India has the first and oldest Women's college in Asia
India is a country with a rich and diverse history of education. One of the remarkable achievements of India is that it has the first and oldest women's college in Asia, which is Bethune College in Kolkata. Bethune College was established in 1879 as a college for women, after being a girls' school since 1849. It is affiliated to the University of Calcutta and has a motto of 'Viddaya Vindatey Amritam', which means 'knowledge provides immortal bliss'.
The founder of Bethune College
The founder of Bethune College was John Elliot Drinkwater Bethune, a British lawyer and social reformer who was passionate about promoting female education in India. He was influenced by the ideas of Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar and other Indian reformers who advocated for women's rights and education. He started the Calcutta Female School in 1849 with the financial support of Dakshinaranjan Mukherjee, a wealthy Bengali merchant. The school began with 21 girls enrolled in Mukherjee's home in Baitakkhana. The following year, the enrolment rose to 80 and a permanent school building was constructed on the west side of Cornwallis Square. The school was renamed as Hindu Female School and later as Bethune School after Bethune's death in 1851.
The achievements of Bethune College
Bethune College has been a pioneer in women's education and empowerment in India and Asia. It has produced many illustrious alumnae who have contributed to various fields such as literature, science, politics, social work and activism. Some of the notable alumnae of Bethune College are:
- Kadambini Ganguly (1861–1923), one of the first two female graduates of the British Empire.
- Chandramukhi Basu (1860–1944), one of the first two female graduates of the British Empire.
- Abala Bose (1864–1951), social worker and wife of scientist Jagadish Chandra Bose.
- Sarala Devi Chaudhurani (1872–1945), promoter of female education and founder of Bharat Stree Mahamandal, the first women's organisation in India
- Bina Das (1911–1986), revolutionary and nationalist who attempted to assassinate the Bengal Governor Stanley Jackson in 1932.
- Kalpana Datta (1913–1995), independence activist and associate of Surya Sen in the Chittagong armoury raid
- Swarnakumari Devi (1855–1932), poet, novelist and social worker who was the sister of Rabindranath Tagore .
- Ashoka Gupta (1912–2008), freedom fighter and social worker who worked for the relief and rehabilitation of refugees and women .
- Neena Gupta (b. 1984), mathematician who has provided a solution to the Zariski Cancellation Problem.
The present status of Bethune College
Bethune College is still a leading institution for women's education in India. It offers undergraduate and postgraduate courses in arts, science and education. It has been re-accredited with 'A' grade by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) and has ranked 77th among colleges in India by the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) in 2021. It has also been awarded the status of 'College with Potential for Excellence' by the University Grants Commission (UGC).
Bethune College is a proud legacy of India's educational heritage and a testament to the vision and dedication of its founder and alumnae. It continues to inspire and empower women to pursue their dreams and aspirations with knowledge, confidence and grace.
Source:
(1) Amazing facts about Education in India - UrbanPro. https://www.urbanpro.com/a/amazing-facts-education-india-2.
(2) Women's college - Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women%27s_college.
(3) Bethune College - Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bethune_College.
(4) Bethune College, Kolkata - oldest women's college in Asia!! - Navrang India. http://www.navrangindia.in/2017/10/bethune-college-kolkata-oldest-womens.html.
(5) List of girls and women’s colleges in Kolkata and West ... - Isrg KB. https://www.isrgrajan.com/list-of-girls-womens-colleges-in-kolkata-and-west-bengal-with-courses.html.
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