PRESIDENCY COLLEGE KOLKATA
PRESIDENCY COLLEGE OF KOLKATA
Presidency College, Kolkata is a renowned unitary, state aided university, located in Kolkata, West Bengal and one of the top ten Indian colleges.Initially established as the Mahapathshala wing of Hindu College, it was renamed Presidency College, i.e. the college of the Bengal Presidency, in 1855. In 2010 it was upgraded to the status of a full university by the Presidency University Act.
The illustrious history of academic excellence of Presidency College, Kolkata is intimately entwined with the intellectual history of Bengal and India. The foundation of the Hindoo College in 1817 has had far reaching effects on the social and cultural history of the country. The college was renamed as Presidency College and brought under the direct control of the Government in 1855.The College is a premier Institute of India including Departments of Bengali, Biochemistry, Botany, Chemistry, Economics, English, Geography, Hindi, History, Law, Sociology and Statistics.
With the creation of the Supreme Court of Calcutta in 1773 many Hindus of Bengal showed eagerness to learn the English language. David Hare, in collaboration with Raja Radhakanta Deb had already taken steps introduce English education in Bengal. Babu Buddinath Mukherjee advanced the introduction of English as a medium of instruction further by enlisting the support of Sir Edward Hyde East, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court who called a meeting of ‘European and Hindu Gentlemen’ in his house in May 1816. The purpose of the meeting was to “discuss the proposal to establish an institution for giving a liberal education to the children of the members of the Hindu Community”. The proposal was received with unanimous approbation and a donation of over Rs. 100, 000 was promised for the setting up of the new college. Raja Ram Mohan Roy showed full sympathy for the scheme but chose not to come out in support of the proposal publicly for fear of “alarming the prejudices of his orthodox countrymen and thus marring the whole idea”.
