Wilson College, Mumbai
Encyclopedia
The Wilson College, set up in 1832 in Mumbai, is one of India’s oldest colleges, with its foundation preceding that of the University of Mumbai by 25 years. It was awarded an A rating by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) in 2005.
Located opposite Mumbai’s iconic Girgaum Chowpatty, the college building was constructed in 1889 and designed by John Adams in the domestic Victorian Gothic style. It is listed as a Grade III heritage structure in the city.
As of 2011, the college offers a variety of subjects for both higher secondary and undergraduate students which include University Aided courses for the Arts and the Sciences as well as self-financed courses such as Mass Media, Information Technology, Management Studies, Biotechnology and Computer Science.
Soon after their arrival in Mumbai in February 1829, Dr. Wilson and his wife Margaret Wilson began studying the local Marathi language. Margaret started a school for girls in 1829 at Ambroli House in Girgaum at Mumbai, with Marathi being the chief medium of instruction and learning. An English boarding school was opened in 1832, which later became the St. Columba School. The Ambroli English School is the direct forerunner of the present college.
On 14 December 1861, the collegiate section of Wilson's institution under the name of Free General Assembly's Institution became the first privately owned, non-government institution to be affiliated to the University. In 1952, the Management of the college came under an autonomous Board of Governors in India. Since 1963, the college functions under the Management of John Wilson Education Society. Wilson College is a Christian Minority Institution and is closely related to CNI. It aims at educationof the Christian community and extends its facilities and services to other communities too.
The students of Wilson College are from nearly every ethnic, religious and social group, of the country as well as of the world.
The motto of the college is Fides, Spes, Caritas (Vishwas, Asha, Prem)– Faith (in God), Hope (that the college can achieve the highest level of moral, spiritual and intellectual excellence, and Love (that steers one through life). [8]
After the death of Dr. Wilson in 1875, Dr. Dugald Mackichan served as a successor, having already served the college for six months at the time of Dr. Wilson’s death. Nine years later, Dr. Mackichan became Principal and held the position until 1920, becoming one of the most distinguished Principals of the college. Dr. Mackichan, who taught physics and was instrumental for setting up the College’s physics laboratory, was a distinguished physicist in his own right and had formerly worked with British scientist Lord Kelvin.
The Postal Department, Government of India honored both its founder and the institution by issuing a Special Day Postal Cover in 2004. In 2007 to commemorate the completion of its 175 years, a stamp and first day cover of Wilson College was issued.
The Wilsonian
The Wilsonian, the annual magazine publication of Wilson College, was first printed and published from Poona (now Pune) by the Scottish Mission Industries Co. Ltd. on behalf of the Wilson College Literary Society with the first issue appearing in 1909.
The names of the editors do not appear until 1933. The Wilsonian was published twice a year from 1909 till 1944, during which year it was decided to publish it only once a year. The Wilsonian has been an annual publication ever since. Launching its debut issue, the motto of The Wilsonian was;
Be thou the bond to bind in love and peace
Wilsonians all that are
And were, and are to be
The arched veranda with its segmental sandstone arches on the ground floor forms one of the common features of the building. The deep over-hanging verandahs on the west façade facing the sea form a buffer between the classrooms and the exteriors. They bear the brunt of the heavy rains and the sunlight.
As seen in most of the buildings in that period, Minton tiles have been used for the college verandah flooring. The main staircase area has some excellent mosaic tile decoration with floral motifs.
The use of red terracotta tiles in the first floor and the second floor makes the floor look different and these are in a relatively good condition. Many original teakwood doors and windows still exist in the College.
The entrance lobby with its grand staircase is one of the features in all the buildings designed by John Adams. The grand timber staircase with the multi foil circular panel design in the handrail is another feature extensively used by John Adams in his design. The classrooms have been designed north-south opening into the west verandah. They have ample windows for ventilation and natural light.
The library with its teakwood mezzanines and catwalks is one of the best-maintained areas in the college. The teakwood mezzanines are the extra reading and storage areas in the library the library furniture has been designs keeping in mind the exact space provision for the storage. The library is divided into bays, which are partitioned with the storage cupboards.
The assembly hall is designed with two level balconies, which were designed to accommodate an orchestra for important functions. The teakwood balcony is supported on the teakwood decorative brackets. There is a multi-foil circular stained glass window with the college crest on it.
The chapel is placed in the north-west corner of the building. The central nave with its arches and the columns has been designed with good acoustics. Each bay of the nave and the side isle has the original lamp fittings illuminating the chapel.
The white marble courtyard fountain is renaissance revival fountain based on one of the famous designs of the famous Italian sculptor Gianlo Renzo Bernini. The fountain is a 3-piece sculptor and is a garden ornament fountain, an order from the catalogue, which was a typical feature in the 19th century. The sculpture depicts the scroll motifs and the long tresses of hair representing the water and river sea nymphs. Fish motifs can also be seen in the hands of the sea nymphs.
In order to provide aid for the students to find the books easily, the Library is equipped with a computer which contains information about the location of books. Students can find the books if they enter the name of the author, the book or the theme. The library can accommodate more than 100 students at a time.
The Reference Section extends to the old hall and contains a wide range of books such as encyclopedias, world books, dictionaries, thesaurus, competitive exam digests, books on History, etc. theses and dissertations, mini displays, magazines and newspapers are also a part of the reference section. The Library has taken annual membership with N LIST to access E-resources.
The Library also has a rare book section which includes books such as Commentary of Newton’s Principia, Minute Book – Dr. Machichan’s Signature, Italian –English Dictionary-1829, Madras Christian College Magazine 1890-91, The Holy Bible -1610 A.D., A Sanskrit-English Dictionary by Monier Williams-1872 and Dictionary of English Language-VOL.II-Samuel Johnson-1773.
