Ravenshaw College
Encyclopedia
Ravenshaw College is located in Cuttack
, India
.
The college
was established in 1878 for Thomas Edward Ravenshaw
, a descendant of William Withers
. Thomas and his wife, Mary Susannah Symonds Ravenshaw, were residents of India and were successful in the Indian Political Service
.
and few liberal Britons wanted to start a college at Cuttack
. Thomas Edward Ravenshaw, Officiating Commissioner of Orissa
Division finally made the Government
of Bengal
realise the difficulties of Oriya students in getting College education and succeeded in obtaining permission to start collegiate classes in the Cuttack Zilla School. Thus the first College in Orissa was born in January 1868 with only intermediate classes and having six students on roll.
In January 1875 Commissioner Ravenshaw proposed to convert the Ravenshaw Collegiate School into a full fledged degree College
. The Government
of Bengal
accepted the demand with the condition that a public contribution of Rs.30,000/- be deposited for the proposed College
. Ravenshaw took up the matter as an object of personal interest and guaranteed the collection of the required amount. Mr. H. Woodrew, DPI of Bengal
supported Ravenshaw. Mr. H. J. Reynolds, Secretary
to the Government
of Bengal
requested the Government of India
to sanction the incidental charges and the post of the Principal on the additional condition of meeting half the monthly expenses by public donation.
Due to Mr. Ravenshaw's efforts and the support of the Maharaja of Mayurbhanj, HH Shree Krushna Chandra Bhanjdeo by means of financial help, the College department of the Collegiate School was finally converted in 1876 to a full-fledged Government Degree College, bearing the name ‘Cuttack College’ affiliated to the University of Calcutta
. Mr. Samuel Ager was appointed as the first Principal. The college then had only 19 students on roll. Maharaja of Mayurbhanj H.H. Sri Krushna Chandra Bhanjdeo donated Rs. 20,000/- as a permanent endowment for the college which almost fulfilled the condition imposed by the Government for public contribution. On his insistence the name of the college was changed to Ravenshaw College in 1878 after Thomas Edward Ravenshaw
to commemorate his services to the cause of education in Orissa
. The College was granted permanent status by 1881.
Growth of the college in the initial days was slow. Altogether 94 graduates were produced by the closing year of the 19th century and the student strength had increased to 97. Science stream remained confined only to Intermediate level till 1912 when Bihar and Orissa were separated from Bengal.
The college entered a new phase of development after 1912. School and survey classes were removed. Teachers of Indian Education Service were appointed as professors in different departments. New subjects such as Political Economy, Political Philosophy and honours in History and Persian were introduced. Infrastructure facilities for teaching of science at B.Sc. level were augmented. The student strength rose to 280 in 1912 and 375 in 1915. A new site (the present site) for the college at “Chakkar Padia” was located by the Government to construct a complete set of new buildings at an approximate cost of Rs.10,00,000/-.
In 1916 the University Bill proposed the transfer of Ravenshaw College from Calcutta University to Patna University to be created newly. Although there was some public resistance for the change of affiliation, the then commissioner rightly supported the transfer by writing “ Divorced from the Calcutta University, its progress would be rapid and in course of time it should be able to supply every educational need of the people of Orissa”. Accordingly the affiliation of the college was transferred to newly created Patna University on 1 October 1917.
The college was shifted to its present site in the erstwhile “Chakkar Padia” in 1921. While laying the foundation stone of the present building in the November 1919 Sir Edward Gait, the then Governor of Bihar and Orissa wished that this mighty monument would one day grow into a University. Maharaja of Mayurbhanj donated Rs. 1,00,000/- for the electrification of the new building and purchase of equipments for science laboratories. A library building having an area of 9000 sq ft (836.1 m²). was opened in 1922 by Lt. Governor of Bihar and Orissa. Maharaja of Kanika Sri Rajendra Narayan Bhanjadeo generously donated Rs. 55,000/- for its construction which stands today as a beautiful piece of architecture. In his honour the library is named as “Kanika Library” which is very close to the hearts of educated Oriyas. In recognition of the public generosity, the Government sanctioned Rs. 25,000/- towards purchase of books for the newly created “Kanika Library”. After the shifting of the main library to the centenary building, the old premise houses the journal section.
Legislators from Orissa such as Utkalmani Gopabandhu Das and Sri Krishna Mohapatra demanded time and again for further growth of the college in Bihar Orissa Legislative Council and Viceroy’s Council. In the words of Krishna Mohapatra “Orissa had a pet child and that child was the Ravenshaw College”. In response to public pressure Mathematics honours got recognition by 1920. A year later affiliation was granted to B.Sc. in Botany and the College became a postgraduate institution with M.A. classes in English started in 1922 through munificence of Maharani Smt. Parvati Devi, the queen of Sonepur
, in granting Rs. 1,71,500/- for its opening.
