Published By: Mumpy Chakraborty

Famous Alma Maters of Calcutta University that you didn’t know of

Whenever it comes to the most successful alumni from Indian colleges and universities, we all tend to look towards the IITs and IIMs. But very few of you may know how popular these Calcutta University pass-outs are. Being one of the pioneers in the educational institutions in India, the University of Calcutta is known for its excellent academic standards in India and as well as abroad. Established on 24 January 1857, It is the first multidisciplinary Western-style learning institution in all of Asia. It is recognized as a "Five-Star University" and accredited an "A" grade by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council and has been awarded the status of "Centre with Potential for Excellence in Particular Area" and "University with potential for excellence" by the University Grants Commission (UGC).

The contribution made by the University of Calcutta in Indian educational history is unimaginable. With five Noble laureates and three Indian Presidents, Calcutta University has produced an enormous pool of talents.

These are some of the Calcutta University alumni who made it so big that they left their mark on the world.

Swami Vivekananda

Swami Vivekananda known for his introduction of the Indian philosophies of Vedanta and Yoga to the Western world was a Hindu monk and chief disciple of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahansa. He is credited with raising interfaith awareness, bringing Hinduism to the status of a major world religion during the late 19th century. Swami Vivekananda was a graduate of Presidency College, which was affiliated with the University of Calcutta back then.

Subhash Chandra Bose

One of the greatest names in the Indian freedom fighters, Subhash Chandra Bose was the founder of ‘Azad Hind Radio,’ ‘Azad Hind Fauj,’ and ‘Azad Hind Government. The Bose-led INA weakened the very foundation of British troops and inspired the Royal Navy mutiny in 1946, leading the British to believe that they no longer were in a position to rule India. Subhash Chandra Bose was also a pass out of Calcutta University. He has done his graduation from Scottish Church College in Kolkata.

Jagadish Chandra Bose

One of the greatest Scientists in the world, Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose has his work spanning from biology, physics and botany.  He pioneered the investigation of radio and microwave optics, made significant contributions to plant science, and laid the foundations of experimental science in the Indian subcontinent. Bose graduated from St. Xavier's College, which was affiliated with Calcutta University before joining the University of London for medicine.

Rajendra Prasad 

The First President of India, Rajendra Prasad was an Indian independence activist, lawyer and scholar. Prasad joined the Presidency College, Calcutta in 1902, initially as a science student. He passed the F. A. under the University of Calcutta in March 1904 and then graduated with a first division from there in March 1905. Later he also did his post-graduation from the University of Calcutta in Economics.

Amartya Sen

Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen is an award-winning economist, writer and philosopher. Amartya Sen has made contributions to welfare economics, social choice theory, economic and social justice, economic theories of famines, decision theory, development economics, public health, and measures of well-being of countries. Currently, he is a Professor of Economics at Harvard University. Sen did his graduation in Economics from Presidency College under the University of Calcutta. He is also a Bharat Ratna recipient for his work in welfare economics.

There are many more famous alumni of the University of Calcutta such as Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, Bidhan Chandra Roy, Sukumar Ray, Pranab Mukherjee, Abhijeet Banerjee, Mahasweta Devi, Soumitra Chatterjee, SouravGanguly, etc.