The Library also has a digitalized collection and microfilms of Old Gujarati books. It offers immediate access of books to those pursuing a MA, MSC and Ph.d. and offers open access to staff and students. It also issues books to alumni and retired teachers.
St. Andrew's House is one of the two boys’ Hostels run by the College, and was established in 1961.
There are 21 double rooms and 11 single rooms in the hostel. Since 1984, St. Andrews House has organized an annual mini-marathon. Sandathon is an exclusive inter-hostel Road race for undergraduate hostelites.
Since 2004, this marathon has become open to other college students from Mumbai. The hostel regularly publishes newsletters (Sandy News) and magazines (Sandy Vision). The hostel is also wi-fi enabled.
Mackichan Hall, named after Dr Dugald Mackichan (Principal of the college from 1884 to 1920) is the other boys’ hostel run by Wilson College. There are 46 single rooms and 12 sharing rooms in the hostel.
Pandita Ramabai Hostel (PRH), the girls’ hostel of Wilson College was established in 1932. The hostel conducts an annual ‘Fresher’s Night’ where the new residents come together and perform for other residents of the hostel. PRH also has a tradition where residents send anonymous gifts to fellow residents at Christmas, with the names being revealed on Christmas Eve.
Short prayer services that include Hymns and Bible reading are conducted every day during the morning and the afternoon recess in the Chapel.
The piano and percussion instruments are particularly suited to the acoustics of the building and are a beautiful addition to the prayer services. As quoted by alumni, "The sounds of the Chapel are filled with the Wilson Charm."
Apart from the prayer service, special services are held during Christmas as well as the beginning and the end of the academic year. The Chapel also provides counseling services.
Services are held twice a day, one for the senior college and one for Junior college.
The Chapel organizes a festival called the “Chapel-O-Fiesta” with games and events. It also organizes various YMCA
camps in Maharashtra. The Chapel also has a Choir which stood won the Inter Collegiate carol singing competition at Sophia College in 2010.
2010 also marked the 75th Jubilee of the Chapel.
The Andrew’s Vision Centre is sponsored and supported by the Rolta Foundation, alumni and the well-wishers of the hostel. The AVC provides a platform for visually impaired students to study in and is located in the Saint Andrew’s House. The centre is open from 9 am to 4 pm.
'Kurzweil’ and ‘JAWS’ are the software used by the students to scan and read their notes. ‘Talking typing teacher’ is also used to help students improve their communication skills, English grammar and to learn new words in the English language.
The volunteers associated with the centre record notes for the students. It also provides general knowledge books in Braille and textbooks and notes of Standard 12 (Maharashtra Board) in Braille for the students. The centre also has books and notes of different subjects which can be accessed and read by the students with the special software called ‘Dazy’.
The AVC at present has 8 students from the senior college and 5 students from the junior college. The students of the centre represent the Wilson College in different competitions conducted by various colleges in Mumbai. The students also participate in an exhibition match for the visually challenged students which is organized by Saint Andrew’s House.
The Civil Service Study Centre periodically organizes discussions and debates for the students on general topics. The students are divided into groups and are given weekly assignments based on a particular theme. The centre is a platform where weekly tests are conducted for the students to get acquainted with the papers of the UPSC and MPSC examinations.
The Civil Service Study Centre with the grant from the University Grant’s Commission (UCG) acquired over 1000 books which are useful for the preparations for the Union Public Service Commission examinations (UPSC) and Maharashtra Service Public Commission (MPSC) examinations.
There are books on varied subjects including general studies, history, sociology, political science and economics in addition to atlases and maps. The centre also subscribes to magazines like ‘Pratyogita Darpan’, ‘Competition Wizard’ and ‘Competition Success’. In addition, weeklies and dailies like Tehelka, India Today, The Week and Frontline, The Hindu and The Indian Express are available for reference.
In August 1992, the association organized an exhibition of 15 Political systems in the world. Countries like USA, USSR, UK, France, Switzerland, India, her neighbours and some African countries were included. The exhibition received wide press coverage and was also exhibited in Mantralaya in February 1992. The same year some members of the association also paid a visit to Maharashtra Legislative Assembly.
In the year 1994-95, the association’s magazine ‘The Voice’ was launched during Political Science fest. Efforts were made to revive the Political Science Association in 2003-04 but, circumstances and inertia came in the way of activities. It gained a whole new momentum in the year 2010. The association is planning to organize staff-student debates, elocution and talks with eminent speakers, writers and editors. In 2011, Vaibhav Purandare, journalist at Hindustan Times and author of The Sena Story visited the college and spoke to the students about corruption, politics and other current issues. The members are taking initiatives to republish the yearly magazine. The membership of the association is open to all students of Wilson College with a membership fee of Rs 30.
During its initial years, two tennis courts situated side by side and a cricket pitch in the centre were prepared. The reason being, tennis and cricket were the two most popular outdoor games at the time. However, a need for a Pavilion building was urgently felt and efforts were thus made in that direction. Sir Shapurji Bharucha played a major role in the process, donating Rs. 10,000/- to meet the cost of construction.
The new pavilion building was opened by Lord Willingdon, former Governor of Bombay, on 20 December 1916. Since then, sporting activities of the college have expanded immensely, with the college producing sportspersons at the State, National and even the International level.
Apart from the conventional sports, the college also delved into less popular sports like Rugby, Water Polo and Yachting. Rugby was introduced in 1970 by former Chemistry Professor, Dr. James Barton.
