History of Bethune College
"The name of Bethune College was inextricably associated with higher education for Bengali women. Viewed in this light, no other women's college in undivided Bengal could hold a candle to Bethune. If one were to compile a list of Bethune students at the end of nineteenth century and the first four decades of the twentieth, the result would be a who's who of Bengali women of those times."
Professor Sujata Chaudhuri of the Department of English, Bethune College and mother of Emeritus Professor Sukanta Chaudhuri, renowned academician, author and translator, once eulogized Bethune College in these terms. It is perhaps no exaggeration to state that Bethune College has played a pivotal role in the emancipation of women in India.
The alumnae of the College have shown their brilliance during the last century in diverse spheres of life. The institution which started with the founder John Elliot Drinkwater Bethune's pioneering vision of producing 'better wives and better mothers in their homes' has, with the help of education, successfully enlightened generations of women to such a degree that they have emerged as triumphant empowered individuals in both home and the world. Pritilata Wadder, the famous freedom fighter of India, was a student of this College. Chameli Basu was the first Science student of this College and also the first woman Science Graduate of the University of Calcutta, followed by the eminent scientist Dr. Ashima Chatterjee, who holds the rare honour of being the First Indian woman to be conferred Doctorate of Science in 1944.
Bethune College has always prioritised pursuit of knowledge, which is not confined to the pages of a text book. Our illustrious alumnae from various spheres of life testify to this fact. Some of our alumnae like Kamini Roy, Sita Devi and Shanta Devi were distinguished writers. Shobha Sen, the legendary actress belonged to this College. Sarala Devi Chadhurani and Hironmayi Devi belonging to the illustrious Tagore family were students of this College. The celebrated danseuse Manjushree Chaki Sarkar was also a student of Bethune College.
Bethune School and its founder
The College owes its origin to John Elliot Drinkwater Bethune (1801 - 1851) who was born in Ealing, son of Colonel John Drinkwater Bethune of Salford, who had earned fame as the author of History of the Siege of Gibraltar. J.E.D Bethune was educated at Westminster School, graduated from Trinity College, University of Cambridge, and later qualified for the Bar to secure an administrative position in Parliament. He was proficient in Greek, Latin, German, French and Italian and also earned fame as a poet. In 1848, he was sent to India as Law Member of the Governor General's Council. Besides his ordinary official duties he undertook the presidency of the Council of Education and took a keen interest in the education of women and the eradication of social evils.
He was deeply moved by the illiteracy and hence oppression of Indian women who urgently required education, awareness and the ability to voice their protest and solve their problems. He decided to devote himself to the cause of Indian women. With encouragement from and participation of like-minded social reformers like Ramgopal Ghosh, Raja Dakshinaranjan Mukherjee and Pandit Madan Mohan Tarkalankar, Bethune established Kolkata's first school for girls in 1849 called the Hindu Female School, which later came to be known as Bethune School. Bethune passed away in 1851.
Establishment of Bethune College
In 1856, the Government took charge of the Hindu Female School, later renamed as Bethune School. The Managing Committee of the school was then formed and Pandit Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar, the celebrated social reformer responsible for the eradication of the custom of Sati and a relentless supporter of women's emancipation was made the Secretary. In August 1878, Bethune School was amalgamated with Banga Maha Vidyalaya which was founded by Miss Annette Akroyd with the help of Durgamohan Das, Dwarka Nath Ganguly and Anandamohan Basu.
It was in 1878 that Bethune School had the honour of sending up the first woman candidate for the Entrance Examination of the University of Calcutta. When Kadambini Ganguly (nee Basu) cleared the examination, college classes were arranged for her in Bethune school to enable her to pursue her studies for the F.A. examination. This is how the College started. And for many years to follow, this College remained the only institution offering the scope of higher education for girls in India.
Kadambini Ganguly was joined by Chandramukhi Basu in
1881. Both women graduated in 1883 becoming the first
female graduates of Calcutta University. Kadambini
Ganguly joined Calcutta Medical College as the first
Indian lady student and later became the first
practicing lady doctor in India. Chandramukhi Basu
joined Bethune College as Lecturer in English and later
became the First Lady Principal of the Institution.