The staff position of Ravenshaw College was strengthened with the appointment in 1918, of scholars such as Sir Jaudunath Sarkar and R. P. Khosla as professor of History and Economics respectively. By 1922 the sanctioned strength of teaching staff had reached 31, out of which 13 came from Indian Education Service, two were Europeans and the rest were from provincial Education Service. Honours classes in Physics, Chemistry and Botany were opened with effect from July 1930 and steps were initiated to start postgraduate teaching in all subjects which was fulfilled after Orissa became a separate province.
Co-education began in 1929-30 with 4 girl students taking admission in the college. Their number gradually rose over the years. Medical facilities opened in the college with the appointment of a Sub-assistant surgeon and medical examination became compulsory for all students from October, 1929.
The College remained affiliated to Patna University even after the separation of Orissa from Bihar in 1936. The affiliation was finally transferred to newly created Utkal University
in 1943.In fact during these times Urdu as a separate department for the first time in a college in orissa was inaugurated at Ravenshaw College & headed by renowned Urdu scholar Mr Syed Manzar Hasan.In fact, it was Ravenshaw College that gave birth to the new University, nursed and sustained it. If walls could speak, the present zoology department building could say how the university started functioning on its premises more than half a century ago. The law department of Ravenshaw College was finally separated and gave birth to the Madhusudan Law College.
A Brief Time line of Illustrious History of Ravenshaw
1903 - Modern Oriya consciousness began in the formation of the Utkal Sammilani by Orissa’s first graduate, first post-graduate, and first practicing lawyer, Madhusudan Das. When that Utkal Sammilani had its first session here on the Idga Ground in Cuttack, history tells us, it was attended by 335 delegates from the outlying areas; zamindars, representatives of the Gadjats, the Commissioner himself, two Christian missionaries, local intellectuals like Radhanath Roy, Madhusudan Rao, Bishwanath Kar and the Principal and students of Ravenshaw College assembled to engage in the deliberations.
1920 - Students of Ravenshaw, like Harekrushna Mahatab, N.K. Chaudhury and their fellow alumni, opposed the idea of the same Madhusudan Das accepting ministership of the British created government and distributed leaflets in protest; they disturbed a progovernment felicitation meeting. Their activities were reported to Mr. Lambart, Principal of Ravenshaw College, and their parents were asked to withdraw the two from college just a week before their BA examinations. In the years that succeeded, parallel to the uprising of Oriya consciousness, was the beginning of the national freedom movement. When India made her shift from self-rule to demand for full freedom, the chants for freedom first reverberated within the four walls of this great Institution before they spread far and wide.
1930 - When the Orissa Pradesh Congress Committee gave a call observing January 26 as “Independence day”, history tells us that the hostelers of Ravenshaw College took the lead in organizing the celebrations and many students gave up a meal to contribute to the funds of Utkalmani Gopabandhu Das towards the national freedom movement. Then came the Salt Satyagraha and the post graduate students of Ravenshaw College actually dropped their examination in support of the struggle when a batch of protesters marched from Khurda to the sea to defy the Salt Act of the British Empire.
1937 - Even as Orissa acquired statehood under the British Empire on 1st. April,1936, there was no legislative assembly for people’s representatives to represent their will and legislate on their behalf. It is no small coincidence that the grounds of Ravenshaw College were chosen for the very first meeting of the Legislative Assembly of Orissa on July 28, 1937.The new Legislative Assembly of Orissa started functioning from the Examination Hall of Ravenshaw College and upper balcony and verandah acted as balcony for visitors.
1942 - At the forefront of the Quit India movement were the students of Ravenshaw College. On 15 August that year, 200 of them protested. They actually set the office room on fire. Among the arsonists were Banamali Patnaik, Ashok Das, Biren Mitra, Suraj Mal Saha and Bibhudendra Mishra. The last two were detained under the Defence of India Act and sent away to the Berhampur Jail. The movement spread to all other educational institutions in the state. Born of famine, child of a foreigner’s vision, Ravenshaw College was the vortex of political, intellectual and literary movements in Orissa for the first seven decades of its existence. That is probably why it has produced countless heads of state, poets, politicians, judges and bureaucrats who spread their impact far and wide.