Former cricketer Dilip Sardesai, Asian Women’s Chess Championship winner Rohini Khadilkar and Arjuna Awardee for proficiency in yachting, Jeejee Unwalla have all been affiliated to the Wilson College Gymkhana.
On November 7, 1985, former Governor of Maharashtra, K Prabhakara Rao was quoted saying “In a city like Bombay, provision of sports facilities side by side with education is something which very few colleges can boast of. In this, the Wilson College, one of the oldest colleges in the city, has been singularly fortunate. They have a gymkhana which provides excellent sports facilities to their students.”
National Service Scheme
Revived in 2001 and guided under the norms of the University of Mumbai, the NSS group of Wilson College also forms a part of Independence day celebration in New Delhi. The volunteers enrolled work as a team on projects of social relevance for two consecutive years. The wing also works for the welfare of mentally challenged and the under-privileged children with the assistance of numerous NGOs. Teaching in municipal schools, participating in awareness rallies organized by the University are some of the many activities conducted by NSS. The NSS plays a vital role in conducting Blood donation drives in the college twice every year. This has been highly acknowledged by the Blood Bank. Students are also sent for Leadership Training Programs. An NSS camp is conducted for a period of 10days every year where students are involved in projects of social relevance.
For the first three weeks, students are exposed to debated, discussions, talks by experts from various career backgrounds and workshops on personality and leadership development.
The next three weeks, students are offered internship in various organisations.
The Centre was established as a joint project of the Sophia- Wilson Community. After being rendered defunct in 2000, it was revived in 2003 with the Xavier’s Institute of Counselling Psychology at St. Xavier’s College in Mumbai. This collaboration lasted for two years, and the college Counselling Centre began functioning as an independent body since 2005.
The Counselling Centre provides the students with a “non-threatening environment to unload their concerns and issues”. The Centre empowers students to deal with emotional and psychological stressors, problems related to peer/parental pressures, identity and managing inter-personal relationships.
Apart from dealing with emotional and stress-related issues, the Counselling Centre provides vocational guidance as well, which involves giving out information on various career options, academic courses, eligibility criteria and suitable institutions.
The Centre also helps students tackle academic difficulties like language difficulties, concentration or memory related problems, anxiety and stage fright among others. Both individual and group sessions are used as a part of the counseling process, depending on the student and case at hand.
The Counselling Centre has in the past conducted sessions for the faculty as well, like a half- day seminar themed ‘The Pedagogical Paradigm’, conducted by Ms. Ruby Pavri, lecturer of Psychology in St. Xavier’s College in the academic year 2007-08. The seminar was aimed at preparing and inspiring the teachers for the new academic year and a fresh batch of students.
Founded 1979 under the initiative of students FarhanThakur and ShubhadaKulkarni, along with Prof. B. D. Vakharia of the Zoology department. A. J. Borde, the then principal of the Wilson College, sanctioned the Club after realizing the need for a body that could organize nature trails and excursions for students of faculties other than Botany and Zoology, who undertook these trails for academic purposes.
With “the quest for sensible, greener options” as its motto, the major activities of the WCNC include conducting nature trails to wilderness areas in Mumbai, usually from July to January, organizing overnight treks on the weekends to biodiversity hotspots around Mumbai and 7-14 day long nature camps to noteworthy National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries in India.
The WCNC camps are hugely popular amongst students and alumni alike for the wide range of activities and experiences they offer. The camps involve treks, sessions on conservation, cleanup sessions, interaction with wildlife officials and even workshops. A rare feature of WCNC camps is its tradition of using music to create awareness and spread the message of conservation. Songs like And You Say the Battle is Over by John Denver, Garbage by Pete Seger, Blowin’ in the Wind by Bob Dylan and Don’t Go Near the Water by Johnny Cash rank high on the Nature Club playlist.
The central idea behind these camps is to not only create awareness about environmental issues, but also to better understand the culture and traditions of the places visited. The WCNC holds the distinction of traversing through its camps the Northern most, Eastern most and Southern most corners of India between 2005-2010 alone.
Camp fees are highly subsidized to enable students of all economic backgrounds to attend and at times free ships are awarded to deserving students. Another significant feature of these camps is that they abstain from hiring professional tour operators and are organized entirely by the staff and students. Conservation activities of the Club include organizing tree plantation projects, snake shows for students, developing educational material and an annual theme-based exhibition, which runs under the initiative of active WCNC members and is supported by student volunteers from across the college.
The WCNC is also known for its library, which was set up through the efforts of Prof. Vakharia. The library has an extensive collection of old issues of the National Geographic Magazine, the Sanctuary Asia magazine and numerous encyclopedias on flora and fauna.
On its 30th anniversary, the WCNC published a book titled Wilson College Nature Club: A Journey Through Three Decades, chronicling the memories and experiences of students, alumni, staff and well-wishers associated with the WCNC over the course of the past 30 years. Footprint, the WCNC’s monthly magazine, is the longest running publication of the Club. The WCNC had also formed a body exclusively for its alumni in 1981 called the Naturalia Wilsonica, which enabled and encouraged ex-students to continue visiting the wilderness. The body, however, could not be sustained post 1987.
The Principal, a staff advisor, Dean of students, Dean of Women students, NSS Program officer, Toppers, Cultural Centre student representative, Gymkhana student representative, NSS student representative, 2 women student representatives form an integral part of the Council. It also takes a number of initiatives all round the year in coalition with Cultural Centre and Women’s Development Cell.
The Wilson College Student Council provides the main forum for discussing student concerns and ideas.
The Wilson College Student Council is responsible for representing and serving the needs of the student body through coordinating student activities and charity fundraisers and holding weekly meetings.
