I. "SIR JAMSETJEE JEEJEEBHOY FIRE TEMPLE CELEBRATES A CENTENARY" Scenes of a Parsee ceremony with burning flame, symbol of the Parsee faith, in a Parsee temple at Poona. Sir Jamsetjee Jeejeebhoy, the Sixth Baronet, presents ceremonial shawls to priests. Commentary notes, "Richer than any other community of their size, Parsees are rich in human kindness as well" referring to the JJ School of Art and the JJ Hospital. Ervad Jal Ardeshir Bajan conducts simple ceremony as Parsees garland his descendants.

II. "UTKAL UNIVERSITY INAUGURATED" In academic robes, Governor of Orissa arrives to take up post of First Chancellor of India's newest university, Utkal University. Orissa scholars in gold, scarlet and ermine, "go in procession to found a place where that scholarship can thrive". Commentary notes that "the Chancellor quoted Lord Haldane, who said that a University was the mirror of a people's soul" and that "its Fellows are men steeped in knowledge as old as the first University itself".

III. "DIVERSIONS IN DELHI" American cowboys from Colorado perform rodeo display and similar activities at Delhi Hunt Club. Scenes of rodeo followed by the soldiers tent pegging. Little "Peachas" seizes "Rat's" as commentary notes, "Der Fhrer will have to swallow a great deal more than that".

IV. "A GALA WEEK IN HYDERABAD" Nizam of Hyderabad opens War Exhibition in rain. Scenes of state cars and jeeps driving past a Royal Indian Navy (RIN) ship with sailors aboard. Present were Sir Sultan Ahmed and Mr Thapar. Prince of Berar presides over the Salute the Fighting Men day as Begum Saheba presides over Ladies Day where "the best dressed women were in uniform". The Leader of the Exhibition, Wing Commander Shaffi, shows the Hyderabad Women's Leader around the exhibition. Scenes of a military tattoo including an Arab regiment's bayonet drill, the State Band playing, African bodyguard's horses, acrobats and a large boy's battalion, the "future state soldiers", march past. Scenes of "soldiers of the past" (from 1650) as the "Honourable East India Company's Chowkidars and Sepoys become fighting men". On display are also the first Indian made tank, the first mobile columns and mobile guns. "Elaborate" uniforms of 1857 are paraded, followed by those of 1914. The "drab uniforms fight a dour unsettled conflict". Finally 1944 Indian Army troops are on parade. "After a parade like this", says the commentary, "none could help wondering what the climax would be in ten years' time. Maybe a whizz past of rockets. Well, whatever is needed to defend our country, as always in the past, the Indian Army shall have it and teach the enemy how it should be used."

V. "RAISE THE PEOPLE'S STANDARD OF LIVING AND PROVIDE EMPLOYMENT FOR ALL" Viceroy Lord Wavell and Lady Wavell on tour seeing "India as she might be, with Reconstruction in the air". The Punjab Premier shows Viceroy the work in progress as Lady Wavell sees Indian women at work. Viceroy views irrigation model of India, communication schemes and even pneumatic tyres for bullock carts, part of the "Reconstruction Report". Commentary notes that new agricultural machinery will accompany "controlled selling" to cope with food shortages, while "cultural centres, with trained advisers, doctors, teachers, are one of the boldest improvements that the planners demand". These will rectify the "lack of leadership in the villages".

Notes

Summary: film not viewed; synopses based on commentary sheets.