# Surendranath College

Surendranath College is an undergraduate college affiliated to the University of Calcutta, in Kolkata, India. It was founded in 1884 by the nationalist leader and scholar Surendranath Banerjee. It offers undergraduate and postgraduate level courses in various arts , commerce and science subjects.

## History

This college owed its origin to the Presidency School. In 1882, Surendranath Banerjee took over the charge of the presidency school. In 1884, this school was renamed as Presidency Institution and affiliated to the University of Calcutta. Later, in the same year, with permission from Lord Ripon, this school was elevated to a first grade degree college and named as Ripon College.
In 1885, this college started the Department of Law. Later in 1911, this law section was converted into a separate law College and named as Ripon Law College.
In 1931, women's section was opened.
In 1940, The Department of Commerce was established.
In 1947, trustees of this college opened an evening science section.
In 1960, both the evening and women's section became a separate degree college. Evening section of this college is known as Surendranath Evening College and the women's section became an independent Degree College, named, Surendranath College for Women.
For much of its history, this college was known as Ripon College, named for the British Viceroy Lord Ripon, but in 1948–1949, it was renamed for its founder. Swami Vivekananda delivered his first address in Calcutta from the rostrum of this college on his return from Chicago after his famous deliverance at the Parliament of the World's Religions.

## Departments and courses

The college offers different undergraduate and postgraduate courses and aims at imparting education to the undergraduates and postgraduates of upper-, lower- and middle-class people of Kolkata and its adjoining areas.

### Science

Science faculty consists of the departments of Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics, Statistics, Computer Science & Application, Botany, Zoology, Physiology, Microbiology, Psychology, and Economics.

### Arts & Commerce

Arts and Commerce faculty consists of departments of Bengali, English, Sanskrit, History, Geography, Political Science, Philosophy, Journalism & Mass Communication, Sociology, and Commerce.

## Accreditation

Surendranath College are recognized by the University Grants Commission (UGC). This college was accrediated by NAAC and awarded B+ grade in 2017.

## Eminent faculty

* Jadunath Sarkar, eminent Indian historian
* Sir Surendranath Banerjee - Founder of Indian National Association, precursor to Indian National Congress
* Buddhadeb Bosu - Poet and novelist
* Bishnu Dey, Poet, Jnanpith Award winner
* Mira Datta Gupta - Eminent Social Activist and Politician
* Hiren Mukherjee - Ex Faculty - Department of History/ Ex Parliamentarian
* Phani Bhusan Chakravartti - First Indian chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court
* Ramendra Sundar Tribedi - a renowned Bengali author, later was also Principal of College

## Notable alumni

* Farrukh Ahmed - poet
* Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay - novelist
* Sachindra Prasad Bose - political activist
* Nirad C. Chaudhuri - author
* Dhirendranath Datta - Bangladeshi language movement leader
* Birendranath Sasmal - Notable freedom fighter, barrister and political activist
* Padma Nidhi Dhar - politician
* Anil Kumar Gain - mathematician from the University of Cambridge, Fellow of the Royal Society
* Sunil Gangopadhyay - novelist
* Akbar Hossain - novelist
* Chintamoni Kar - sculptor; principal of Government College of Art & Craft, Kolkata
* Maulvi Tamizuddin Khan - former speaker of Pakistan's Constituent Assembly
* Mohitlal Majumdar - literary critic
* Sailen Manna - captain, Indian soccer team (1952 Olympic Games)
* Mohammad Mohammadullah - former president of Bangladesh
* Mani Shankar Mukherjee - novelist
* Bishnu Prasad Rabha - author, poet, music director
* Shaktipada Rajguru, Bengali author

## Social initiative

During the Coronavirus Pandemic in India, With the demand for hand sanitizers raised in the wake of the Coronavirus scare, Surendranath College made a low-cost sanitiser meeting WHO guidelines. Apart from the chemical ingredients available at the lab, other contents such as Alcohol and Hydrogen Peroxide were procured from market, and the concoction was prepared meeting WHO specifications. The sanitiser is named Sparsho (touch) and the bottles are distributed for free among the locals