Cotton University

Last updated

Cotton University
Cotton University logo.png
MottoApramattena Veddhavyam
Motto in English
Knowledge in any field
Type Public state university
Established
  • 1901(123 years ago) (1901)
  • 1901 (1901) (as Cotton College)
  • 2017 (2017) (as Cotton University)
Founder Sir Henry Stedman Cotton
Chancellor Governor of Assam
Vice-Chancellor Prof. Ramesh Ch. Deka [1]
Location, ,
26°11′12″N91°44′51″E / 26.1868°N 91.7476°E / 26.1868; 91.7476
Campus urban
Colors Orange, Blue, Green    
Affiliations UGC
Website cottonuniversity.ac.in

Cotton University (formerly known as Cotton College) is a public state university located in Guwahati, Assam, India. It was established in 2017 by the provisions of an Act from the Assam Legislative Assembly which merged Cotton College State University and Cotton College. The university has progressed to become one of the top 200 institutions of the country (appearing on the list of 150–200 in the National Institutional Ranking Framework rank list in May 2020). [2] However, as of 2024, Cotton University is ranked 373rd, which contrasts sharply with Gauhati University's commendable position at 45th in India. [3] [4]

Contents

Cotton College was established in 1901 by Sir Henry Stedman Cotton, chief commissioner of the former British province of Assam. It was the oldest institute of higher education in Assam and all of Northeast India. [5] Cotton College became a constituent college of Gauhati University in 1948, and then of Cotton College State University when it was established in 2011, by an Act (Act XIX of 2011) of the Assam Government. The Cotton University Act, 2017, was enacted to resolve problems between the college and the university. [6]

History

Main structure of the University Cotton College , Guwahati , Assam, India.jpg
Main structure of the University
A structure at Cotton University Assam Cotton College.jpg
A structure at Cotton University

In 1899 Manick Chandra wrote to the British government asking to open a college in Guwahati, in so far as Assam was the only province with no college and that Guwahati was the most convenient location. In response, Sir Henry Stedman Cotton, K.C.S.I., then the Chief Commissioner of Assam, announced on 3 November 1899 that a college would be opened in Guwahati. Cotton College, named by the public, was inaugurated on 27 May 1901 by Cotton himself. Before 1948, It was affiliated with Calcutta University [7] and began with five professors which included Frederick William Sudmerson, the first principal of the college, and 39 students.

The college was the centre of the freedom movement as well as literary and cultural movements of the state, which aimed to build Assam's identity as a distinct, integral component of India. When Gauhati University was established in 1948, Cotton College became affiliated with it as a constituent college. [8] In 2015, the college was declared a Special Heritage College. [7]

On 16 October 1992, the college was named as a center of excellence, [9] an occasion celebrated in a solemn ceremony with Shankar Dayal Sharma, then President of India, and it officially became a post-graduate college. [8]

Cotton College State University

First Block of Cotton College FIRST BLOCK OF COTTON COLLEGE.jpg
First Block of Cotton College

Cotton College State University was created through an Act of the Government of Assam (Act XIX of 2011). This act received the assent of the Governor of Assam on 3 September 2011, published in the Assam Gazette on 5 September 2011. The Cotton College became its constituent college. [10]

The election for the university's first Academic Council and University Court was held on 22 February 2013 with three and five members elected respectively. [11]

Cotton University

Over time, conflicts emerged between the university and the college chiefly over the custody of properties. The Assam Legislative Assembly passed an amendment in 2015 that the university and the college be run as separate institutes. [12] The bill, called The Cotton University Act 2017, was passed by the Assam Legislative Assembly on 2 March 2017 in order to resolve these problems. [6] By this act, the university and college would be completely merged. [12] Upon enforcement, the university was renamed Cotton University. [13] By ordinance, the governor of Assam, Banwarilal Purohit became chancellor, who then appointed Bhabesh Chandra Goswami as the first vice chancellor in July 2017. [14]