Mission Of the Student Council are as follows:
BCR : Boys Common Room available for men students.
LCR: Ladies Common Room available for lady students. Locker facilities are also provided in the LCR.
A place where students can relax in their respective common rooms during their free time.
Wilson College Canteen's Samosa Sambhar rated as one of the best canteen food in mumbai by Mumbai Mirror and is the best at its taste too...
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Every year, the events in Polaris are modelled on a specific theme. Over the past few years, the themes have been:
Over the years a host of eminent personalities from the media world have been a part of the festival. This includes film maker and Chief Create Office of the advertising agency Lowe Lintas, R. Balki, Journalist Jerry Pinto, Ad guru Prahlad Kakkar and theatre personality Dolly Thakore to a name a few.
Each year, Polaris hosts about 32 colleges from across Mumbai.
One vision, one world.All North-Eastern students come as one- Rainbow under the Wilson College flag. Rainbows mission is to share with other the rich, diverse culture and traditions, which is so little known to the people outside the seven sister states and Sikkim. The programme has been designed to inspire the students to work positively for a better tomorrow and with an objective to encourage more interaction between the North-Easterns.
The first Rainbow festival was held in 1999. It showcased traditional dances, the Manipuri dance and the famous Mizo bamboo dance, which was accompanied by English contemporary rock songs. And the most successful Rainbow festival was “Rainbow 2002”, the festival spanned for three days. “Rainbow 2002” had an exhibition of exquisite crafted handicrafts beaded jewellery, artifacts like cutlery baskets and knick-knack crafted from bamboo, brightly assorted shawls and assorted garments. There was also screenings of two documentaries: “Mizorams Freedom Struggle”, “The dying culture of Meghalaya” and a film “Adayja” (The Fight), a movie that won the prestigious Silver Peacock award. A fashion show with the different attires of the North-East along with popular dance like the Manipuri dance, the famous Mizo bamboo dance and the Assamese Bihu dance. Also, cultural and traditional music were performed along with rock anthems.
Some of the college’s eminent alumni include:
Other prominent personalities include A.R. Wadia, former director, Tata Institute of Social Sciences; Shri J.B. Patel, former Vice-Chancellor of the Sardar Vallabhbhai Vidyapeeth; J.M. Hamilton, General Secretary, The Church of Scotland; Samuel Mathai, former Secretary, University Grants Commission and Professor G.M. Nabar, Director of the Bombay University Department of Chemical technology.
Located opposite Mumbai’s iconic Girgaum Chowpatty, the college building was constructed in 1889 and designed by John Adams in the domestic Victorian Gothic style. It is listed as a Grade III heritage structure in the city.
As of 2011, the college offers a variety of subjects for both higher secondary and undergraduate students which include University Aided courses for the Arts and the Sciences as well as self-financed courses such as Mass Media, Information Technology, Management Studies, Biotechnology and Computer Science.
History
The Wilson College was founded by the Scottish missionary Rev. John Wilson, in 1832. Beginning as Ambroli English School in Girgaum, Mumbai, it later saw several changes of sites and names, eventually being called the Wilson School. The collegiate section, from which Wilson College evolved, came about in 1836.Soon after their arrival in Mumbai in February 1829, Dr. Wilson and his wife Margaret Wilson began studying the local Marathi language. Margaret started a school for girls in 1829 at Ambroli House in Girgaum at Mumbai, with Marathi being the chief medium of instruction and learning. An English boarding school was opened in 1832, which later became the St. Columba School. The Ambroli English School is the direct forerunner of the present college.
On 14 December 1861, the collegiate section of Wilson's institution under the name of Free General Assembly's Institution became the first privately owned, non-government institution to be affiliated to the University. In 1952, the Management of the college came under an autonomous Board of Governors in India. Since 1963, the college functions under the Management of John Wilson Education Society. Wilson College is a Christian Minority Institution and is closely related to CNI. It aims at educationof the Christian community and extends its facilities and services to other communities too.
The students of Wilson College are from nearly every ethnic, religious and social group, of the country as well as of the world.
The motto of the college is Fides, Spes, Caritas (Vishwas, Asha, Prem)– Faith (in God), Hope (that the college can achieve the highest level of moral, spiritual and intellectual excellence, and Love (that steers one through life). [8]
After the death of Dr. Wilson in 1875, Dr. Dugald Mackichan served as a successor, having already served the college for six months at the time of Dr. Wilson’s death. Nine years later, Dr. Mackichan became Principal and held the position until 1920, becoming one of the most distinguished Principals of the college. Dr. Mackichan, who taught physics and was instrumental for setting up the College’s physics laboratory, was a distinguished physicist in his own right and had formerly worked with British scientist Lord Kelvin.
The Postal Department, Government of India honored both its founder and the institution by issuing a Special Day Postal Cover in 2004. In 2007 to commemorate the completion of its 175 years, a stamp and first day cover of Wilson College was issued.
The Wilsonian
The Wilsonian, the annual magazine publication of Wilson College, was first printed and published from Poona (now Pune) by the Scottish Mission Industries Co. Ltd. on behalf of the Wilson College Literary Society with the first issue appearing in 1909.
The names of the editors do not appear until 1933. The Wilsonian was published twice a year from 1909 till 1944, during which year it was decided to publish it only once a year. The Wilsonian has been an annual publication ever since. Launching its debut issue, the motto of The Wilsonian was;
Be thou the bond to bind in love and peace
Wilsonians all that are
And were, and are to be
Architecture
The building is noted for its large heighted first floor classrooms with interesting teakwood trusses. These classrooms are protected by deep verandahs, which overlook the Girgaum Chowpatty beach and are protected by the Mangalore tiled roof.The arched veranda with its segmental sandstone arches on the ground floor forms one of the common features of the building. The deep over-hanging verandahs on the west façade facing the sea form a buffer between the classrooms and the exteriors. They bear the brunt of the heavy rains and the sunlight.