Development of Bethune College
The earliest courses to be introduced in the College
were those of English and Sanskrit in 1917. Affiliation
was extended to the College for catering to I.Sc. course
in 1923 and Mathematics along with Philosophy was added
to the list of Honours subjects during the same year.
Now, with changing times, Bethune College has 11
undergraduate and 6 postgraduate departments.
The achievements of our students speak for themselves.
Many of our students have topped University
examinations; some have being awarded medals and prizes
in sports and other competitions. The students are also
involved in social activities through National Service
Scheme befitting their social responsibilities.
The College has reached its high level of excellence due
to the dedicated team work of the teaching,
administrative and assisting staff members and also
support and encouragement from the Governing Body and
above all administrative and financial support from the
Higher Education Department, Government of West Bengal.
Reaccredited by NAAC in 2015 with the 'A', Bethune
College has celebrated 137 long years of tireless
striving for knowledge which enriches the mind and
ennobles the soul.
From the Principal's Desk
The decades of 1980s and 1990s saw a rising awareness about the vital role that women's empowerment plays in the holistic development of a country. Incentivising women's higher education became a policy agenda for many developing nations. India also has taken various formal steps to enhance women's visibility in different walks of life with much success in the arena of education. With a deep sense of pride we look back to the glorious history of Bethune College as it is in the premises of this College that women's march forward to true empowerment started in 1879 when the College was set up as the first women's college of entire Asia. The college produced one of the first two lady graduates of British Empire, the illustrious Dr. Kadambini Basu and it obtained the other first lady graduate Prof. Channdramukhi Basu as its first Principal. That historically the college has been producing icons of women's empowerment can be seen from the long list of its successful ex-students. We can mention only a few- Pritilata Wadder, the first female martyr of India's freedom struggle, Jyotirmoyee Ganguli, the first woman councillor of the Calcutta Corporation, Ila Sen, the first Bengali woman to be selected for participation in Olympic Games and the first woman D.Litt of Calcutta University, Dr. Sabita Mishra. The institution has produced scientists, litterateurs, public servants, performing artists who are educated and enlightened individuals from all walks of human life.
During its long journey of 137 years, Bethune College has nurtured the vision of excellence through continuous modernisation of the teaching learning process aided by research and all other academic pursuits. Awarded the Grade 'A' twice, in 2006 & 2015, by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), the College was granted the status of College with Potential for Excellence by the UGC. Satisfied with the performance of the science departments of our college, the Department of Science & Technology, Govt. of India has provided handsome fund under the DST-FIST programme. It was also sanctioned a considerable amount under the Rashtriya Ucchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) for infrastructural and IT development.
The college is proud of its students who emerge as achievers in diverse spheres. The synergy between teachers and students is one of our greatest strengths. The teachers are totally committed to the cause of students motivating them to do their best in their chosen fields.
The Alumni Association of the institution which is 95 years old works in a symbiotic manner with the college for the enrichment and progression of the students. With generous help and encouragement of the Governing Body, administrative and financial assistance from the Department of Higher Education, Government of West Bengal and constant cooperation from all the stakeholders, Bethune College has played a major role in contributing to the cause of women in the country, producing empowered and enlightened individuals.
RUSA
Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS), launched in 2013 that aims at providing strategic funding to eligible State Higher Educational Institutions. The funding to states is based on the critical appraisal of State Higher Education Plans, which would describe each state's strategy to address issues of equity, access and excellence in higher education.
The Union human resource development ministry has sanctioned Rs 2 crore each to 58 state-aided colleges in Bengal under RUSA for development of higher education in the state.
Under this scheme, 58 colleges in West Bengal have received Rs 50 lakh as the first instalment of funding under the Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan. Bethune College is foremost among the colleges to have been selected for this programme.
The selected colleges are required to spend the Rs 2-crore grant under three heads that include creation of new facilities, modernisation of laboratories, renovation and expansion of existing buildings, procurement of equipment such as computers and purchase of books and journals to upgrade libraries.
RUSA Support for Bethune College
