Is a College for Women a Luxury?

THE necessity of establishing high schools and colleges for women in India has been recognised. Only a want of funds has stood in the way of starting more colleges. At the last meeting of the Legislative Council, Bombay, the attention of the Government was once again drawn to the establishment of an arts college for women. Within recent years two such colleges were opened in Madras and since then the number of women students has increased. In Bombay for want of a woman's colleges nearly 40 students are compelled to attend mixed classes and this is naturally uncomfortable to men and women. But the Hon'ble Mr. Paranjpye seems to have taken a curious view by declaring that an arts college for women was luxury in Bombay. The experience in Mysore and Madras disproves the fear about there being no large demand. As for women being compelled to study along with men, it was found impracticable even in England where separate colleges and high schools were long ago started. Do Indian social conditions support what British conditions could not?