Description=
To make a long story short, Ravenshaw College is a mother institution – the alma mater of alma maters. Its history is, in deed, the story of modern Orissa
. Its Assembly hall was the venue of the Legislative Assembly of the newly carved state of Orissa. It witnessed the debates of the legislators framing laws to govern the state. It remained so till the capital was shifted to Bhubaneswar. All the significant cultural, intellectual and political movements of the state have sprung from its portals. It has nourished such great and kindered souls as Utkal Gourab Madhusudan Das
, Utkalmani Gopabandhu Das
, Acharya Harihar Das, Pandit Nilakanth Das, Pandit Godabarish Mishra, Bhubaneswar Behera and Sri Bhubanananda Das. It had on its staff such great scholars as Dr. Artaballav Mohanty, Sir Jadunath Sarkar
, Sir Ross Masood, Dr. Pranakrushna Parija, Dr. Balabhadra Prasad, Acharya Jogeschandra Vidyanidhi, Dr. Mahendra Kumar Rout, Dr. Baba Kartar Singh, Dr. Parasuram Mishra, Shri P.A.Sunderam and Dr. A.K.Dasgupata etc., to name a few. Most of the prominent political leaders of the state such as Shri Biswanath Das, Dr. H.K.Mahatab, Shri Nityananda Kanungo, Shri S.N.Dwibedi, Shri Biju Patnaik
, Shri Nilamani Routray, Smt. Nandini Satpathy, Shri Janaki Ballav Patnaik and Shri Rabi Ray etc., were Ravenshavians. The College produced such creative writers of yester years as Sri Kalindi Charan Panigrahi, Sri Ananda Shankar Ray, Sri Gopinath Mohanty
, Sri Sachidananda Routray and Sri Surendranath Mohanty. In short, the College has been the major source of preparing manpower to lead every sphere of the society. In the Dimond Jubilee celebration address the then Principal Mr. H.R.Batheja righly observed:
Indian Science Congress Association meet of 1962 was held in Ravenshaw College Quadrangle. The College achieved the unique distinction of being one of the three colleges of the country to have been awarded national honour by Government of India through the issue of commemorative stamp in 1978.
The College has seen 55 Principals. It has been accorded autonomous status since 1989. It stands today on a sprawling campus of 87.4 acres (353,695.6 m²). The magnificent red brick building of Gothic architecture has several blocks added to it in course of time. The main library is located in the new centenary library building. Teaching is now imparted to more than 5000 students in Arts, Science and Commerce faculties. Altogether there are 22 departments out of which 17 have postgraduate teaching facility and M.Phil course is available in 12 subjects. In addition, several new courses have been added under autonomous functioning besides the regular courses. There are 11 hostels, 9 of which are on the campus, accommodating about 2,500 boarders. The College also houses, besides Ravenshaw Junior College having student strength of 1536, the Cuttack Study Centre of Indira Gandhi National Open University having student strength of 1133, IAS Coaching Class and Pre-Examination Training Centre for SC/ST students. The campus also has a Post Office, an Extension Counter of State Bank of India, a Dispensary, a Power House, GED, PWD and PHS sections, a canteen, Guest House, a Gymnasium, and spacious play grounds. Ravenshaw has acquired a distinctive, secular, cosmopolitan culture of its own helping all Ravenshawvians to live in the College motto “Gyanameba Shakti” or'Knowledge is Strength'.
Pradip Mohanty
Cuttack
Cuttack is the former capital of the state of Orissa, India. It is the headquarters of Cuttack district and is located about 20 km to the north east of Bhubaneswar, the capital of Orissa. The name of the city is an anglicised form of Kataka that literally means The Fort, a reference to the...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
The college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
was established in 1878 for Thomas Edward Ravenshaw
Thomas Edward Ravenshaw
Thomas Edward Ravenshaw was an educator, founder of Ravenshaw College, and a member of the British East India Company.-Early life:...
, a descendant of William Withers
William Withers
Sir William Withers was Lord Mayor of London from 1707 to 1708.-Family background:He was born in 1657, a descendant of Sir Thomas Wyther. Sir William Withers' father was believed to be the first family member to spell the name Wyther as Withers.Withers married Margaret Hayes, daughter of Thomas...
. Thomas and his wife, Mary Susannah Symonds Ravenshaw, were residents of India and were successful in the Indian Political Service
Indian Political Service
The Indian Political Service was a department of the Indian Civil Service during the British Raj.The political officers assigned to the service - many of whom were British Army and British Indian Army officers on secondment - were responsible for the civil administration of frontier districts, and...
.
