Presidency University, Kolkata#Presidency during the Indian freedom struggle

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With the creation of the Supreme Court of Calcutta in 1773 many Hindus of Bengal showed an eager interest in learning the English language. David Hare, in collaboration with Raja Radhakanta Deb had already taken steps to introduce English language education in Bengal. Babu Buddinath Mukherjee advanced the introduction of English as a medium of instruction further by enlisting the support of Sir Edward Hyde East, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Fort William, who called a meeting of 'European and Hindu Gentlemen' at his house in May 1816.{{Cite web|url=https://www.presiuniv.ac.in/web/introduction.php|title=Presidency University|website=www.presiuniv.ac.in|language=en|access-date=2018-06-26|archive-date=15 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210515204350/https://presiuniv.ac.in/web/introduction.php|url-status=live}} The purpose of the meeting was to "discuss the proposal to establish an institution for giving a liberal education to the children of the members of the Hindu Community". The proposal was received with unanimous approbation and a donation of over Rs. 100,000 was promised for setting up the new college. The 5 Babus who contributed the most in setting up the college with their donations were - Raja Gopi Mohun Deb of Shovabazar Raj, Maharaja Tej Chandra of Bardhaman Raj, Raja Gopi Mohan Tagore of Pathuriaghata, Babu Joy Krishna Singha of Jorasanko, and Babu Ganga Narayan Das. Raja Ram Mohan Roy showed full support for the scheme, but chose not to come out in support of the proposal publicly for fear of "alarming the prejudices of his orthodox countrymen and thus marring the whole idea".{{Cite web|url=https://www.presiuniv.ac.in/web/presidency_history.php|title=Presidency University|website=www.presiuniv.ac.in|language=en|access-date=2018-06-26|archive-date=16 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210516180229/https://presiuniv.ac.in/web/presidency_history.php|url-status=live}}

At first, the classes were held at Gorachand Bysack house called Garanhatta (later renamed 304, Chitpore Road), which was rented by the college. In January 1818 the college moved to 'Feringhi Kamal Bose's house in Chitpore.This building is a historic one because Raja Ram Mohan Roy inaugurated his Brahma Sabha there and Alexander Duff of the Scottish Missionary Board started his educational establishment, the General Assembly's Institution there as well a few years later in 1830. From Chitpore, the college moved to Bowbazar and later to the building that now houses the Sanskrit College on College Street.{{Cite web|url=http://www.adageindia.in/marketing/cmo-strategy/presidency-university-takes-one-back-in-the-history-with-their-latest-campaign/amp_articleshow/56206188.cms|title=Ad Age Homepage - Ad Age|website=www.adageindia.in|language=en|access-date=2018-06-26|archive-date=26 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180626111435/http://adage.com/|url-status=live}}

On 19 March 2010, the Government of West Bengal passed the Presidency University Bill, 2009 in the State Legislative Assembly.{{cite web |author=Our Bureau |date=2010-03-20 |title=The Telegraph – Calcutta (Kolkata) | Frontpage | CM beats Mamata to Presidency |url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1100320/jsp/frontpage/story_12240219.jsp |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612163639/https://www.telegraphindia.com/1100320/jsp/frontpage/story_12240219.jsp |archive-date=12 June 2018 |access-date=2012-08-01 |publisher=Telegraphindia.com}} On 7 July 2010, the then Governor of West Bengal, M. K. Narayanan gave his assent to the Presidency University Bill.[https://web.archive.org/web/20110811082710/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-07-08/kolkata/28305503_1_pg-courses-ug-courses-assent Presidency varsity bill gets governor's assent] On 23 July 2010, the Government of West Bengal published the gazette notification completing all the legal formalities for presidency to become a full university.{{cite web |author=Express News Service |url=http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/presidency-university-legal-steps-complete/651060/ |title=Presidency University legal steps complete |publisher=Express India |date=2010-07-24 |access-date=2012-08-01 |archive-date=9 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160309054906/http://expressindia.indianexpress.com/latest-news/presidency-university-legal-steps-complete/651060/ }} Amiya Bagchi was given the responsibility of chairing a committee set up to select and appoint the first vice-chancellor of the university.