Academics

Academic programmes

HSSLC

In keeping with the former Cotton College's traditions, courses leading to Higher Secondary School Leaving Certificate are possible in the Arts and Science streams. This qualification is awarded upon successful completion of two years of study followed by relevant examinations under the Assam Higher Secondary Educational Council.[ citation needed ]

Bachelors degrees

Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Computer Application, Bachelor of Liberal Arts, Bachelor of Mass Communication and Journalism and Bachelor of Science (Hons) Biotechnology graduate degrees are offered. The degrees are awarded upon successful completion of three years of study followed by relevant examinations under Cotton University.[ citation needed ]

Masters degrees

Postgraduate programs leading to the degrees of Master of Arts, Master of Science, Master of Library and Information Science, Master of Law, Master in Computer Application and Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning are offered. The degrees are awarded upon successful completion of two years of study followed by relevant examinations under Cotton University. Admission is offered by way of a national-level entrance examination.[ citation needed ]

Doctoral programme

The degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) is offered in all postgraduate departments. Admission opens annually in June/July. Selection is based on a written test and a viva voce oral examination. UGC/CSIR JRF/NET/SET qualified candidates are exempted from written tests.[ citation needed ]

Notable alumni and faculty

Noted alumni

Noted faculty

List of principals

The institute had 50 principals from 1901 till 2012. [18]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buranji</span> Class of historical chronicles

Buranjis are a class of historical chronicles and manuscripts associated with the Ahom kingdom. There were written initially in the Ahom Language and later in the Assamese language as well. The Buranjis are an example of historical literature which is rare in India—they bear resemblance to Southeast Asian traditions of historical literature instead. The Buranjis are generally found in manuscript form, a number of these manuscripts have been compiled and published especially in the Assamese language.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lachit Borphukan</span> Commander in the Ahom kingdom

Lachit Borphukan was an army general, primarily known for commanding the Ahom Army and the victory in the Battle of Saraighat (1671) that thwarted an invasion by the vastly superior Mughal Forces under the command of Ramsingh I. He died about a year later in April 1672.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mamoni Raisom Goswami</span> Indian scholar and writer (1942–2011)

Indira Goswami, known by her pen name Mamoni Raisom Goswami and popularly as Mamoni Baideo, was an Indian writer, poet, professor, scholar and editor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Assamese literature</span> Literature in Assamese language

Assamese literature is the entire corpus of poetry, novels, short stories, plays, documents and other writings in the Assamese language. It also includes the literary works in the older forms of the language during its evolution to the contemporary form and its cultural heritage and tradition. The literary heritage of the Assamese language can be traced back to the c. 9–10th century in the Charyapada, where the earliest elements of the language can be discerned.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gauhati University</span> University in Guwahati, Assam, India

Gauhati University also known as GU, is a collegiate public state university located in Guwahati, Assam, India. It was established on 26 January 1948 under the provisions of an Act enacted by the Assam Legislative Assembly and is the oldest university in Northeast India. As of 2024, the University is esteemed as the 45th-ranked institution in India, securing its position within the top 100 educational institutions nationwide.

Bhabendra Nath Saikia was a novelist, short-story writer, editor and film director from Assam, India. Saikia received his doctorate in physics from the University of London. He began his career as a reader in the Department of Physics, University of Guwahati. He later played an important role in the publication of college level textbooks in the Assamese language during his tenure as the Secretary of the Co-ordination Committee for production of textbooks in regional languages.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Assam Valley Literary Award</span>

The Assam Valley Literary Award was conceived in the year 1990 by Williamson Magor Education Trust to honour creative writers who have enhanced Assamese literature.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bhabananda Deka</span> Indian writer