History
After the great famine of 1866, the people of OrissaOrissa
Orissa , officially Odisha since Nov 2011, is a state of India, located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. It is the modern name of the ancient nation of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Maurya Emperor Ashoka in 261 BC. The modern state of Orissa was established on 1 April...
and few liberal Britons wanted to start a college at Cuttack
Cuttack
Cuttack is the former capital of the state of Orissa, India. It is the headquarters of Cuttack district and is located about 20 km to the north east of Bhubaneswar, the capital of Orissa. The name of the city is an anglicised form of Kataka that literally means The Fort, a reference to the...
. Thomas Edward Ravenshaw, Officiating Commissioner of Orissa
Orissa
Orissa , officially Odisha since Nov 2011, is a state of India, located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. It is the modern name of the ancient nation of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Maurya Emperor Ashoka in 261 BC. The modern state of Orissa was established on 1 April...
Division finally made the Government
Government
Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
of Bengal
Bengal
Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...
realise the difficulties of Oriya students in getting College education and succeeded in obtaining permission to start collegiate classes in the Cuttack Zilla School. Thus the first College in Orissa was born in January 1868 with only intermediate classes and having six students on roll.
In January 1875 Commissioner Ravenshaw proposed to convert the Ravenshaw Collegiate School into a full fledged degree College
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
. The Government
Government
Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
of Bengal
Bengal
Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...
accepted the demand with the condition that a public contribution of Rs.30,000/- be deposited for the proposed College
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
. Ravenshaw took up the matter as an object of personal interest and guaranteed the collection of the required amount. Mr. H. Woodrew, DPI of Bengal
Bengal
Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...
supported Ravenshaw. Mr. H. J. Reynolds, Secretary
Secretary
A secretary, or administrative assistant, is a person whose work consists of supporting management, including executives, using a variety of project management, communication & organizational skills. These functions may be entirely carried out to assist one other employee or may be for the benefit...
to the Government
Government
Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
of Bengal
Bengal
Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...
requested the Government of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
to sanction the incidental charges and the post of the Principal on the additional condition of meeting half the monthly expenses by public donation.
Due to Mr. Ravenshaw's efforts and the support of the Maharaja of Mayurbhanj, HH Shree Krushna Chandra Bhanjdeo by means of financial help, the College department of the Collegiate School was finally converted in 1876 to a full-fledged Government Degree College, bearing the name ‘Cuttack College’ affiliated to the University of Calcutta
University of Calcutta
The University of Calcutta is a public university located in the city of Kolkata , India, founded on 24 January 1857...
. Mr. Samuel Ager was appointed as the first Principal. The college then had only 19 students on roll. Maharaja of Mayurbhanj H.H. Sri Krushna Chandra Bhanjdeo donated Rs. 20,000/- as a permanent endowment for the college which almost fulfilled the condition imposed by the Government for public contribution. On his insistence the name of the college was changed to Ravenshaw College in 1878 after Thomas Edward Ravenshaw
Thomas Edward Ravenshaw
Thomas Edward Ravenshaw was an educator, founder of Ravenshaw College, and a member of the British East India Company.-Early life:...
to commemorate his services to the cause of education in Orissa
Orissa
Orissa , officially Odisha since Nov 2011, is a state of India, located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. It is the modern name of the ancient nation of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Maurya Emperor Ashoka in 261 BC. The modern state of Orissa was established on 1 April...
. The College was granted permanent status by 1881.
Growth of the college in the initial days was slow. Altogether 94 graduates were produced by the closing year of the 19th century and the student strength had increased to 97. Science stream remained confined only to Intermediate level till 1912 when Bihar and Orissa were separated from Bengal.
The college entered a new phase of development after 1912. School and survey classes were removed. Teachers of Indian Education Service were appointed as professors in different departments. New subjects such as Political Economy, Political Philosophy and honours in History and Persian were introduced. Infrastructure facilities for teaching of science at B.Sc. level were augmented. The student strength rose to 280 in 1912 and 375 in 1915. A new site (the present site) for the college at “Chakkar Padia” was located by the Government to construct a complete set of new buildings at an approximate cost of Rs.10,00,000/-.
In 1916 the University Bill proposed the transfer of Ravenshaw College from Calcutta University to Patna University to be created newly. Although there was some public resistance for the change of affiliation, the then commissioner rightly supported the transfer by writing “ Divorced from the Calcutta University, its progress would be rapid and in course of time it should be able to supply every educational need of the people of Orissa”. Accordingly the affiliation of the college was transferred to newly created Patna University on 1 October 1917.