Amita Chatterjee, a retired professor of philosophy at Jadavpur University, was appointed as the first Vice-Chancellor of Presidency University on 5 October 2010.{{cite web |url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1101006/jsp/frontpage/story_13024538.jsp |title=The Telegraph - Calcutta (Kolkata) | Frontpage | Comfort factor confines Presidency to home pool |publisher=Telegraphindia.com |date=2010-10-06 |access-date=2012-08-01 |archive-date=4 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304103457/http://www.telegraphindia.com/1101006/jsp/frontpage/story_13024538.jsp }}

In 2011, Higher Education Minister Bratya Basu suggested that a mentor group, along the lines of the Nalanda mentor group, would be formed to oversee the work of the university. At the beginning of June 2011, the Chief Minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee, announced that a committee would be formed with Amartya Sen as its chief mentor and Harvard-based Sugata Bose as its chairman to oversee the running of the college and perform the task of appointing all its officials and faculty members. The Presidency mentor group

{{cite web | url=http://www.pmg.org.in/members.html | title=Presidency Mentor Group | access-date=2013-11-26 | archive-date=11 September 2019 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190911140450/http://www.pmg.org.in/members.html | url-status=live }} also includes as its members 2019 Economics Nobel Prize winner Abhijit Banerjee, Ashoke Sen, Sabyasachi Bhattacharya, Nayanjot Lahiri, Himadri Pakrashi, Rahul Mukerjee and Isher Judge Ahluwalia, Swapan Kumar Chakravorty. Sukanta Chaudhuri resigned from the committee in 2012.{{cite web | url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-08-25/kolkata/33384950_1_sukanta-chaudhuri-mentor-group-presidency-university | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131202224207/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-08-25/kolkata/33384950_1_sukanta-chaudhuri-mentor-group-presidency-university | archive-date=2013-12-02 | work=The Times of India | title=Sukanta Chaudhuri quits | access-date=2013-11-26}}

The entrance of the campus is marked with a small guardhouse on the left. On the wall of the guard room is a plaque dedicated to durwan (guard) Ram Eqbal Singh, who died defending the institute from rioters.{{cite news|title=Presi guardian angel|url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1130414/jsp/bengal/story_16782140.jsp#.U2kXpXYWf-I|access-date=6 May 2014|newspaper=The Telegraph, Calcutta|date=2013-04-14|archive-date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304100356/http://www.telegraphindia.com/1130414/jsp/bengal/story_16782140.jsp#.U2kXpXYWf-I}} The university held its bicentenary celebrations in 2017.{{Cite news|url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/trends/200-years-of-a-legacy/367941.html|title=200 Years of a Legacy|work=Tribune India|access-date=28 June 2018|archive-date=18 October 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191018074303/https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/trends/200-years-of-a-legacy/367941.html|url-status=live}}{{cite web|title=Archives with over 200-yr-old records on Presidency College inaugurated|date=13 December 2022 |url=https://www.millenniumpost.in/kolkata/archives-with-over-200-yr-old-records-on-presidency-college-inaugurated-502047|access-date=12 November 2023}}{{cite web|title=Presidency University, Kolkata's eminent educational institution|url=https://www.getbengal.com/details/presidency-university-kolkatas-eminent-educational-institution|access-date=12 November 2023}}

Like every state university in West Bengal, Presidency University is headed by the chancellor, who is the Governor of West Bengal.{{Cite news|url=http://rajbhavankolkata.gov.in/html/ourgovernor.html#:~:text=Our%20Governor%3A%20Raj%20Bhavan%2C%20West%20Bengal%2C%20India&text=of%20West%20Bengal-,Shri%20La.,Bengal%20on%2018th%20July%2C%202022.|title=Our Governor: Raj Bhavan, Kolkata |work=The Raj Bhavan, Kolkata |access-date=2022-08-22}} The vice-chancellor is the academic and administrative head of the institution. The post of the vice-chancellor replaced that of the principal after Presidency College received university status. Professor Anuradha Lohia was the first permanent vice-chancellor of the institution.{{Cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/education/news/decks-cleared-for-re-appointing-anuradha-lohia-as-the-vc-of-presidency-university/articleshow/64453900.cms|title=Decks cleared for re-appointing Anuradha Lohia as the VC of Presidency University|work=The Times of India|access-date=2018-06-28|archive-date=21 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180721090100/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/education/news/decks-cleared-for-re-appointing-anuradha-lohia-as-the-vc-of-presidency-university/articleshow/64453900.cms|url-status=live}} The current Registrar of the university is Dr. Debajyoti Konar.{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/calcutta/presi-panel-invites-nominees-for-vc-222596|title=Presi Registrar invites nominees for VC|work=The Telegraph|access-date=28 June 2018|archive-date=28 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180628124836/https://www.telegraphindia.com/calcutta/presi-panel-invites-nominees-for-vc-222596}}

