Leonpcs at 14:38, 28 January 2026

2026-01-28T14:38:55Z

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{{Short description|Act of Indian Parliament}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2022}}
{{Use Indian English|date=December 2022}}
{{Infobox legislation
| short_title = Banaras Hindu University Act, 1915
| legislature = [[Imperial Legislative Council]]
| image = File:BHU Main Gate, Banaras Hindu University enhanced.jpg
| imagesize = 150
| imagealt = Banaras Hindu University
| caption = The university main entrance gate
| long_title = An Act to establish and incorporate a teaching and residential Hindu University at Banaras
| citation = {{cite act
| type = Act
| index = 16
| date = 1915
| title = Banaras Hindu University Act
| url = https://legislative.gov.in/actsofparliamentfromtheyear/banaras-hindu-university-act-1915
| language = English
}}
| territorial_extent = India
| enacted_by = [[Imperial Legislative Council]]
| date_enacted =
| date_passed = 1 October 1915
| date_assented =
| date_signed = 1 October 1915
| signed_by = [[Governor-General of India|Viceroy and Governor-General of India]]
| date_commenced = 1 April 1916
| bill_date = 11 March 1915
| introduced_by = [[Harcourt Butler]]
| amended_by = {{Ubl|Benares Hindu University (Amendment) Act, 1930|Benares Hindu University (Amendment) Act 1951|Banaras Hindu University (Amendment) Act, 1958|Banaras Hindu University (Amendment) Act, 1966|Banaras Hindu University (Amendment) Act, 1969|Delegated Legislation Provisions (Amendment) Act, 2004|Central Universities Laws (Amendment) Act, 2008}}
| summary = An act to establish and incorporate a teaching and residential, [[Banaras Hindu University|Hindu university at Banaras]].
| keywords =
| status = in force
| Key proponent = [[Madan Mohan Malviya|Mahamana Madan Mohan Malviya]]
}}

The '''Banaras Hindu University Act,''' '''1915''' (also called the '''BHU Act''''')'', is an act of [[Parliament of India]], passed on 1 October 1915 and assented by the [[Governor-General of India|Viceroy and Governor-General of India]] on the same day to establish [[Banaras Hindu University]].<ref name=":0">{{cite book |last1=Dar |first1=S.L. |url=https://archive.org/details/history-of-bhu |title=History Of The Banaras Hindu University |last2=Somaskandan |first2=S. |publisher=Banaras Hindu University Press |year=1966 |isbn=8185305226 |location= |page=291 |language=English |author-link=}}</ref> It was the act number 16 of 1915, and came into force from 1 April 1916 on being published in the [[Gazette of India]] on 23 March 1916.<ref name=":1">{{cite act|type=Act|index=16|date=1915|title=Banaras Hindu University Act|url=https://legislative.gov.in/actsofparliamentfromtheyear/banaras-hindu-university-act-1915|language=English}}</ref>

The act has been amended six times thus far, in 1922, 1930, 1951, 1958, 1966, and 1969.<ref name=":1"/>

== History ==
{{See also|Banaras Hindu University#History}}In 1905<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sessions of Congress |url=https://www.inc.in/inc-sessions/ |access-date=2022-09-03 |website=Indian National Congress |language=en |archive-date=22 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221022180718/https://www.inc.in/inc-sessions |url-status=dead }}</ref> at the twenty first conference of [[Indian National Congress]] in [[Banaras]] [[Madan Mohan Malaviya|Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya]] announced his goal of establishing a university in Banaras. [[Mahamana|''Mahamana'' Malviya]] established a Hindu University Society, with [[Maharaja of Darbhanga]] [[Rameshwar Singh Bahadur]] as the president to crowd-source the funding from all over [[Indian subcontinent]] for the establishment of such university.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Banaras Hindu University|first=Banaras Hindu University|date=3 January 2022|title=PANDIT MADAN MOHAN MALAVIYA The Man, The Spirit, The Vision|url=https://bhu.ac.in/mahamana.php|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130803042531/http://www.bhu.ac.in:80/mahamana.php |archive-date=2013-08-03 }}</ref>

The first draft was prepared in October 1911.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Dar|first1=S.L.|url=https://archive.org/details/history-of-bhu|title=History Of The Banaras Hindu University|last2=Somaskandan|first2=S.|publisher=Banaras Hindu University Press|year=1966|isbn=8185305226|location=|page=269|language=English|author-link=}}</ref>

On 22 March 1915, then [[Ministry of Education (India)|Education Minister]] [[Harcourt Butler]] introduced the ''Benares Hindu University Bill.''<ref>{{cite book|last1=Dar|first1=S.L.|url=https://archive.org/details/history-of-bhu|title=History Of The Banaras Hindu University|last2=Somaskandan|first2=S.|publisher=Banaras Hindu University Press|year=1966|isbn=8185305226|location=|page=271|language=English|author-link=}}</ref> In his speech he remarked about the university:
{{Blockquote|text=My Lord, this is no ordinary occasion. We are watching to-day the birth of a new and, many hope, a better type of University in India. The main features of this University, which distinguish it from existing Universities, will be, first. that it will be a teaching and residential University; secondly, that while it will be open to all castes and creeds, it will insist upon religious instructions for Hindus, and thirdly, that it will be conducted and managed by the Hindu community and almost entirely by non-officials|author=[[Harcourt Butler]] 11 March 1915, [[Imperial Legislative Council]], New Delhi, India <ref>{{cite book|last1=Dar|first1=S.L.|url=https://archive.org/details/history-of-bhu|title=History Of The Banaras Hindu University|last2=Somaskandan|first2=S.|publisher=Banaras Hindu University Press|year=1966|isbn=8185305226|location=|page=273|language=English|author-link=}}</ref>}}
The bill was passed on 1 October 1915.<ref name=":0"/>
== The Act ==

*[https://legislative.gov.in/sites/default/files/A1915-16.pdf The Banaras Hindu University Act, 1915, ''as modified upto December 2018'']
*[[c:File:Benares_Hindu_University_Act_1915_Original.pdf|The Benares Hindu University Act, ''as passed in 1915'']]
[[File:First Page of Benares Hindu University Act 1915.jpg|alt=Benares Hindu University Act 1915|thumb|323x323px|[[c:File:Benares_Hindu_University_Act_1915_Original.pdf|First page of then Benares Hindu University Act, as passed in 1915]]|center]]

== Statutes ==
The [[Statutes]] in force at the commencement of the [[BHU|university]] were added into the BHU act as a schedule vide an amendment in 1966.<ref>{{Cite law|type=Amendment Act|index=52|date=1966|article=17(2)|legislature=[[Parliament of India]]|pages=12|url=https://legislative.gov.in/sites/default/files/A1915-16.pdf}}</ref> The statutes of the university are published on the [https://web.archive.org/web/20020209203743/http://www.bhu.ac.in/bhuact/bhuact_chap211.htm official website], and are not usually added to the Act document.

== References ==
{{Reflist}}{{Banaras Hindu University|state=expanded}}
[[Category:Banaras Hindu University]]
[[Category:Acts of the Imperial Legislative Council]]

Banaras Hindu University Act, 1915 - Revision history

Leonpcs at 14:38, 28 January 2026