The Sanskrit College and University (erstwhile Sanskrit College) is a

state university A state university system in the United States is a group of public universities supported by an individual state, territory or federal district. These systems constitute the majority of public-funded universities in the country. State unive ...

located in

Kolkata Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , List of renamed places in India#West Bengal, the official name until 2001) is the Capital city, capital of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of West Bengal, on the eastern ba ...

West Bengal West Bengal (, Bengali: ''Poshchim Bongo'', , abbr. WB) is a state in the eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabitants within an area of . West Bengal is the four ...

India India, officially the Republic of India ( Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the ...

. It focuses on

liberal arts Liberal arts education (from Latin "free" and "art or principled practice") is the traditional academic course in Western higher education. ''Liberal arts'' takes the term '' art'' in the sense of a learned skill rather than specifically th ...

, offering both UG and PG degrees in Ancient Indian and world history, Bengali, English,

Sanskrit language Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the lat ...

Linguistics Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. It is called a scientific study because it entails a comprehensive, systematic, objective, and precise analysis of all aspects of language, particularly its nature and structure. Lingu ...

, and traditional orientation learning (Advaita Vedanta) except Pali in which only UG degree is being offered.

History

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

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominalization, nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cul ...

, was the principal of the college for over 18 years. He was made a Companion of the Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire (C.I.E.), and a member of the

Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire The Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire is an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria on 1 January 1878. The Order includes members of three classes: #Knight Grand Commander ( GCIE) #Knight Commander ( KCIE) #Companion ( CIE) No app ...

. He played a crucial role in colonial

Bengal Bengal ( ; bn, বাংলা/বঙ্গ, translit=Bānglā/Bôngô, ) is a geopolitical, cultural and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the eastern part of the Indian subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal, predom ...

'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 Brahmin (; sa, ब्राह्मण, brāhmaṇa) is a varna as well as a caste within Hindu society. The Brahmins are designated as the priestly class as they serve as priests ( purohit, pandit, or pujari) and religious teachers ( ...

and Baidya 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.Sanskrit College: About
sanskritcollege.co.in (archive version). Retrieved 7 September 2017.

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 A chancellor is a leader of a college or university, usually either the executive or ceremonial head of the university or of a university campus within a university system. In most Commonwealth and former Commonwealth nations, the chancellor is ...

, Dilipkumar Mohanta, joined the institute.

Campus

The Sanskrit College and University is located on

College Street College Street may refer to: *College Street (Kolkata) *College Street (Toronto) * College Street (Sydney) *College Street (York) College Green is an open space in the city centre of York, England. History The green lies within the historic pr ...

in central

. Its centrality is heightened by its proximity to

Hindu School Hindu School is a state government-administered school in Kolkata (Calcutta), India. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest modern educational institution in Asia (then known as ''Hindu College''). The institution played a key role during Bengal ...

, Presidency University, Kolkata, the University of Calcutta, and the Indian Coffee House.

Organization and Administration

Governance

The governor of

is the chancellor of The Sanskrit College and University. The Vice-chancellor of the Sanskrit College and University is the chief executive officer of the university. Soma Bandyopadhyay is the current Vice-chancellor of the university.

Departments

Sanskrit College and University consist of the departments of Ancient Indian & World History, Bengali, English, Linguistics, Philosophy, Pali, Sanskrit, and Traditional Orientation Learning(Advaita Vedanta, Panini Vyakarana, and Sahitya).

Academics

Courses

Sanskrit College and University offer different undergraduate and postgraduate courses: * Three-year Undergraduate Degree (B.A. Honours) courses: Ancient Indian & World History, Bengali, English, Linguistics, Philosophy, Pali, Sanskrit, Advaita Vedanta, Panini Vyakarana, and Sahitya. * Two-year Postgraduate Degree (M.A.) Courses: Ancient Indian & World History, Bengali, English, Philosophy, Sanskrit, and Linguistics. *Two-year Acharya degree(equivalent to M.A.) in Traditional Orientation Learning (Advaita Vedanta).

Central Library

The central library of the Sanskrit College and University is a veritable goldmine for researchers. It contains over 2,00,000 books and 25,000 manuscripts, including several very rare manuscripts. The university has also started a massive digitization program such that it can place these 25,000 manuscripts in the cultural commons.

Sanskrit Charcha Kendra, Nabadwip

The Sanskrit College and University has established a Sanskrit Charcha Kendra, in Nabadwip, Nadia,

. This state-of-the-art research center provides an opportunity to research scholars, and academicians to harvest the traditional Indic knowledge base already present in University's repository and to take Indological and Sanskrit studies to the future.

Notable alumni

* Saradaranjan Ray * Bijoy Krishna Goswami * Surendranath Dasgupta * Krishna Kanta Handique * Mahanambrata Brahmachari *

Bimal Krishna Matilal Bimal Krishna Matilal (1 June 1935 – 8 June 1991) was an eminent British-Indian philosopher whose writings presented the Indian philosophical tradition as a comprehensive system of logic incorporating most issues addressed by themes in Weste ...

* Abanindranath Tagore * Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar

References

External links

* Academic institutions associated with the Bengal Renaissance Universities and colleges in Kolkata Educational institutions established in 1824 Schools in Colonial India 19th century in Kolkata Sanskrit universities in India 1824 establishments in India {{DEFAULTSORT:Sanskrit College and University