As seen in most of the buildings in that period, Minton tiles have been used for the college verandah flooring. The main staircase area has some excellent mosaic tile decoration with floral motifs.
The use of red terracotta tiles in the first floor and the second floor makes the floor look different and these are in a relatively good condition. Many original teakwood doors and windows still exist in the College.
The entrance lobby with its grand staircase is one of the features in all the buildings designed by John Adams. The grand timber staircase with the multi foil circular panel design in the handrail is another feature extensively used by John Adams in his design. The classrooms have been designed north-south opening into the west verandah. They have ample windows for ventilation and natural light.
The library with its teakwood mezzanines and catwalks is one of the best-maintained areas in the college. The teakwood mezzanines are the extra reading and storage areas in the library the library furniture has been designs keeping in mind the exact space provision for the storage. The library is divided into bays, which are partitioned with the storage cupboards.
The assembly hall is designed with two level balconies, which were designed to accommodate an orchestra for important functions. The teakwood balcony is supported on the teakwood decorative brackets. There is a multi-foil circular stained glass window with the college crest on it.
The chapel is placed in the north-west corner of the building. The central nave with its arches and the columns has been designed with good acoustics. Each bay of the nave and the side isle has the original lamp fittings illuminating the chapel.
The white marble courtyard fountain is renaissance revival fountain based on one of the famous designs of the famous Italian sculptor Gianlo Renzo Bernini. The fountain is a 3-piece sculptor and is a garden ornament fountain, an order from the catalogue, which was a typical feature in the 19th century. The sculpture depicts the scroll motifs and the long tresses of hair representing the water and river sea nymphs. Fish motifs can also be seen in the hands of the sea nymphs.
Library
The Wilson College Library was established in 1832. At present it holds approximately 73,000 books and has a staff of eleven members.In order to provide aid for the students to find the books easily, the Library is equipped with a computer which contains information about the location of books. Students can find the books if they enter the name of the author, the book or the theme. The library can accommodate more than 100 students at a time.
The Reference Section extends to the old hall and contains a wide range of books such as encyclopedias, world books, dictionaries, thesaurus, competitive exam digests, books on History, etc. theses and dissertations, mini displays, magazines and newspapers are also a part of the reference section. The Library has taken annual membership with N LIST to access E-resources.
The Library also has a rare book section which includes books such as Commentary of Newton’s Principia, Minute Book – Dr. Machichan’s Signature, Italian –English Dictionary-1829, Madras Christian College Magazine 1890-91, The Holy Bible -1610 A.D., A Sanskrit-English Dictionary by Monier Williams-1872 and Dictionary of English Language-VOL.II-Samuel Johnson-1773.
The Library also has a digitalized collection and microfilms of Old Gujarati books. It offers immediate access of books to those pursuing a MA, MSC and Ph.d. and offers open access to staff and students. It also issues books to alumni and retired teachers.
Hostels
The Wilson College runs three hostels to provide accommodation for its students.St. Andrew's House is one of the two boys’ Hostels run by the College, and was established in 1961.
There are 21 double rooms and 11 single rooms in the hostel. Since 1984, St. Andrews House has organized an annual mini-marathon. Sandathon is an exclusive inter-hostel Road race for undergraduate hostelites.
Since 2004, this marathon has become open to other college students from Mumbai. The hostel regularly publishes newsletters (Sandy News) and magazines (Sandy Vision). The hostel is also wi-fi enabled.
Mackichan Hall, named after Dr Dugald Mackichan (Principal of the college from 1884 to 1920) is the other boys’ hostel run by Wilson College. There are 46 single rooms and 12 sharing rooms in the hostel.
Pandita Ramabai Hostel (PRH), the girls’ hostel of Wilson College was established in 1932. The hostel conducts an annual ‘Fresher’s Night’ where the new residents come together and perform for other residents of the hostel. PRH also has a tradition where residents send anonymous gifts to fellow residents at Christmas, with the names being revealed on Christmas Eve.
The Chapel
The Wilson College Chapel is open during the college hours for private prayer and meditation.Short prayer services that include Hymns and Bible reading are conducted every day during the morning and the afternoon recess in the Chapel.
The piano and percussion instruments are particularly suited to the acoustics of the building and are a beautiful addition to the prayer services. As quoted by alumni, "The sounds of the Chapel are filled with the Wilson Charm."
Apart from the prayer service, special services are held during Christmas as well as the beginning and the end of the academic year. The Chapel also provides counseling services.
Services are held twice a day, one for the senior college and one for Junior college.
The Chapel organizes a festival called the “Chapel-O-Fiesta” with games and events. It also organizes various YMCA
YMCA
The Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...
camps in Maharashtra. The Chapel also has a Choir which stood won the Inter Collegiate carol singing competition at Sophia College in 2010.
2010 also marked the 75th Jubilee of the Chapel.
The Andrew’s Vision Centre
The Andrew’s Vision Centre popularly known as the AVC came into existence in 2008. The residents of the Saint Andrew’s House supported the initiative and raised funds for the establishment of the AVC through Sandyfest, a special festival which was conducted by the Saint Andrew’s House.The Andrew’s Vision Centre is sponsored and supported by the Rolta Foundation, alumni and the well-wishers of the hostel. The AVC provides a platform for visually impaired students to study in and is located in the Saint Andrew’s House. The centre is open from 9 am to 4 pm.
