for team research. The optimum number
of Fellows at the Institute was placed at fifty. In 1969,
these recommendations were accepted by the Governing Body.
The Institute had, by October 1975, come to be internationally
recognized as a centre of 'high creativity and excellence'
that had contributed to the 'Indian community's discovery
of its own identity'.
The Memorandum of Association of the Institute Society was
again amended in 1984, on the basis of the recommendations
of the Kripalani Committee. The Institute was to remain a
residential centre for 'free and creative inquiry into fundamental
themes and problems of life and thought'. Its primary objective
was defined as the promotion of 'creative thought in areas
which have deep human significance'. A special focus would
be on areas of 'national relevance'. The major spheres of
study were defined as the arts, literature, religion, philosophy,
education, culture, logic and mathematics, natural and social
environment, Indian civilization, national integration, world-views
and social, political and economic philosophy. An interdisciplinary
approach was to be adopted. There was to be a single category
of Fellows who, before relinquishing their Fellowships, were
required to submit the results of their research in writing.
Today, the Institute has Honorary Fellows, National Fellows
and Fellows. Honorary Fellowships are extended to renowned
scholars for a lifetime. Once a year, they may visit and lecture
at the Institute. The term of National Fellows at the Institute
is intitially for two years; extendable by another year. .
For Fellows, the backbone of the Institute, the duration of
regular Fellowships ranges from a minimum of three months
to a maximum of three years. This depends on the nature of
work and its progress. Initially, a Fellowship is awarded
for a year.
While Fellows of the Institute are primarily engaged in their
own research on themes approved by the Institute, the considerable
formal and informal interaction amongst them encourages a
healthy interdisciplinary dialogue. From April to November,
the Fellows' weekly seminar is the primary forum for formal
interaction. During their term, Fellows remain in residence
from April to November. In winter - December to March - they
may engage in field work, library and archival consultations
outside Shimla. Upon the completion of their term, Fellows
are required to submit their completed research work in the
form of a monograph to the Institute. The monographs submitted
by them are considered for publication by the Institute -
which also retains the first right of publication. 
Apart from Fellows, other scholars also contribute to, and
benefit from, the Institute. They come as Visiting Professors,
Visiting Scholars and Guest Scholars. Visiting Professors
are eminent scholars invited by the Governing Body of the
Institute to deliver lectures and give seminars at the Institute.
During an in-residence stay of up to four weeks, they also
interact informally with Fellows of the Institute. Similarly,
Visiting Scholars also come to the Institute on invitation.
Like Visiting Professors, they too are distinguished in their
respective fields, but their stay is limited to a week and
all facilities of the Institute are extended to them. Guest
Scholars visit the Institute - subject to the availability
of accommodation; they too are welcome to utilize the facilities
on a nominal payment.
The 'academic activity' per se of the Institute is the research
being done by its Fellows at any given point of time. Occasionally,
the Institute undertakes interdisciplinary research projects
on which scholars from different disciplines work as a team.
Through the year, the Institute also organizes several national
level seminars on themes of contemporary relevance as well
as those of fundamental theoretical significance. Often enough,
distinguished scholars from abroad are also invited to these
seminars.
Fellowships to the Institute are widely advertised throughout
the country and also through the website of the Institute.
The selection is made through various committees set up by
the Governing Body. These committees consist of experts in
different areas of research and they assist the Director in
determining the academic merit of scholars and their projects.
There is a multiplicity of approaches in the selection of
Fellows - and is not necessarily confined to those who respond
to advertisements. It is open to the Institute to consider
the names of eminent scholars suggested by the Director, members
of Governing Body and the Society. Talent is also identified
through efforts on a regional and sub-regional basis. The
final decision for the award of Fellowships is taken by the
Governing Body of the Institute. This is done on the recommendation
of a selection committee under the Chairmanship of the Director.
Today, the Institute's Memorandum of Association has identified
the perspectives that should guide research in different areas.
The areas of investigation should promote interdisciplinary
research, the themes of research should be those for which
the initial facilities required are not too expensive and
the subject should have deep human significance. Further developing
this concept, the principal areas should be those in which
scholars of eminence can be attracted in the initial stages,
both for the purposes of developing the methodological framework
for interdisciplinary research and for ensuring an acceptable
quality in output that will encourage extension of such efforts
to more areas in future - provided that in selecting the projects,
attention be given to areas of national relevance.
The Institute has defined certain areas of study. These fall
under the following broad heads: social,  political
and economic philosophy; comparative Indian literature (including
ancient, medieval, modern folk and tribal); comparative studies
in philosophy and religion; development of world-views; education,
culture, arts including performing arts and crafts; fundamental
concepts and problems of logic and mathematics; fundamental
concepts and problems of natural and life sciences; studies
in environment - both natural and social; Indian civilisation
in the context of its Asian neighbours; and problems of contemporary
India in the context of national integration and nation-building.
