One of the oldest college of
Calcutta, Presidency College is also one of the most famous colleges
of India. Established in 1817 A.D., it was first known as Hindu College.
The name was changed to Presidency in 1855.
The college was set up during the British Raj, to educate the
wards of British officials in India, with active encouragement from
Sir David Hare, Mr. Justice Hyde East, J.H. Harrington, Burdwan's
Maharaja Tejchand Bahadur, Rasomoy Dutta, and Radhamadhab Bandyopadhyay.
Presidency College has always been a pioneer in the field of education.
Past students of Presidency College hold positions of great responsibility;
stalwarts like Amartya Sen are renowned world-wide, while other
exalted amlumni include Aparna Sen and Pritish Nandy. Students of
this college have always excelled in extra-curricular activities
as well. Over the years this college has produced fine debaters,
orators and writers. Even now, the debating team of Presidency College
is considered to be the best.
The college includes a cine club, a drama society, and
a debating society.
No discussion on Presidency College would be complete without a
mention of the Canteen. The canteen (cafetaria) is a place of bustling
activity - political discussions, heated debatres, poetry recitations
and singing, accompanied by a strumming guitar being commonplace
at any time.
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