The college was shifted to its present site in the erstwhile “Chakkar Padia” in 1921. While laying the foundation stone of the present building in the November 1919 Sir Edward Gait, the then Governor of Bihar and Orissa wished that this mighty monument would one day grow into a University. Maharaja of Mayurbhanj donated Rs. 1,00,000/- for the electrification of the new building and purchase of equipments for science laboratories. A library building having an area of 9000 sq ft (836.1 m²). was opened in 1922 by Lt. Governor of Bihar and Orissa. Maharaja of Kanika Sri Rajendra Narayan Bhanjadeo generously donated Rs. 55,000/- for its construction which stands today as a beautiful piece of architecture. In his honour the library is named as “Kanika Library” which is very close to the hearts of educated Oriyas. In recognition of the public generosity, the Government sanctioned Rs. 25,000/- towards purchase of books for the newly created “Kanika Library”. After the shifting of the main library to the centenary building, the old premise houses the journal section.
Legislators from Orissa such as Utkalmani Gopabandhu Das and Sri Krishna Mohapatra demanded time and again for further growth of the college in Bihar Orissa Legislative Council and Viceroy’s Council. In the words of Krishna Mohapatra “Orissa had a pet child and that child was the Ravenshaw College”. In response to public pressure Mathematics honours got recognition by 1920. A year later affiliation was granted to B.Sc. in Botany and the College became a postgraduate institution with M.A. classes in English started in 1922 through munificence of Maharani Smt. Parvati Devi, the queen of Sonepur
Sonepur
Sonepur, also known as Subarnapur, is a town and district headquarters of Subarnapur district of Orissa. Sonepur was formerly the capital of a princely state of British India. The district spreads over an area of 2284.89 km2. It is also known as Second Varanasi of India for its cluster of...
, in granting Rs. 1,71,500/- for its opening.
The staff position of Ravenshaw College was strengthened with the appointment in 1918, of scholars such as Sir Jaudunath Sarkar and R. P. Khosla as professor of History and Economics respectively. By 1922 the sanctioned strength of teaching staff had reached 31, out of which 13 came from Indian Education Service, two were Europeans and the rest were from provincial Education Service. Honours classes in Physics, Chemistry and Botany were opened with effect from July 1930 and steps were initiated to start postgraduate teaching in all subjects which was fulfilled after Orissa became a separate province.
Co-education began in 1929-30 with 4 girl students taking admission in the college. Their number gradually rose over the years. Medical facilities opened in the college with the appointment of a Sub-assistant surgeon and medical examination became compulsory for all students from October, 1929.
The College remained affiliated to Patna University even after the separation of Orissa from Bihar in 1936. The affiliation was finally transferred to newly created Utkal University
Utkal University
Utkal University, Bhubaneswar is the oldest university in Orissa and the 17th oldest university in India. It is a teaching-cum-affiliating university that has produced some of the best brains in Orissa. There are at 26 post-graduate departments at the university campus for studies and research in...
in 1943.In fact during these times Urdu as a separate department for the first time in a college in orissa was inaugurated at Ravenshaw College & headed by renowned Urdu scholar Mr Syed Manzar Hasan.In fact, it was Ravenshaw College that gave birth to the new University, nursed and sustained it. If walls could speak, the present zoology department building could say how the university started functioning on its premises more than half a century ago. The law department of Ravenshaw College was finally separated and gave birth to the Madhusudan Law College.
A Brief Time line of Illustrious History of Ravenshaw
1903 - Modern Oriya consciousness began in the formation of the Utkal Sammilani by Orissa’s first graduate, first post-graduate, and first practicing lawyer, Madhusudan Das. When that Utkal Sammilani had its first session here on the Idga Ground in Cuttack, history tells us, it was attended by 335 delegates from the outlying areas; zamindars, representatives of the Gadjats, the Commissioner himself, two Christian missionaries, local intellectuals like Radhanath Roy, Madhusudan Rao, Bishwanath Kar and the Principal and students of Ravenshaw College assembled to engage in the deliberations.
1920 - Students of Ravenshaw, like Harekrushna Mahatab, N.K. Chaudhury and their fellow alumni, opposed the idea of the same Madhusudan Das accepting ministership of the British created government and distributed leaflets in protest; they disturbed a progovernment felicitation meeting. Their activities were reported to Mr. Lambart, Principal of Ravenshaw College, and their parents were asked to withdraw the two from college just a week before their BA examinations. In the years that succeeded, parallel to the uprising of Oriya consciousness, was the beginning of the national freedom movement. When India made her shift from self-rule to demand for full freedom, the chants for freedom first reverberated within the four walls of this great Institution before they spread far and wide.