Certain areas have also been marked for special attention,
such as: Indian unity in diversity, the integrality of Indian
consciousness, the philosophy of education in the Indian perspective,
advanced concepts in natural sciences and their philosophical
implications and, the Indian and Asian contribution to the
synthesis of science and spirituality. Spheres that encompass
Indian and human unity, provide 'companions' to Indian literature,
comparative studies of the Indian epics and human environment
also come within this ambit.
In April 1991, on behalf of the University Grants Commission,
the Indian Institute of Advanced Study began functioning as
the Inter-University Centre for Humanities and Social Sciences.
A part of this programme is to select teachers from colleges
and universities to stay at the Institute as Associates. They
came to the Institute for one month every year for three consecutive
year. The Associates of the Centre participate in all the
on-going programmes of the Institute.
There are two other programmes of the Centre. The first is
'research seminars' on front areas of research in the humanities
and the social sciences - these are meant primarily for young
researchers in universities and colleges. The second programme
is of 'study weeks' and is meant for senior teachers - and
where others may also be invited to discuss contemporary problems
of national and international importance. The Project on the
'Study of Indian Civilisation' is yet another project and
has been launched to appropriately situate Indian civilization.
The distinctiveness of Indian identity and its 'unity in diversity',
the theoretical perspectives - along with the study of Indian
civilization as a system of ideas and as an historical identity
existing in time - form a part of this project.
The Institute continues to be administered by a Society and
a Governing Body. These bodies are composed of eminent persons
from all walks of life. To advise the Governing Body in financial
matters, the Institute has a finance committee. This has statutory
standing and has representatives of the Ministries of Education
and Finance.
The Institute is headed by a Director who is assisted in financial,
administrative and academic matters by a Secretary. Apart
from various levels of other staff, the Institute also has
a Deputy Secretary (Administration), a Librarian, an Accounts
Officer, a Publications Officer and a Public Relations Officer.
The Institute is funded primarily by the Government of India's
Ministry of Human Resource Development. It also generates
modest funds by the sale of its publications and the entry
fee paid by visitors to its spectacular building.
The Institute has over 400 publications to its credit. These
include monographs submitted by its Fellows, edited proceedings
of seminars, symposia, workshops and conferences held at the
Institute, lectures given by Visiting Professors and occasional
papers presented by Fellows and visitors to the Institute.
The Institute also publishes a review journal, Summerhill;
IIAS Review, which carries reviews of books published
by the Institute and those received from outside - as well
as interviews and important information about the various
academic activities of the Institute. A biannual journal,
Studies in Humanities and Social Sciences, is
also published under the auspices of the Inter-University
Centre for Humanities and Social Sciences.
Not unexpectedly, the library of the Institute is one of the
finest in the country. Its collection has been supplemented
by acquiring the private collections of eminent scholars like
R. C. Majumdar, Abdul Majid Khan, H. C. Ray Chaudhury, Hari
Shankar Srivastava and Ajit Ghosh. Developed over a period
of about forty years, the library now has a collection of
over a hundred and fifty thousand volumes of books, journals,
micro-films and other documents. The present subscription
list includes 320 journals.
The collection has been mainly developed in the areas of philosophy,
religion, fine arts, sociolinguistics, psycholinguistics,
social and cultural anthropology, socio-economic planning
and development, Third World economics, ancient and mediaeval
Indian history and culture, and modern Indian history - and
these sections are considered as outstanding. The collection
of 'back volumes' of journals is rated high by its users.
The major housekeeping operations of the library have been
computerized and its database pertaining to the books can
be accessed through the DELNET. Internet facilities are also
available to library users.
An example of the quality of work and the profile of the persons
drawn to the Institute comes from Radhakrishnan Memorial Lectures.
Viceroys
and Governors - General
Viceroys and Governors-General who occupied Viceregal Lodge,
and their period of tenure
1. Marquess of Dufferin, 1884-88.
2. Marquess of Landsdowne, 1888-94.
3. Earl of Elgin, 1894-99.
4. Marquess Curzon, 1899-1904 and 1904-05.
5. Earl of Minto, 1905-10.
6. Lord Hardinge of Penshurst, 1910-16.
7. Viscount Chelmsford, 1916-21.
8. Marquess of Reading, 1921-26.
9. Lord Irwin, Earl of Halifax, 1926-31.
10. Marquess of Willingdon, 1931-36.
11. Marquess of Linlithgow, 1936-43.
12. Earl Wavell, 1943-47.
13. Earl Mountbatten, April to August 1947
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