'Kurzweil’ and ‘JAWS’ are the software used by the students to scan and read their notes. ‘Talking typing teacher’ is also used to help students improve their communication skills, English grammar and to learn new words in the English language.
The volunteers associated with the centre record notes for the students. It also provides general knowledge books in Braille and textbooks and notes of Standard 12 (Maharashtra Board) in Braille for the students. The centre also has books and notes of different subjects which can be accessed and read by the students with the special software called ‘Dazy’.
The AVC at present has 8 students from the senior college and 5 students from the junior college. The students of the centre represent the Wilson College in different competitions conducted by various colleges in Mumbai. The students also participate in an exhibition match for the visually challenged students which is organized by Saint Andrew’s House.
Civil Service Study Centre
The Civil Service Study Centre is located in the Saint Andrew’s House and provides a platform for those students of Wilson College whose interest lies in joining the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and Indian Police Service (IPS).The Civil Service Study Centre periodically organizes discussions and debates for the students on general topics. The students are divided into groups and are given weekly assignments based on a particular theme. The centre is a platform where weekly tests are conducted for the students to get acquainted with the papers of the UPSC and MPSC examinations.
The Civil Service Study Centre with the grant from the University Grant’s Commission (UCG) acquired over 1000 books which are useful for the preparations for the Union Public Service Commission examinations (UPSC) and Maharashtra Service Public Commission (MPSC) examinations.
There are books on varied subjects including general studies, history, sociology, political science and economics in addition to atlases and maps. The centre also subscribes to magazines like ‘Pratyogita Darpan’, ‘Competition Wizard’ and ‘Competition Success’. In addition, weeklies and dailies like Tehelka, India Today, The Week and Frontline, The Hindu and The Indian Express are available for reference.
Political Science Association
The Political Science Association was originally formed in the year 1991-92 by the Political Science department of Wilson College.In August 1992, the association organized an exhibition of 15 Political systems in the world. Countries like USA, USSR, UK, France, Switzerland, India, her neighbours and some African countries were included. The exhibition received wide press coverage and was also exhibited in Mantralaya in February 1992. The same year some members of the association also paid a visit to Maharashtra Legislative Assembly.
In the year 1994-95, the association’s magazine ‘The Voice’ was launched during Political Science fest. Efforts were made to revive the Political Science Association in 2003-04 but, circumstances and inertia came in the way of activities. It gained a whole new momentum in the year 2010. The association is planning to organize staff-student debates, elocution and talks with eminent speakers, writers and editors. In 2011, Vaibhav Purandare, journalist at Hindustan Times and author of The Sena Story visited the college and spoke to the students about corruption, politics and other current issues. The members are taking initiatives to republish the yearly magazine. The membership of the association is open to all students of Wilson College with a membership fee of Rs 30.
Gymkhana
Wilson College has its own Gymkhana, with a wide range of facilities for both indoor and outdoor sports. These include Athletics, Football, Cricket, Rugby, Hockey, Badminton, Weight Lifting, Boxing, Gymnastics, Table Tennis, Carrom, and Chess. Founded by Principal Dr. Dugald Mackichan on March 17, 1910 it is located on Marine Drive alongside popular Gymkhanas like the Hindu Gymkhana and the Islam Gymkhana.During its initial years, two tennis courts situated side by side and a cricket pitch in the centre were prepared. The reason being, tennis and cricket were the two most popular outdoor games at the time. However, a need for a Pavilion building was urgently felt and efforts were thus made in that direction. Sir Shapurji Bharucha played a major role in the process, donating Rs. 10,000/- to meet the cost of construction.
The new pavilion building was opened by Lord Willingdon, former Governor of Bombay, on 20 December 1916. Since then, sporting activities of the college have expanded immensely, with the college producing sportspersons at the State, National and even the International level.
Apart from the conventional sports, the college also delved into less popular sports like Rugby, Water Polo and Yachting. Rugby was introduced in 1970 by former Chemistry Professor, Dr. James Barton.
Former cricketer Dilip Sardesai, Asian Women’s Chess Championship winner Rohini Khadilkar and Arjuna Awardee for proficiency in yachting, Jeejee Unwalla have all been affiliated to the Wilson College Gymkhana.
On November 7, 1985, former Governor of Maharashtra, K Prabhakara Rao was quoted saying “In a city like Bombay, provision of sports facilities side by side with education is something which very few colleges can boast of. In this, the Wilson College, one of the oldest colleges in the city, has been singularly fortunate. They have a gymkhana which provides excellent sports facilities to their students.”
National Service Scheme
Revived in 2001 and guided under the norms of the University of Mumbai, the NSS group of Wilson College also forms a part of Independence day celebration in New Delhi. The volunteers enrolled work as a team on projects of social relevance for two consecutive years. The wing also works for the welfare of mentally challenged and the under-privileged children with the assistance of numerous NGOs. Teaching in municipal schools, participating in awareness rallies organized by the University are some of the many activities conducted by NSS. The NSS plays a vital role in conducting Blood donation drives in the college twice every year. This has been highly acknowledged by the Blood Bank. Students are also sent for Leadership Training Programs. An NSS camp is conducted for a period of 10days every year where students are involved in projects of social relevance.
Corporate Education Program
Unique to Wilson college, the first CEP programme was conducted in 1979-80. It is a special programme for SYBsc and SYBA students, which aims at training them to cope with the corporate world and guiding them to meet the expectations in corporate service. It is planned in consultation with experts from renowned industrial background and heads of departments in the college. It is a six weeks programme which is divided into two parts:For the first three weeks, students are exposed to debated, discussions, talks by experts from various career backgrounds and workshops on personality and leadership development.