1930 - When the Orissa Pradesh Congress Committee gave a call observing January 26 as “Independence day”, history tells us that the hostelers of Ravenshaw College took the lead in organizing the celebrations and many students gave up a meal to contribute to the funds of Utkalmani Gopabandhu Das towards the national freedom movement. Then came the Salt Satyagraha and the post graduate students of Ravenshaw College actually dropped their examination in support of the struggle when a batch of protesters marched from Khurda to the sea to defy the Salt Act of the British Empire.
1937 - Even as Orissa acquired statehood under the British Empire on 1st. April,1936, there was no legislative assembly for people’s representatives to represent their will and legislate on their behalf. It is no small coincidence that the grounds of Ravenshaw College were chosen for the very first meeting of the Legislative Assembly of Orissa on July 28, 1937.The new Legislative Assembly of Orissa started functioning from the Examination Hall of Ravenshaw College and upper balcony and verandah acted as balcony for visitors.
1942 - At the forefront of the Quit India movement were the students of Ravenshaw College. On 15 August that year, 200 of them protested. They actually set the office room on fire. Among the arsonists were Banamali Patnaik, Ashok Das, Biren Mitra, Suraj Mal Saha and Bibhudendra Mishra. The last two were detained under the Defence of India Act and sent away to the Berhampur Jail. The movement spread to all other educational institutions in the state. Born of famine, child of a foreigner’s vision, Ravenshaw College was the vortex of political, intellectual and literary movements in Orissa for the first seven decades of its existence. That is probably why it has produced countless heads of state, poets, politicians, judges and bureaucrats who spread their impact far and wide.
Description=
To make a long story short, Ravenshaw College is a mother institution – the alma mater of alma maters. Its history is, in deed, the story of modern Orissa
Orissa
Orissa , officially Odisha since Nov 2011, is a state of India, located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. It is the modern name of the ancient nation of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Maurya Emperor Ashoka in 261 BC. The modern state of Orissa was established on 1 April...
. Its Assembly hall was the venue of the Legislative Assembly of the newly carved state of Orissa. It witnessed the debates of the legislators framing laws to govern the state. It remained so till the capital was shifted to Bhubaneswar. All the significant cultural, intellectual and political movements of the state have sprung from its portals. It has nourished such great and kindered souls as Utkal Gourab Madhusudan Das
Madhusudan Das
Utkal Gourav Madhusudan Das was born on 28 April 1848 in a village called Satyabhamapur, 20 kilometres from Cuttack, Orissa. He was the first Graduate and Advocate of Orissa.-Family:...
, Utkalmani Gopabandhu Das
Gopabandhu Das
Gopabandhu Dash known as Utkalamani was a social worker who excelled in the field of politics as well as literature.-Early life : The revolutionary student:...
, Acharya Harihar Das, Pandit Nilakanth Das, Pandit Godabarish Mishra, Bhubaneswar Behera and Sri Bhubanananda Das. It had on its staff such great scholars as Dr. Artaballav Mohanty, Sir Jadunath Sarkar
Jadunath Sarkar
Sir Jadunath Sarkar was a prominent Indian Bengali aristocrat and historian.-Background:Born in Singra, Natore. He was the son of Rajkumar Sarkar, the Zamindar of Karchamaria in Natore in Bengal.-Education:...
, Sir Ross Masood, Dr. Pranakrushna Parija, Dr. Balabhadra Prasad, Acharya Jogeschandra Vidyanidhi, Dr. Mahendra Kumar Rout, Dr. Baba Kartar Singh, Dr. Parasuram Mishra, Shri P.A.Sunderam and Dr. A.K.Dasgupata etc., to name a few. Most of the prominent political leaders of the state such as Shri Biswanath Das, Dr. H.K.Mahatab, Shri Nityananda Kanungo, Shri S.N.Dwibedi, Shri Biju Patnaik
Biju Patnaik
Biju Patnaik was an Indian politician. Also known as Biju Babu.Son of Lakshminarayan and Ashalata Patnaik, Bijayananda Patnaik was born in Cuttack, Orissa on March 5, 1916..-Role in Indonesian freedom struggle:Biju...
, Shri Nilamani Routray, Smt. Nandini Satpathy, Shri Janaki Ballav Patnaik and Shri Rabi Ray etc., were Ravenshavians. The College produced such creative writers of yester years as Sri Kalindi Charan Panigrahi, Sri Ananda Shankar Ray, Sri Gopinath Mohanty
Gopinath Mohanty
Gopinath Mohanty ,winner of the prestigious jnanpith award, eminent Oriya novelist of the mid-twentieth century is arguably the greatest Oriya writer after Fakir Mohan Senapati .-Early life and education:...