Prof Bhabananda Deka was a pioneer Assam economist and author who conducted novel research on the economy of the far eastern part of India. He was also a leading Indian-Assamese litterateur of the famed 'Awahon-Ramdhenu Era' of Assamese literature during the mid-20th century. He was the author of a total of 115 English and Assamese books including textbooks on a range of fifteen subjects including economics, ancient Assamese literature, philosophy, education, religion, mythology, archaeology, tribal study, poetry, drama, memoirs, civics, political science, biographies; he also edited books and journals. He also authored a variety of research papers and articles about the state of Assam, a state in the north-eastern part of India. He pioneered the writing of books on Economics in Assamese. His Assamese book Axomor Arthaneeti was the first ever research-based comprehensive book on Assam Economics, which was published for the first time in 1963. He was conferred with the honorary title of 'Asom Ratna' -- 'Jewel of Assam' by the intellectuals of Assam on 19 August 2007 at a public meet held under the presidency of Prof. (Dr) Satyendra Narayan Goswami.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Literature of North East India</span>

Literature from North East India (Assamese: উত্তৰ-পূৱ ভাৰতৰ সাহিত্য is literature in the languages of North East India and the body of work by English-language writers from this region. North East India is an under-represented region in many ways. The troubled political climate, the beautiful landscape and the confluence of various ethnic groups perhaps have given rise to a body of writing that is completely different from Indian English literature. North-East India was a colonial construct and continues to be one by virtue of having a historically difficult relationship with the Indian nation state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Himanta Biswa Sarma</span> 15th and current Chief Minister Of Assam

Himanta Biswa Sarma is an Indian politician and lawyer serving as the 15th and current Chief Minister of Assam since 2021. A former member of the Indian National Congress, Sarma joined the Bharatiya Janata Party on 23 August 2015 and soon was made convenor of NEDA. He is a five time Member of the Assam Legislative Assembly from Jalukbari, having been elected since 2001.

Saurabh Kumar Chaliha is the pen name of a famous Assamese short story writer. His real name was Surendra Nath Medhi. His short story collection Ghulam won the prestigious Sahitya Akademi Award in 1974. Chaliha did not go to receive the award himself and it was later sent to him by the Akademi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Birendra Nath Datta</span> Indian academic and musician (1935–2023)

Birendranath Datta was an Indian academic, linguist, author, researcher of folklore, singer, and lyricist. During his career, he worked mainly as a professor in a variety of Assam colleges. In 2009, he was awarded the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award, for Literature and Education, and in 2010 he received the Jagaddhatri-Harmohan Das Literary award. Datta was elected as the president of Asom Sahitya Sabha for the 2003 North Lakhimpur Session, and the 2004 Hojai Session.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chandraprabha Saikiani</span> Indian social reformer, writer and freedom fighter (1901–1972)

Chandraprabha Saikiani or Chandraprava Saikiani was an Assamese freedom fighter, activist, writer and social reformer considered to be the pioneer of the feminist movement in Assam. She was the founder of The All Assam Pradeshik Mahila Samiti, a non governmental organization working for the welfare of the women of Assam and was a recipient of the fourth highest Indian civilian award of Padma Shri for the year 1972 from the Government of India. Three decades later, the Indian government issued a commemorative stamp on Saikiani under the series, Social Reformers, in 2002.

Rai Bahadur Surya Kumar Bhuyan MBE (1892–1964) was a writer, historian, educator, social activist, storyteller, essayist, professor and a poet from Assam. He has written many books on ancient history, stories, essays, biographies, etc. in the world of Assamese literature. He presided over the Asam Sahitya Sabha (1953) held at Shillong. He was the elected member of Rajya Sabha during 1952–53, and was awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India in 1956.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dinesh Chandra Goswami</span> Assamese writer

Dr. Dinesh Chandra Goswami is an Assamese writer and winner of the Sahitya Akademi's Bal Sahitya Puraskar for 2014.

