Is there a Paucity of Men?

According to one great Anglo-Indian critic, the appointment of Sir Satyendra Prasana Sinha to the Bengal Executive Council points out the difficulty of discovering “suitable” candidates for appointment to Executive Councils. No attempt has been made to define the qualities that are regarded as constituting a gentleman “suitable.” If the Government wants men of independent opinions, men who enjoy the confidence of the people and men who possess knowledge and experience of the country, then we say that in no part of India is there any difficulty in getting them. But apparently what suits the Government is not any or all of these qualifications, but something more. If it means also administrative experience, the defect cannot be remedied. Even in Great Britain all members of the Cabinet do not possess previous administrative experience. They have better inside knowledge, but that comes from the opportunities they are given.