, Sri Sachidananda Routray and Sri Surendranath Mohanty. In short, the College has been the major source of preparing manpower to lead every sphere of the society. In the Dimond Jubilee celebration address the then Principal Mr. H.R.Batheja righly observed:
- “we have at last a temple of learning, fair to look on, stately in proportions which compares not unfavorably with the only other tempale – The temple of Jaganath for which Orissa is known all over India. The twin monuments represent Orissa to the outside world and are source of justice and pride to every Oriya”.supriyosuman
Indian Science Congress Association meet of 1962 was held in Ravenshaw College Quadrangle. The College achieved the unique distinction of being one of the three colleges of the country to have been awarded national honour by Government of India through the issue of commemorative stamp in 1978.
The College has seen 55 Principals. It has been accorded autonomous status since 1989. It stands today on a sprawling campus of 87.4 acres (353,695.6 m²). The magnificent red brick building of Gothic architecture has several blocks added to it in course of time. The main library is located in the new centenary library building. Teaching is now imparted to more than 5000 students in Arts, Science and Commerce faculties. Altogether there are 22 departments out of which 17 have postgraduate teaching facility and M.Phil course is available in 12 subjects. In addition, several new courses have been added under autonomous functioning besides the regular courses. There are 11 hostels, 9 of which are on the campus, accommodating about 2,500 boarders. The College also houses, besides Ravenshaw Junior College having student strength of 1536, the Cuttack Study Centre of Indira Gandhi National Open University having student strength of 1133, IAS Coaching Class and Pre-Examination Training Centre for SC/ST students. The campus also has a Post Office, an Extension Counter of State Bank of India, a Dispensary, a Power House, GED, PWD and PHS sections, a canteen, Guest House, a Gymnasium, and spacious play grounds. Ravenshaw has acquired a distinctive, secular, cosmopolitan culture of its own helping all Ravenshawvians to live in the College motto “Gyanameba Shakti” or'Knowledge is Strength'.
Emblem
The emblem is designed in three segments, separated by a river and its tributaries. The Microscope on left symbolizes the insatiable human spirit of enquiry and scientific research fostered by this institution. The palm leaf manuscripts on a stand with writing instrument on the right represent the great storehouse of accumulated wisdom of past generations and the pursuit of creativity which are the hallmarks of this institution. The open book at the bottom epitomizes dissemination of knowledge and wisdom which the college inculcates in its countless scholars. The river and its tributaries suggest the endless flow of knowledge through great stretches of time and the perennial flow of life, its unity and diversity.Notable alumni
- Roopa MishraRoopa MishraRoopa Mishra is an Indian bureaucrat who topped the I.A.S. Exam as a woman for the first time in Orissa in 2004.-Personal background:She was born in Angul, Orissa state on 9 June 1977 and went to various schools in Orissa. She completed her schooling from St. Joseph's Girls High School at Cuttack...
, The First Oriya Lady as well as the First Married Lady of the country to top All India Civil Service Examination. - Manoranjan DasManoranjan DasManoranjan Das is an influential Indian dramatist, and pioneer of modernism in Oriya Literature. He is known for his experimentalism and deep socio-political awareness, who became most known in the 1960s with his experimental theatre....
, Dramatist - Sitakant MahapatraSitakant MahapatraSitakant Mahapatra is a notable Indian poet and literary critic in Oriya as well as English. He has also been in the Indian Administrative Service since 1961 until retiring in 1995, and has since held ex-officio posts such as the Chairman of National Book Trust, New Delhi.He is the first Oriya to...
, poet - Sarojini SahooSarojini SahooSarojini Sahoo is an Orissa Sahitya Academy Award winner Indian feminist writer, a columnist in The New Indian Express and associate editor of Chennai based English magazine Indian AGE, who has been enlisted among 25 Exceptional Women of India by ‘Kindle’ English magazine of Kolkata.Born in the...
, Eminent South Asian Feminist writer, blogger and columnist - Ramesh Prasad MohapatraRamesh Prasad MohapatraRamesh Prasad Mohapatra was an archaeologist and scholar on Orissan Studies. He served as curator for archaeology at the Orissa State Museum from 1963 to 1989 and made important contributions to historical research especially in the fields of archaeology, art history, religion, and other aspects...