The Assamese Language Movement refers to a series of political activities demanding the recognition of the Assamese language as the only sole official language and medium of instruction in the educational institutions of Assam, India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mayur Bora</span> Indian writer

Mayur Bora is an Indian writer, critic and public speaker from Assam. Bora has 18 books to his credit, 16 in Assamese language, 1 in English and 1 book of translation in which noted litterateur Dilip Bora's short stories were rendered into English.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Asu Dev</span> A pioneer artist of Assam India

Asu Dev(আশু দেব), born as Ashutosh Deb Dhubri, Assam, India was a pioneer artist of Assam. He was a painter, sculptor and an Art Educator. During his lifetime he had worked as a Textile Designer in several Cotton Mills in Jessore and Khulna in Bangladesh, Ahmedabad, Surat, Kolkata, at the Janata College Titabor Assam and Assam Textile Institute Guwahati, Assam and at Weavers Training Centre in Dimapur Nagaland in the later part of his life. His distinguished style of painting, where he had experimented using fine and minute dots often like modern pixels, which was often addressed by art critics as pointillism. Asu Dev was a self taught artist who created his artworks from minute observation of the Nature and the working class, and his innate exposure to Srimanta Sankardeva the 15th–16th century Assamese saint-scholar, poet, playwright, artist and social-religious reformer. The miniature paintings from the Chitra Bhagawata and the traditional folk arts and culture of the region, becoming the prime subjects of his paintings. During his career spanning about fifty years of Artistic career dating to the 1930s, he had created around 180 Art works, mostly paintings, oil on canvas, water colour tempara, textile designs and motifs, illustrations, sketches, drawings and a few sculptures. In 1952, Asu Dev was among the first artists to hold, one man show in Assam.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Subrat Jyoti Neog</span> Indian film critic, theatre critic and playwright

Subrat Jyoti Neog is a Film Critic, a Theatre Critic and a Playwright from the Indian state of Assam. He teaches in Tezpur University at the department of Assamese as an associate professor.

References

  1. "Vice Chancellor". Cotton University. Archived from the original on 1 August 2017. Retrieved 1 August 2017.
  2. https://oldwebsite.cottonuniversity.ac.in/page-details?subject=cce99c598cfdb9773ab041d54c3d973a&upload=108 [ bare URL ]
  3. "Cotton University Rankings 2024," EduRank, accessed August 26, 2024, https://edurank.org/uni/cotton-university/
  4. "Gauhati University Rankings 2024," EduRank, accessed August 26, 2024, https://edurank.org/uni/gauhati-university/rankings/
  5. "Cotton College Merges with Cotton State University » Northeast Today". Northeast Today. 1 June 2017. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
  6. 1 2 Singh, A. (8 March 2018). "Assam Assembly Passes The Cotton University Act 2017: Cotton College To Merge With Cotton College State University". NDTV.com. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
  7. 1 2 "Assam's Cotton College becomes Cotton University". The Shillong Times. 2 June 2017. Archived from the original on 18 June 2018. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
  8. 1 2 Goswami, P. (21 July 2011). "Cotton College to Cotton University – Emotions and Debates". Times of Assam. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
  9. L. Cremonini, L., Paivandi, S. and Joshi, K.M. (2019). Mergers in Higher Education: Practices and Policies. Studera Press. p. 115. ISBN   9789385883941.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  10. "UGC team to visit Cotton University" . Retrieved 12 October 2015.
  11. "Cotton College State University elections – Indian Express". archive.indianexpress.com. Retrieved 12 October 2015.
  12. 1 2 Karmakar, S. (8 March 2017). "What's in a name? A lot if it's Cotton". The Telegraph. Retrieved 6 June 2018.[ dead link ]
  13. "Cotton University". Cotton University. Retrieved 2 July 2017.
  14. "Prof Bhabesh Chandra Goswami is the new Cotton University VC". www.outlookindia.com/. 12 July 2017. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
  15. Curriculum Vitae. tezu.ernet.in
  16. "Education". www.iitg.ac.in.
  17. "Shamsul 'Ulema, Abu Nasar Waheed". Banglapedia.
  18. "Principals of Cotton College". cottoncollege.org.in. Retrieved 22 March 2012.