To understand the fundamental foundation of the Indian higher education, we have to go back roughly 100 years before India gained independence. In the mid-19th century, when the idea of a formal university was new, three institutions were founded that reshaped the academic map forever.
Today, universities encompass every corner of the country, from metropolitan hubs to growing educational villages. But has this question ever crossed your mind?
Which was the first university established in India?
College students can better understand why the degrees offered, exams, curricula, and academic governance are the way they are today by learning about the history of India’s university system. Before the establishment of the renowned institutions like the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs), NITs or Central universities, which was the first university established in India, it laid the groundwork for the establishment of other universities.
The earliest and most prominent university to be established in India was the University of Calcutta, established in 1857. It is unquestionably India’s first modern university, which was inspired by the University of London. It established the original standards for our degrees, tests, and academic governance.
Which was the First University Established in India?
The Court of Directors of the East India Company sent a telegram in July 1854 to the Governor-General of India in Council, recommending the formation of the University of Calcutta along with two other universities, Madras and Bombay.
On January 24, 1857, the University of Calcutta was established in response to the directive. In the initial stages, the University of Calcutta followed the University of London’s model before progressively making changes to its constitution.
| Point to be Noted🛑 Although there are three universities which were established in India in the same year, 1857, as per the directive, there is a reason why the University of Calcutta is the first university established in India.
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Some of the key highlights of the first university established in India are as follows:-
| Key Highlights | About |
| Establishment Year of the University of Calcutta | January, 1857 |
| Establishment Year of the University of Bombay | July, 1857 |
| Establishment Year of the University of Madras | September, 1857 |
| University of Calcutta was Designed on the Model of | University of London |
| The first two graduates of the University of Calcutta were |
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| The first two female graduates of the University of Calcutta were |
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The history of India’s first university is more than just dates; it is also about the establishment of what became the modern academic identity of the Indian higher education system. The University of Calcutta emerges as the symbol of India’s transition towards planned, research-based education.
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