, Eminent Archaeologist, Indologist, Scholar of Orissan Studies, Art Historian - Karuna Sagar Behera, Eminent Archaeologist, Indologist, Scholar of Orissan Studies, Art Historian
- Rabi RayRabi RayRabi Ray is an Indian socialist politician, a former speaker of Lok Sabha and a former Union minister of India. He hails from Orissa...
,Former Speaker of Lok Sabha - Abdul BariAbdul BariAbdul Bari was a squash player. He was one of the leading players in India in the 1940s. After India became independent, he was sponsored to travel to the United Kingdom to compete in the British Open , where he finished runner-up in 1950 to the Egyptian player Mahmoud Karim.Bari was distantly...
,Former Chairman Pakistan Railway Board - Mohd. Ayub,Former Advisor to Ministry of External Affairs,Expert on International Relation
- Chintamani PanigrahiChintamani PanigrahiChintamani Panigrahi was an Indian Independence Movement activist, a political and social leader from Orissa. He served as the Governor of Manipur from 1989 to 1993...
,Activist,Politician and Former Governor of Manipur - Prashant K PatnaikFormer Prof. of JNU and Advisor, Planning Commission, Govt. of Kerala
- Santrupt Misra ,Director-HR of AV Birla Group
- Jayant Mahapatra,Eminent English Poet
- Biju PatnaikBiju PatnaikBiju Patnaik was an Indian politician. Also known as Biju Babu.Son of Lakshminarayan and Ashalata Patnaik, Bijayananda Patnaik was born in Cuttack, Orissa on March 5, 1916..-Role in Indonesian freedom struggle:Biju...
,Former CM of Orissa and Freedom Fighter - Shri Biren Mitra,Former CM of Orissa and Freedom Fighter
- Nandini SatpathyNandini SatpathyNandini Satpathy , was an Indian politician and author, and was the former Chief Minister of Orissa.-Family:...
, Former CM of Orissa - Harekrushna MahatabHarekrushna MahatabHarekrushna Mahatab was a leader of the Indian National Congress, a notable figure in the Indian independence movement and the Chief Minister of Orissa from 1946 to 1950 and again from 1956 to 1961. He was popularly known by the sobriquet Utkal Keshari.-Early life:Harekrushna Mahtab was born at...
,Former CM of Orissa - Ranglal Jamuda,IAS, Commissioner, Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS)
- Sachidananda Rout RoySachidananda Rout RoySachidananda Rautray was an Oriya poet, novelist, short-shorty writer. He received Jnanpith Award, the highest literary award of India, in 1986. He was popularly known as Sachi Routray.-Life:...
, Poet and Gyanapitha Awardee - Mayadhar Mansingh,Eminent Poet and educationist
- Sanjay Kumar Panda,IAS,Current Chief Secretary of Tripura
- Shri Rudra Madhab Ray,Member of Parliament,Lok Sabha
- Dr. Radhakant Nayak,Member of Parliament,Rajya Sabha
- Kamakhya Prasad Singh Deo,Member of Parliament,Lok Sabha
- Ranganath Mishra,Former Chief Justice of Supreme Court of India
- Lalit MansinghLalit MansinghDr. Lalit Mansingh is the former Indian diplomat, the Foreign Secretary of India, 1999–2000, and Indian Ambassador to the United States on March 15, 2001...
,Former Foreign Secretary of India - Dr.Manmath Nath Das,Eminent Historian and ex-Member of Rajya Sabha
- Gopinath MohantyGopinath MohantyGopinath Mohanty ,winner of the prestigious jnanpith award, eminent Oriya novelist of the mid-twentieth century is arguably the greatest Oriya writer after Fakir Mohan Senapati .-Early life and education:...
, Jnanpith Award-winning writer - Pratibha RayPratibha RayPratibha Ray is an Indian academic and writer. She was born on 21 January 1943, at Alabol, a remote village in the Balikuda area of Jagatsinghpur district formerly part of Cuttack district of Orissa state....
,Eminent Writer and Padmashri Awardee - PC Hota,Former Chairman,UPSC
- Satyabrata Das,Sr. Vice President(Operations) at Kaplan India
- Sidharth Rath,President(Corporate Banking, Infrastructure Business)at Axis Bank
- KC Malick, Social Entrepreneur and Chairman of BISWA
- M.Akhtar,IRPS, Former DRM Guntur divisionGuntur divisionGuntur Railway Division is one of the six divisions of South Central Railway , a zone of the Indian Railways. SCR has its head quarters at Secunderabad, Andhra Pradesh and serves almost the whole of the state of Andhra Pradesh, a large part of Maharashtra along with small portions of Madhya...
and current Chief of HR, S.E.Railway,Kolkata
External links
Pradip Mohanty