Undergraduate Groups Will Back New Indian Village Development

Representatives of 20 College and Radcliffe organizations last night agreed to sponsor a program for the development of Indian villages to be undertaken by Indian students at the University of Delhi.

Last spring, the project was informally endorsed by the groups, but the "Harvard-Delhi Project" did not have an approved constitution and formal organization until yesterday. Approval still must come from the Student Council and the Dean's office.

Radcliffe representatives will be non-voting members of the project, but according to John A. Armstrong '56, temporary chairman, support from Radcliffe is "vital to the success of the project."

The plan, which has the endorsement of two former U.S. ambassadors to India, Chester Bowles and George E. Allen, is "devoted to the furthering of understanding and cooperation among the students of Harvard University and the University of Delhi through educational programs, village development, and projects of mutual benefit," according to the new constitution.

MacLeish, Buttrick Serve

Armstrong announced at the meeting that Archibald MacLeish, Boylston Professor of Rhetoric and Oratory, and the Rev. George A. Buttrick, Plummer Professor of Christian Morals and Chairman of the Board of Preachers, have agreed to serve as advisers to the project.

The project, coordinated by World University Service, a non-profit service organization, will attempt to bridge the gap between Indian university students and the villages in nearby areas.