Asutosh College

Asutosh College has been a notable college in Kolkata ever since it was established in July 1916. As it nears its 100th anniversary, let's look back at its history and examine how it went from being a junior college in South Calcutta to becoming the best university in Kolkata, West Bengal, and eastern India for undergraduate, graduate, and research studies.

                                                    
 

After South Suburban School was promoted to an Intermediate College, the college was originally known as South Suburban College.Sir Asutosh Mukherjee, one of the forerunners of modern education in India, created the college. This institution was founded as a result of the 1911 closure of the London Missionary Society Institution and Doveton College (Bishop's College) in Bhowanipore and the neighbourhood. On February 12, 1915, the General Committee of the South Suburban Group of Schools (est. 1872)—then headed by Sir Asutosh—applied to the British Government for permission to construct an intermediate college, realising the urgent need for a college in South Kolkata (then known as Calcutta).

However, in May of the following year, the authorities finally gave up, and affiliation up to the Intermediate standard for the arts was granted with effect from the 1916–1917 academic session of Calcutta University. Initially, permission was denied for a number of reasons, including financial ones.With 250 enrolled students, South Suburban College launched its operations at 26 Lansdowne Road in a two-story building with Sir Asutosh leading its ten-member Governing Body. Back then, the college offered studies in English, Bengali, Sanskrit, Logic, History, Mathematics, and Botany, among other subjects. As early as the next year, the college's expanding enrollment compelled it to move to larger and better-located facilities at Bijni House, 147 Russa Road (today's S. P. Mookerjee Road), where it started and continued to function until September 1936. The location is presently home to the Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute.

The decision to apply for the extension of the university affiliation to the B.A. Pass standard in English, Bengali, Sanskrit, Mental and Moral Philosophy, History, Political Economy, Political Philosophy, and Mathematics was made by the college administration in October 1917. This decision had been made with effect from the academic session 1917–1919. The next stage was, of course, to advance to the Honours level. To do this, the authorities requested permission to start the Honours Course in English and Philosophy in 1921–1922, and they were granted it. In the academic year 1922–1923, chemistry and physics were also approved for teaching up to the intermediate level. The same year, I.Sc. classes began.With effect from the academic years 1924–1925 and 1925–1926, respectively,the following course affiliations were given: B. Sc. Pass course affiliations in chemistry, botany, and mathematics, and B. Sc. Honours course affiliation in mathematics.With effect from the academic year 1923–1924, the B.A. Honours affiliation in mathematics was granted. The B.Sc. Pass Course in Physics and the B.A. Pass Courses in Bengali and Botany were both affiliated during the academic year 1929–1930. During the academic year 1930–1931, affiliation with I.A. Civics was attained. The College began offering Economics as an Honours course beginning with the academic year 1932-1933. Female students could join in the History Honours Course and the Intermediate Bengali Course starting with the academic year 1933–1934.In the academic year 1936–1937, Sanskrit Honours classes were introduced, and in the academic year 1938–1939, zoology and biology were affiliated at the intermediate level. Affiliation with the Bengali Honours was achieved in 1939–1940.


Sir Asutosh died in Patna on May 25, 1924, at this time. The college struggled to accept the devastating loss of its guiding spirit as Calcutta and all of Bengal grieved his awful passing.In honour of its Founder-President, South Suburban College was renamed Asutosh College on June 15, 1924.Under the skillful direction of Dr. Syamaprasad Mookerjee, Sir Asutosh's son and a giant in his own right, who was chosen as President of the College Governing Body, the College entered a new chapter of expansion. On March 30, 1927, Asutosh College received official registration under the Societies Registration Act of 1860.

As the college grew and got stronger, the need for its own facility grew as well. Asutosh Memorial Institute asked the Calcutta Corporation, headed by Mayor Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, to lease a portion of Hazra Park to the Institute in 1929 so that it could erect a new building that would house the college, a library, and an auditorium.The structure, which was built in 1935 with a lot of help from famous residents, immediately became well-known as a landmark in the area. From this imposing structure, which is located on 92, Syamaprasad Mookerjee Road, on the northern edge of Jatin Das Park, the former Hazra Park, the voyage that began from the lush gates of 26, Lansdowne Road, with a brief halt at Bijni House, continues to this day.

We were the first college in West Bengal to undergo the National evaluation and Accreditation Council (NAAC) of India's evaluation and accreditation procedure in 2002 as part of a new programme launched by the UGC. Asutosh College earned a CGPA of 3.22 and an NAAC Grade A in 2016.

Asutosh College is bursting with confidence to explore new horizons of knowledge and to create better resources for higher education in order to uphold the rich tradition of which it is deservedly proud. Currently, there are close to 6000 students and 430 staff members.