LBSNAA Recruitment 2019 For Senior Research Officer

On April 15, 1958, the then Union Home Minister Pandit Govind Ballabh Pant announced in the Lok Sabha, that the Government would set up a National Academy of Administration, where training would be given to all the recruits of the Civil Services. The Ministry of Home Affairs also decided to amalgamate the IAS Training School, Delhi and the IAS Staff College, Shimla to form a National Academy of Administration to be setup in Mussoories Charleville Estate. On the first day of September, 1959 curtains were drawn on the training in Metcalfe House. Union Home Minister Pandit Govind Ballabh Pant was instrumental in effecting this shift to Mussoorie. Charleville was not a very comfortable venue initially but niggling glitches and gaps were wrinkled out in a short time. For example, there was no facility of horse riding at start but twenty horses were bought and the thud of hooves resounded in Charleville Estate with in two months.

The Charleville Hotel was built in 1854 by General Wilkinson on the grounds of Chajauli Estate, a part of the abutting Chajauli Patti. Was the name Charleville French in origin? Apparently not. The locals always called it Charley-Biley apparently Mr. Hobson, the retired Manager of the Mussoorie Bank, purchased it in 1861 and named it after his two sons: Charlie and Billy.

The grounds of Happy Valley were acquired in 1904 by the brewer V.A. Mackinnon. He started the Happy Valley Club with tennis courts, while gymkhanas were held on the polo ground field. The last record of a Pagal Gymkhana dates back to 19th June 1943, to raise funds for the Red Cross during World War II.

The main building of the erstwhile Charleville complex was destroyed in a fire in 1984. However, its old architecture can still be seen in some of the buildings inside the main campus of the Academy. The Ladies Block and the G.B. Pant Block were damaged in earthquake of 1991 and on these two sites, the two new buildings viz. Dhruvshila and Kalindi Guest House came up. A part of the Happy Valley Club extending right below the Charleville Hotel, now belongs to the Academy. This has the horse-riding ground, the shooting range and the sports club. The racecourse and polo ground, that was carved out of a hillside in 1904, were leased by the Uttar Pradesh government to the Academy. It is used, for housing the horse-riding establishment and conducting various sports events.