Gujarat College

Gujarat Arts & Science College popularly and earlier known as Gujarat College is one of the oldest educational institution of India and second arts and science college of Gujarat, near Ellis Bridge, Ahmedabad. The institution originally founded in 1860, as a government run educational institute was later established as regular college in 1879 and is at present under direct management Education Department of Government of Gujarat.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6]}

History

Gujarat College stated as a small educational institution in 1860^[1] due to efforts of T. C. Hope,^[3] who inspired local people for charity, which lead to the start of the institution.^[6][7] Thus the institute was started in 1860 as Gujarat Providential College but ceased to work in 1872. However, after a gap of five years it was restarted in 1879 as Gujarat Collage under management of the Gujarat College Committee, which at that time was under the able leader ship of local textile magnate, Rai Bahadur Sheth Ranchhodlal Chotalal.^{[7][8][9][10]} Later his grandson and philanthropist Sardar Sir Chinubhai Madhavalal Bert, ICE in 1897 came forward and donated 33 acres of land along with generous cash donations worth millions of rupees for the expansion of Gujarat College. To mention, in the year 1897, he donated 6 lakh (US$9,600) and further 20 lakh (US$32,000) for the construction of Arts College^[11] to which he further added a sum of 1.5 lakh (US$2,400) for a library and collage hall.^[11] The buildings that came up from these donations were Madhavlal Ranchodlal Science Institute named after father of Sir Chinubhai, Sydenham Library and George V Hall, which all were inaugurated by Lord George Sydenham Clarke in 1912, 1915 and 1917, respectively.^[11] The Engineer, Rai Bahadur Himmatlal Dhirajram Bhachech, who was President of Ahmadabad Municipality at that time, overlooked the construction of college buildings. The first college building was constructed in the year 1897, which followed more buildings appearing on the land using the generous flow of donations by Sir Chinubhai Madhavalal, Bert, ICE, who again donated another sum of 10 lakh (US$16,000) as patron of College .^[2]

After Independence of India, the college continued to expand and the New Science Building was built in 1948, Tutorial Building in 1965, and Science Workshops in 1965.The Department of Dramatics was established in 1970-71.

Present Status

At present the college houses departments of Arts faculty, departments of science and a full-time degree course in drama. The institute also runs runs many undergraduate courses.

The institute is presently managed by the Commissioner for College and Universities under the State Department of Education.

Affiliation

The college started with affiliation from University of Bombay, which was granted in March 1879.^[6][7] Later when Gujarat University at Ahmedabad came into existence it granted its affiliation to Gujarat College and since then the college is affiliated to Gujarat University.

Indian Independence Movement

Mahatma Gandhi held an historic meeting at Gujarat College campus under president ship of V. J. Patel on 28 September 1920 and addressed a huge mass of students asking them to join Non-cooperation Movement, giving detailed description of atrocities committed by British regime on Indians. This lead to many professors and students leaving collage, as it was government run institution and joining Gujarat Vidyapith, which was started by Gandhi in 1920.^[12]

During Quit India Movement in 1942, many students of college participated organizing a rally and shouting slogan against British, which lead to death of one student of college named Vinod Kinariwala, who was shot dead by English policeman inside college campus, on 9 August 1942.^[13] Later in 1947, Veer Vinod Kinariwala Memorial was inaugurated by Jai Prakash Narayan in memory of martyrdom of Shaheed Vinod Kinariwala inside college campus.^[13]

Notable Alumni

• Vinod Kinariwala - noted martyr
• Nautam Bhagwan Lall Bhatt - noted physicist
• Indulal Yagnik - noted independence activist, writer & filmmaker.
• Kasturbhai Lalbhai - a leading industrialist.^[14]
• Ambalal Sarabhai - a leading industrialist.
• Hasmukh Pathak - noted poet.^[15]
• Umashankar Joshi - noted poet, writer.^[15]
• Disha Vakani (b. 1978), television actress, who plays the role of Daya Ben, in the tele-serial, "Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah".^[16]
• Girjaprasad Chinubhai Madhowlal - later the Sir Chinubhai Madhowlal Ranchhodlal, 2nd Baronet of Shahpur.
• G. V. Mavlankar - first speaker of Lok Sabha^[17]
• Nanalal Dalpatram Kavi - poet.^[17]
• Vikram Sarabhai - noted scientist.^[17]
• Anandshankar Dhruv.^[17]
• Lady Vidyagauri Neelkanth -author, social activist, wife of Ramanbhai Nilkanth, one of first women graduates from Gujarat.^[17]
• Shardabehn S. Mehta - author,^[18] was also one of first women graduates from Gujarat.^[17]

Notable Faculty

• M.V. Rajadhyaksha - a noted Marathi writer and critic.
• Prahalad Chunnilal Vaidya - an Indian physicist and mathematician.
• Dhirendra Mehta - a noted Gujarati novelist, poet, commentator.
• Dhirubhai Premshankar Thakar- eminent critic^[19]
• Anandshankar Dhruv^[20] - a noted Gujarati scholar, writer, educationist and editor.
• Gatubhai Gopilal Dhru - biographer, translator & Writer^[20]
• V.J.Trivedi - Noted Educationist and Columnist.

References