University of Calcutta Information
The state-run University of Calcutta (কলিকাতা বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়), or Calcutta University, is India’s first modern university. It is located in Kolkata (formerly Calcutta) with the main campus, called Ashutosh Shiksha Prangan, in College Street. The other campuses are in Ballygunge (Taraknath Palit Shiksha Prangan), Rajabazar (Rashbehari Shiksha Prangan), Alipore (Sahid Khudiram Siksha Prangan), South Sinthi, and Hazra.
Calcutta University was founded on 24 January 1857, during the reign of Governor-General Lord Canning, who was then the education secretary of the British Government in India.
Other renown Indian Colleges include Indian Institute of Science, and the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur. Establishments with similar world ranking include Hacettepe University, University of Maine, University of Memphis, and the Ehime University.
The original plan was to establish a university similar to the London University and create a class of educated people who would help the British rule; the plan did not get the required approval. In 1854, however, the British government approved a proposal which sought to establish one university in Calcutta and another in Bombay. The Calcutta University Act which decreed the formation of the University of Calcutta, formally took effect on 24 January 1857. A 41-member senate was then created as the university’s policy-making body. During its establishment, the University had the largest catchment area of any university in India, covering an area from Lahore to Rangoon (now part of Myanmar), and Ceylon.
The University of Calcutta has 55 departments divided among eight faculties: Faculty of Agriculture; Faculty of Arts; Faculty of Commerce, Social Welfare & Business Management; Faculty of Education, Journalism and Library Science; Faculty of Engineering & Technology; Faculty of Fine Arts, Music & Home Science; Faculty of Law; and Faculty of Science.
It also has 18 research centres and a number of affiliated colleges. It offers support or affiliation to several autonomous centres and institutes, based mostly in the Calcutta area, and one each in Patna and Bangalore.
Calcutta University has more Nobel Prize winners (four) than any other university in India: Amrtya Sen; C.V.Raman; Rabindra Nath Tagore; and Ronald Ross. Other famous people who have studied or taught at the university are Academy Award winner, Satjayit Ray; Indian national song composer, Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay; former presidents, Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan and Rajendra Prasad; and current Indian vice-president, Mohammad Hamid Ansari, amongst others.
University of Calcutta Address
The University of Calcutta main campus address is at Senate House, 87 /1 College Street, Kolkata-700 073. India.
University of Calcutta Rankings and Quick Facts
Motto: Advancement of Learning
| University world Ranking – Jiaotong 500 (China) |
> 510
|
||
| Asia Rank (Jiaotong) |
> 100
|
||
|
University Calcutta Facts
|
|||
| Students (Undergraduates / PG/ Total) |
100,000
|
5,500
|
105,500
|
| Faculty / Staff |
650 / 3,000
|
||
| Established |
1857
|
||
