The Sanskrit College and University


The Sanskrit College and University is a state university located in Kolkata, West Bengal, India. It focuses on liberal arts, offering an UG, PG degree in Sanskrit language, Pali language, linguistics and ancient Indian and world history.

History

Sanskrit College was founded on 1 January 1824, during the Governor-Generalship of Lord Amherst, based on a recommendation by HT James Prinsep and Thomas Babington Macaulay among others.
Secretaries

  • 1824–1832: W. A. Price
  • 1832: Horace Hayman Wilson
  • 1832–1833: Leftt. Todd
  • 1833: Horace Hayman Wilson
  • 1832–1839: A. Troyer
  • 1835–1839: Ramkamal Sen
  • 1836–1837: Radhakanta Dev
  • ?: J. C. C. Sutherland
  • 1840–1841: T. A. Wise
  • 1841–1851: Rasamoy Dutta
Principals
  • 1851–1858: Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar
  • 1858–1864: Edward Byles Cowell
  • 1864–1876: Prasanna Kumar Sarbadhikary
  • 1876–1895: Mahesh Chandra Nyayratna Bhattacharyya
  • 1895–1900: Nilmani Mukhopadhyaya
  • 1900–1908: Haraprasad Shastri
  • 1908–1910: Kaliprasanna Vidyaratna
  • 1910–1920: Satish Chandra Vidyabhusan
  • 1920–1923: Ashutosh Shastri
  • 1924–1931: Aditya Nath Mukhopadhyay
  • 1931–1942: Surendranath Dasgupta
  • 1944–1946: Anantaprasad Banerjee Shastri
  • 1947–1948: Jatindra Bimal Chaudhury
  • 1948–1954: Sadananda Bhaduri
  • 1954–1957: Prabodh Chandra Lahiri
  • 1957–1967: Gaurinath Shastri
  • 1967–1968: Kalicharan Shastri
  • 1968–1969: Tarashankar Bhattacharya
  • 1969–1983: Bishnupada Bhattacharya
  • 1983: Munishwar Jha
  • 1983–1985: Herambanath Chatterjee Shastri
  • 1990–1994: Dilip Kumar Kanjilal
  • 1997–1999: Sukomal Choudhury
  • 1999–2000: Manjula Mitra
  • 2000-2000: Pradip Kumar Majumdar
  • 2007–2012: Anadi Kumar Kundu
  • 2012–2016: Sanjukta Das
    • Vice Chancellors
  • 2016–: Dilipkumar Mohanta
    • Mahesh Chandra Nyayratna Bhattacharyya, the scholar of Sanskrit was the principal of the college for over 18 years. He was made a Companion of the Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire, and a member of the Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire.
    He played a crucial role in colonial Bengal's educational reformation. He revived the tol system in Sanskrit education, and introduced titles or "Upadhi".
    The institution rose to prominence during the principalship of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar in 1851, who admitted students from other than the brahmin caste. In particular the tol or traditional Indian training school model was incorporated as a department in the 1870s.
    From 1824 until 1851 the College did not have the post of Principal but was headed by a Secretary. From 1851 the College was headed by a Principal.

    Transformation into a university

    The Sanskrit College and University, West Bengal Bill 2015, aimed at transforming Sanskrit College into a university was passed in West Bengal Assembly on 17 December 2015. The university was established vide The Sanskrit College and University, West Bengal Act 2015 on 19 February 2016 and became functional on 15 June 2016 when the first Vice-Chancellor, Dilipkumar Mohanta, joined the institute.

    Campus

    The Sanskrit College and University is located on College Street in central Kolkata, India. Its centrality is heightened by its proximity to Hindu School, Presidency University, Kolkata, the University of Calcutta, and the Indian Coffee House.

    Notable alumni