The Indian state of West Bengal is the site of India's first modern university and 33 universities are listed under the University Grants Commission (India).
Background
In West Bengal the medium of instruction in colleges and universities is usually in Bengali, English. Diploma, certificate courses, advanced diploma program, post graduate course and doctoral programs are offered. Research programs offered by the universities are conducted with the aid of specialised institute.
History
Early years
Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal has played a pioneering role in the development of the modern education system in India. Western models of education came to India through this city. Many of the first schools and colleges were established by the missionaries and reformists. Sir William Jones (philologist) established the Asiatic Society in 1784 for promoting oriental studies. People like Ram Mohan Roy, David Hare, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, Ashutosh Mukherjee and William Carey played a leading role in the setting up of modern schools and colleges in the city. The Fort William College was established in 1800. The Hindu College was established in 1817, renamed the Presidency College in 1855.
William Carey established the Serampore College in the city of Serampore in 1818. It went on to become India's first modern university in 1827 when it was incorporated by a Royal Charter as a Danish University. The Sanskrit College was established in 1824. Reverend Alexander Duff of the Church of Scotland established the General Assembly's Institution in 1830 and later the Free Church Institution in 1844, which were later merged to form what is now known as the Scottish Church College, Calcutta. These institutions played a significant role in what came to be known as the Young Bengal Movement and the Bengal Renaissance. La Martiniere Calcutta was established in 1836.
The oldest medical school in Asia, the Calcutta Medical College was set up in 1835. In 1857, the University of Calcutta was established as the first full-fledged multi-disciplinary university in south Asia. It was modelled on the lines of the University of London. Today it is amongst the largest multidisciplinary universities of India and offers some of the widest number of academic disciplines for study.
John Bethune established a school for Indian girls in 1850 at a time when women's education was frowned upon in the society. The Bethune College for girls was set up by him in 1879.
In 1856 technical and engineering education came with the establishment of a civil engineering college / department. This setup went through various reorganisations to finally become the Bengal Engineering College in 1921. The Jesuit administered St Xavier's College was established in 1860. Bengal Engineering and Science University is the second oldest engineering institutes in the country and it was started in the year 1864. They offer the following programs such as B.E, M.E, MCA, MBA, MSC, B. Arch. and Ph.D. programs. Apart from this they also provide part-time courses in the evening for the professionals.
The nation's first homoeopathy college was established in the city in 1880. In 1883 Kadambini Ganguly and Chandramukhi Basu became the first women graduates from the University of Calcutta. In the process, they became the first female graduates of the British Empire. Kadambini went on to become the first female physician trained in the Western system of medicine in South Asia.
20th century
In 1906, the partition of Bengal led to widespread nationalistic and anti-British feelings. This led to the setting up of the National Council of Education, Bengal. The Science College was established in 1917. The first blind school came into being in 1925.