India House, London

{{Short description|Diplomatic mission of India to the United Kingdom}}

{{about|the diplomatic mission in Aldwych, London|the student residence in North London that existed between 1905 and 1910|India House}}

{{Infobox Diplomatic Mission

| name = High Commission of India in London

| image = London - India House High Commission of India (40412413273).jpg

| address = India House
Aldwych
London
WC2B 4NA

| high_commissioner = Vikram Doraiswami

| jurisdiction = {{UK}}

| website = {{official website|https://www.hcilondon.gov.in}}

{{Designation list

| embed = yes

| designation1 = Grade II Listed Building

| designation1_offname = India House

| designation1_type =

| designation1_criteria =

| designation1_date = 16 January 1981

| delisted1_date =

| designation1_partof =

| designation1_number = {{NHLE|num=1066491|short=yes}}

}}

The High Commission of India in London, England, is the diplomatic mission of India in the United Kingdom.{{cite news|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/263519/LDL_December_2013.pdf |title=The London Diplomatic List |date=14 December 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131211155353/https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/263519/LDL_December_2013.pdf |archive-date=11 December 2013 }} It is located in India House on Aldwych, between Bush House, what was Marconi House (now Citibank) and Australia House.{{cite news|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/263519/LDL_December_2013.pdf |title=The London Diplomatic List |date=14 December 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131211155353/https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/263519/LDL_December_2013.pdf |archive-date=11 December 2013 }} It faces both the London School of Economics and Political Science and King's College London. Since 1981, India House is a Grade II listed building.{{NHLE|num=1066491|access-date=28 September 2015}}

History

In 1919, a committee chaired by the Marquess of Crewe determined there existed the need to separate the agency work of the India Office from its other political and administrative roles, and recommended the transfer of all such work to "a High Commissioner for India or some similar Indian Governmental Representative in London." It was also felt popular opinion in India would view this as a step towards full Dominion status for India.[http://www.houseofdavid.ca/seton15.pdf "Chapter XV- The High Commissioner for India"] The Government of India Act 1919 upheld the recommendations of the committee, making provision for "the appointment of a High Commissioner by His Majesty by Order in Council, which might delegate to the official any of the contractual powers of the Secretary of State [for India] in Council, and prescribe the conditions, under which he should act on behalf of the Government of India or any Provincial Government."

On 13 August 1920, King-Emperor George V issued the required Order in Council. Until India became independent in 1947, the post was styled "High Commissioner for India". The first High Commissioner for India was Indian Civil Service officer Sir William Stevenson Meyer; the first of Indian origin was Sir Dadiba Merwanji Dalal. The High Commissioner enjoyed the same status as his counterparts from the British Dominions. Upon Indian independence the post was given the present designation.

Proposed in 1925 by the Indian High Commissioner Sir Atul Chatterjee, the building was designed by Sir Herbert Baker and completed in 1930.{{cite news | url= http://www.hcilondon.in/ebook/indiahouse/ | title= India House | date= 2 November 2013 | access-date= 2 November 2013 | archive-date= 18 July 2014 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140718090845/https://www.hcilondon.in/ebook/indiahouse/ | url-status= dead }} It was formally inaugurated on 8 July 1930 by the King-Emperor George V.

A bust of Jawaharlal Nehru was unveiled by Prime Minister John Major in 1991.

Emblems

There are twelve emblems on the outside of the building representing the various provinces of India (during the British Raj), described as follows:{{cite book|last=Mee|first=Arthur|author-link = Arthur Mee|title=The King's England London: The Classic Guide|edition=2014|publisher=Amberley|page=118}}

class="wikitable sortable"
Emblem !Province !Image
Bengal tiger and an East India Company ship \|Bengal \|100px
Two ships and Fort George \|Bombay \|100px
Fort St. George \|Madras \|100px
Bow and arrow, two rivers (Ganges and Yamuna), and two fishes \|United Provinces \|100px
Sun and five rivers (Beas, Chenab, Jhelum, Ravi, and Sutlej) \|Punjab \|100px
Bodhi tree and two swastikas \|Bihar and Orissa \|100px
Hills, Indian cobra, and orange and grape plantations \|Central Provinces and Berar \|100px
Indian elephant and nine lotuses \|Delhi \|100px
Indian rhinoceros \|Assam \|100px
Indian peacock \|Burma \|100px
Two Dromedary camels and hills \|Baluchistan \|100px
Crescent moon, hills, and Jamrud Fort \|North West Frontier \|100px

class="wikitable sortable"

Emblem

!Province

!Image

Bengal tiger and an East India Company ship

|Bengal

|100px

Two ships and Fort George