The Controller of Examinations, the Chief Librarian, the Finance officer and the Dean of students, along with the Dean of Arts and the Dean of Sciences, are the other important office holders of the university. The university is guided by a mentor group. The Mentor Group is chaired by Sugata Bose, the Gardiner Professor of Oceanic History and Affairs at Harvard University. Nobel Laureate and economist Amartya Sen serves as the Advisor to the chair.{{Cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/quality-faculty-top-priority-presidency-mentor-group/article2398883.ece|title=Quality faculty top priority: Presidency mentor group|date=2011-08-26|work=The Hindu|access-date=2018-06-28 |language=en-IN|issn=0971-751X|archive-date=28 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180628101142/https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/quality-faculty-top-priority-presidency-mentor-group/article2398883.ece|url-status=live}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/presidency-mentor-group-to-reach-out-to-brilliant-students-in-117122400589_1.html|title=Presidency Mentor Group to reach out to brilliant students in|agency=Press Trust of India|date=2017-12-24|work=Business Standard India|access-date=2018-06-28|archive-date=28 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180628124915/https://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/presidency-mentor-group-to-reach-out-to-brilliant-students-in-117122400589_1.html|url-status=live}}

{{collapse top|List of Principals}}

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• J. Kerr, 1842–1848
• David Lester Richardson, 1848–1849
• E. Lodge, 1849–1852
• J. Sutcliff, M.A., 1852–1856
• Leonidas Clint, 1856–1857
• E. Lodge, 1857–1858
• J. Sutcliffe, M.A., 1858–1863
• W. Grapel, 1863–1864
• J. Sutcliffe, M.A., 1864–1875
• H. Woodrow, 1875
• C. H. Tawney, 1875
• J. Sutcliffe, M.A., 1875
• Alfred Croft, 1876
• C. H. Tawney, 1876–1881
• G. Bellet, 1881–1882
• John Elliot, 1882–1883
• Alexander Pedler, 1883
• John Elliot, 1883
• G. Bellet, 1883
• John Elliot, 1884–1885
• C. H. Tawney, 1885
• W. Griffiths, 1885–1886
• C. H. Tawney, 1886–1887
• Alexander Pedler, 1887
• C. H. Tawney, 1887
• Alexander Pedler, 1887–1889
• C. H. Tawney, 1889
• Alexander Pedler, 1889
• Frederick James Rowe, 1889
• C. H. Tawney, 1889
• W. Griffiths, 1892–1896
• Alexander Pedler, 1896–1897
• J. H. Gilliland, 1897
• Frederick James Rowe, 1897–1898
• J. H. Gilliland, 1898
• Frederick James Rowe, 1898
• William Booth, 1898
• A. Clarke Edwards, 1899–1902
• Prasanna Kumar Roy, 1902
• A. Clarke Edwards, 1902–1903
• Prasanna Kumar Roy, 1903
• A. Clarke Edwards, 1903
• M. G. D. Prothero, 1904–1905
• Prasanna Kumar Roy, 1905–1906
• Alexander Macdonnell, 1906
• A. Clarke Edwards, 1906–1907
• Henry Rosher James, 1907–1909
• Hugh Melville Percival, 1909
• Henry Rosher James, 1909–1911
• C. W. Peake, 1911–1912
• Henry Rosher James, 1912–1916
• William Christopher Wordsworth, 1916–1917
• John Rothney Barrow, 1917–1924
• William Christopher Wordsworth, 1924
• H. E. Stapleton, 1924–1926
• T. S. Sterling, 1926–1927
• Professor Abdul Khalek M.A, 1927–1929
• John Rothney Barrow, 1929–1930
• Jahangir Cooverjee Coyajee, 1930–1931
• Bhupatimohan Sen, 1931–1934
• Bhupatimohan Sen, 1934–1936
• Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis, 1936
• Bhupatimohan Sen, 1936–1942
• Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis, 1942
• Bhupatimohan Sen, 1942–1943
• Apurbakumar Chanda, 1943
• Jyotirmoy Ghosh, 1943–1944
• Apurbakumar Chanda, 1944
• Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis, 1945–1946
• Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis, 1946–1947
• Muhammad Qudrat-i-Khuda, 1947
• Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis, 1947
• Jogischandra Sinha, 1947
• Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis, 1948
• Jyotirmoy Ghosh, 1948–1950
• Jyotishchandra Sengupta, 1950
• Jyotirmoy Ghosh, 1950–1951
• Jyotishchandra Sengupta, 1951–1956
• F. J. Friend-Pereira, 1956–1958
• Sanat Kumar Basu, 1958–1967
• Rajendralal Sengupta, 1967–1969
• Samerendranath Ghoshal, 1969–1970
• Sudhir Chandra Shome, 1970
• Pratul Chandra Mukherjee, 1970–1975
• Sudhir Chandra Shome, 1975–1976
• Pratul Chandra Mukherjee, 1976–1979
• Bijoy Shankar Basak, 1979–1982
• Achinta Kumar Mukherjee, 1982–1986
• Sunil Kumar Rai Chaudhuri, 1986–1991
• Amal Kumar Mukhopadhyay, 1991–1997
• Nitai Charan Mukherjee, 1997–2000
• Amitava Chatterjee, 2001–2005
• Mamata Ray, 2005–2008
• Sanjib Ghosh, 2008–2010
• Amitava Chatterjee, 2010