The next three weeks, students are offered internship in various organisations.
The Counselling Centre
The Wilson College was one of the first colleges under the Mumbai University to set up a Counselling Centre as early as 1978.The Centre was established as a joint project of the Sophia- Wilson Community. After being rendered defunct in 2000, it was revived in 2003 with the Xavier’s Institute of Counselling Psychology at St. Xavier’s College in Mumbai. This collaboration lasted for two years, and the college Counselling Centre began functioning as an independent body since 2005.
The Counselling Centre provides the students with a “non-threatening environment to unload their concerns and issues”. The Centre empowers students to deal with emotional and psychological stressors, problems related to peer/parental pressures, identity and managing inter-personal relationships.
Apart from dealing with emotional and stress-related issues, the Counselling Centre provides vocational guidance as well, which involves giving out information on various career options, academic courses, eligibility criteria and suitable institutions.
The Centre also helps students tackle academic difficulties like language difficulties, concentration or memory related problems, anxiety and stage fright among others. Both individual and group sessions are used as a part of the counseling process, depending on the student and case at hand.
The Counselling Centre has in the past conducted sessions for the faculty as well, like a half- day seminar themed ‘The Pedagogical Paradigm’, conducted by Ms. Ruby Pavri, lecturer of Psychology in St. Xavier’s College in the academic year 2007-08. The seminar was aimed at preparing and inspiring the teachers for the new academic year and a fresh batch of students.
The Wilson College Nature Club (WCNC)
The Wilson College Nature Club is affiliated with the Nature Club movement of the World Wide Fund for Nature- India (WWF), is one of the most active college-level nature conservation bodies in India.Founded 1979 under the initiative of students FarhanThakur and ShubhadaKulkarni, along with Prof. B. D. Vakharia of the Zoology department. A. J. Borde, the then principal of the Wilson College, sanctioned the Club after realizing the need for a body that could organize nature trails and excursions for students of faculties other than Botany and Zoology, who undertook these trails for academic purposes.
With “the quest for sensible, greener options” as its motto, the major activities of the WCNC include conducting nature trails to wilderness areas in Mumbai, usually from July to January, organizing overnight treks on the weekends to biodiversity hotspots around Mumbai and 7-14 day long nature camps to noteworthy National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries in India.
The WCNC camps are hugely popular amongst students and alumni alike for the wide range of activities and experiences they offer. The camps involve treks, sessions on conservation, cleanup sessions, interaction with wildlife officials and even workshops. A rare feature of WCNC camps is its tradition of using music to create awareness and spread the message of conservation. Songs like And You Say the Battle is Over by John Denver, Garbage by Pete Seger, Blowin’ in the Wind by Bob Dylan and Don’t Go Near the Water by Johnny Cash rank high on the Nature Club playlist.
The central idea behind these camps is to not only create awareness about environmental issues, but also to better understand the culture and traditions of the places visited. The WCNC holds the distinction of traversing through its camps the Northern most, Eastern most and Southern most corners of India between 2005-2010 alone.
Camp fees are highly subsidized to enable students of all economic backgrounds to attend and at times free ships are awarded to deserving students. Another significant feature of these camps is that they abstain from hiring professional tour operators and are organized entirely by the staff and students. Conservation activities of the Club include organizing tree plantation projects, snake shows for students, developing educational material and an annual theme-based exhibition, which runs under the initiative of active WCNC members and is supported by student volunteers from across the college.
The WCNC is also known for its library, which was set up through the efforts of Prof. Vakharia. The library has an extensive collection of old issues of the National Geographic Magazine, the Sanctuary Asia magazine and numerous encyclopedias on flora and fauna.
On its 30th anniversary, the WCNC published a book titled Wilson College Nature Club: A Journey Through Three Decades, chronicling the memories and experiences of students, alumni, staff and well-wishers associated with the WCNC over the course of the past 30 years. Footprint, the WCNC’s monthly magazine, is the longest running publication of the Club. The WCNC had also formed a body exclusively for its alumni in 1981 called the Naturalia Wilsonica, which enabled and encouraged ex-students to continue visiting the wilderness. The body, however, could not be sustained post 1987.
Wilson College Student Council
Student Council was initiated way back in 1900 as a literary society. Now it is represented by top- ranking students from each class who play an active role in organizing a number of student centric activities like intra-class competitions, workshops, celebration of college day and Teacher’s day, orientation programs, etc. It is guided by the norms set by the University.The Principal, a staff advisor, Dean of students, Dean of Women students, NSS Program officer, Toppers, Cultural Centre student representative, Gymkhana student representative, NSS student representative, 2 women student representatives form an integral part of the Council. It also takes a number of initiatives all round the year in coalition with Cultural Centre and Women’s Development Cell.
The Wilson College Student Council provides the main forum for discussing student concerns and ideas.
The Wilson College Student Council is responsible for representing and serving the needs of the student body through coordinating student activities and charity fundraisers and holding weekly meetings.
Mission Of the Student Council are as follows:
- To coordinate and encourage all student activities within the scope of Wilson college Student Council.
- To work with the administration in all matters affecting the welfare of the student body.
- To stimulate and develop good citizenship and democracy among students.
- To encourage social development through participation in campus life.
- To encourage leadership through service.
LCR and BCR
These are well maintained two separate rest rooms which provide personal space for boys and girls students respectively .BCR : Boys Common Room available for men students.
LCR: Ladies Common Room available for lady students. Locker facilities are also provided in the LCR.
A place where students can relax in their respective common rooms during their free time.
