City College is a composite state government–aidedpublic college, affiliated to the University of Calcutta. It offers undergraduate-level courses in various arts, commerce and science subjects. The college is very popular for undergraduate study in the neighbourhood of Kolkata.
History
Anandamohan Bose, founder of the City College, Kolkata, was a supporter of the Brahmo religion during his student life. In 1869, he officially adopted the Brahmo religion along with his wife Swarnaprabha Devi (sister of Jagadish Chandra Bose). However, young members of Brahmo Samaj (followers of the Brahmo religion) differed with Keshab Chandra Sen (founder of the Brahmo religion) regarding matters like child marriage, running of the Brahmo Samaj and various other matters. Because of this difference, younger members of this society like Anandamohan Bose, Shibnath Shastri, Sib Chandra Deb, Umesh Chandra Dutta, etc. established the Sadharan Brahmo Samaj in 1878. On 27 April 1879, Anandamohan Bose, first president of the Sadharan Brahmo Samaj, founded the Chhatrasamaj, the student's wing of the Sadharan Brahmo Samaj movement. In 1879–81, he established the City College, Calcutta, as an initiative by the Sadharan Brahmo Samaj movement.[1]
The college started its journey with the Law department. In 1884, this college was elevated to a first-grade degree college. By the year 1920, the college began offering different undergraduate (BA/B.Sc) degree courses in arts and science. The college opened the Commerce Department in 1939, thereby becoming the largest college in Asia. Later, in 1943, the Women's Department was inaugurated.
It is one of the heritage institutions of Kolkata and played a prominent role in the wake of the Bengal Renaissance of the nineteenth century.[2] The college is located at 102/1, Raja Rammohan Roy Sarani (Amherst Street), Kolkata-700009. It shares premises with Rammohan College (morning college) and Anandamohan College (evening college).
In 1961, the branches of City College split into separate colleges as instructed by the University Grants Commission. While the original college retained the original name “City College”, the branches were named Rammohan College, Ananda Mohan College, Umesh Chandra College, City College of Commerce and Business Administration, Sivanath Sastri College, Heramba Chandra College, and Prafulla Chandra College. Together, they are referred to as City group of college (Kolkata).[3]
City College library room
Disaster
On February 11, 2018, a bomb exploded in the City College hostel leaving a boy critically injured. The hostel is situated beside the college and has been abandoned since 2003.[4]
The college offers different undergraduate and postgraduate courses and aims at imparting education to the undergraduates and postgraduates of upper-, lower- and middle-class people of Kolkata and its adjoining areas.[5]
Science
Science faculty consists of the departments of Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics, Botany, Zoology, Physiology, and Economics.
Arts & Commerce
Arts and Commerce faculty consists of departments of Bengali, English, Sanskrit, History, Political Science, Philosophy, and Commerce.