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In academics, the university consists of two faculties – the Faculty of Natural and Mathematical Sciences and the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. Both Faculties are headed by deans. A total of 16 departments function under the university. They are: Bengali, English, Hindi, History, Performing Arts, Philosophy, Political Science, Sociology, Life Sciences, Chemistry, Economics, Geography, Geology, Mathematics, Physics and Statistics.{{Cite web|url=http://www.presiuniv.ac.in/web/organisationsturcture.php|title=Presidency - Organisation Structure|access-date=28 June 2018|archive-date=30 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210630085419/http://www.presiuniv.ac.in/web/organisationsturcture.php|url-status=live}}{{cite web|title=Departments of Presidency University, Kolkata|url=http://www.presiuniv.ac.in/web/department.php|access-date=12 November 2023}}

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During its tenure as a college, formal national ranking systems like the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) were not in place. However different news outlets ranked Presidency college as one of the leading institutes for humanities and natural sciences.

Presidency University, Kolkata was in the inaugural list of the top 50 institutions in the National Institutional Ranking Framework(NIRF) in 2016.{{Cite web |title=Presidency University, Kolkata: Courses, Fees, Admission 2024, Placements, Cutoff |url=https://www.shiksha.com/university/presidency-university-kolkata-51529 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250118115608/https://www.shiksha.com/university/presidency-university-kolkata-51529 |archive-date=2025-01-18 |access-date=2025-02-03 |website=www.shiksha.com |language=en}} In 2025, the university was ranked 124 in Asian University Rankings - Southern Asia.{{Cite web |title=Presidency University, Kolkata |url=https://www.topuniversities.com/universities/presidency-university-kolkata#:~:text=Rankings%20&%20ratings,-RANKINGS&text=Presidency%20University,%20Kolkata%20is%20one,University%20Rankings%20-%20Southern%20Asia%202025. |access-date=2025-02-03 |website=Top Universities |language=en}} The university was ranked 151-200 overall in India by the NIRF (National Institutional Ranking Framework) in 2024.{{Cite web |title=NIRF 2024 Overall ranking |url=https://www.nirfindia.org/Rankings/2024/OverallRanking200.html}}

{{Infobox India university ranking|NIRF_O_2024=151-200|type=University}}

{{See also|List of Kolkata Presidencians}}Alumni of Presidency University include two Nobel Laureates in Economics, leaders of the Indian Independence Movement, heads of state, Academy Award winners, academicians and pioneers in Bengali renaissance.

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