Canteen
The canteen is a favourite hangout for students where they can take a break and come back to class with a healthy mind. A good variety of food is available in the canteen which our students and staff relish during break-intervals.Wilson College Canteen's Samosa Sambhar rated as one of the best canteen food in mumbai by Mumbai Mirror and is the best at its taste too...
Departments
Wilson College offers a range of subjects to its students. Departments include:- Marathi
- Hindi
- Sanskrit
- English
- Political Science
- Economics
- Sociology
- History
- Psychology
- Computer Science
- Electronics
- Information Technology
- Physics
- Chemistry
- Biology
- Zoology
- Botonay
Unaided courses
Wilson College offers a total of 5 unaided or professional undergraduate degree courses viz. Bachelor of Mass Media (B.M.M.), Bachelor of Management Studies (B.M.S.), Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) in Computer Science, Bachelor of Science in Biotechnology and Bachelor of Science in Information Technology (I.T.).Bold text
Bachelor of Mass Media (B.M.M.)
Wilson College is one of the first colleges to start the course of BMM when Mumbai University introduced it in the year 2000. The college has an intake of a total of 60 students per year. The department was the first to have a unique inter-collegiate yearly media festival ‘Polaris’. There are frequent workshops and seminar conducted throughout the year other than a yearly industrial visit.Bachelor of Management Studies (B.M.S.)
The course of B.M.S. was introduced by the college in 1999. In this three year integrated degree programme, industrial visits, corporate guest lectures and industry-based projects form an imperative part of the curriculum. The BMS department has an inter-collegiate festival ‘Adorea’ every year. The yearly intake of students is 60.Bachelor of Science in Biotechnology
Wilson College started the course of B.Sc Degree course in Biotechnology in the year 2004. It offers a three year (Six Units) with an intake capacity of 35 students. Department of Biotechnology has a Certificate Course in Molecular Biology Techniques for students coming from all streams of life sciences. The yearly intake of students is 40.Bachelor of Science in Information Technology
B.Sc (IT) a three year degree course was introduced in Wilson College during the academic year 2007-2008 to celebrate the 175th year of Wilson College. The objective of this course is to provide adequate basic understanding about IT among the students. Each semester students have to study 5 papers with practical/tutorials and term work consisting of assignments, case studies and projects. The yearly intake of students is 60.B.Sc in Computer Science
B.Sc in Computer Science was introduced by Wilson College in academic year 1999-2000 to train students for the Information Technology field. This three year integrated course lays emphasis on the science behind development of computer applications. The yearly intake of students is 40.Wilforia
Wilforia is an intra-collegiate festival that takes place during the month of December or January over a course of two days. It conducts various competitions such as group dance, football and cricket, rangoli and mehendi making and singing. It is primarily organized by the NSS, the student council and the cultural centre. Wilforia acts as an ice breaker for the new students of the Junior College and looks to integrate and build confidence amongst them. Over 500 students participate in the festival from all sections of the college.Polaris
Polaris is the oldest mass media festival in Mumbai, dating back to 2001 and takes place in July every year. It is also the first inter-collegiate festival in the academic year. Polaris derives its name from ‘The Pole Star’ and aims to set the standard for the festivals that follow. The mascot of Polaris is Polly the Purple Cow and was inspired by the idea of the “purple cow” by marketing genius Seth Godin.Every year, the events in Polaris are modelled on a specific theme. Over the past few years, the themes have been:
- New Media (2006)
- Comics (2007)
- Globalization (2008)
- Mystery and the Mist (2009)
- Vintage (2010)
- Carnival (2011)
Over the years a host of eminent personalities from the media world have been a part of the festival. This includes film maker and Chief Create Office of the advertising agency Lowe Lintas, R. Balki, Journalist Jerry Pinto, Ad guru Prahlad Kakkar and theatre personality Dolly Thakore to a name a few.
Each year, Polaris hosts about 32 colleges from across Mumbai.
Adorea
Adorea is an inter-collegiate BMS festival that takes place during the month of August. Adorea conducts events that range from sports to cultural events such as solo dance, a band event and a DJ night. Over 28 colleges from across Mumbai participate in the four-day festival. At Adorea 2010, Motorcycle Company, Ducati launched its new model, the Ducati 1098 which was displayed throughout the festival. Adorea has played host to various management professionals such as Vithal Kamat, Owner of the Orchard Group of Hotels, as well as noted film personalities such as Boman Irani. The theme for Adorea in 2010 was "Glam and Glitz" and "Welcome to Las Vegas" in 2011.Rainbow
The students of Wilson College along with the help of some faculty members started a programme called “Rainbow” in 1997. It started as a small social gathering that is now an annual event marked with great pride and enthusiasm by the students. Rainbow represents the seven sister states, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura and also Sikkim.One vision, one world.All North-Eastern students come as one- Rainbow under the Wilson College flag. Rainbows mission is to share with other the rich, diverse culture and traditions, which is so little known to the people outside the seven sister states and Sikkim. The programme has been designed to inspire the students to work positively for a better tomorrow and with an objective to encourage more interaction between the North-Easterns.
The first Rainbow festival was held in 1999. It showcased traditional dances, the Manipuri dance and the famous Mizo bamboo dance, which was accompanied by English contemporary rock songs. And the most successful Rainbow festival was “Rainbow 2002”, the festival spanned for three days. “Rainbow 2002” had an exhibition of exquisite crafted handicrafts beaded jewellery, artifacts like cutlery baskets and knick-knack crafted from bamboo, brightly assorted shawls and assorted garments. There was also screenings of two documentaries: “Mizorams Freedom Struggle”, “The dying culture of Meghalaya” and a film “Adayja” (The Fight), a movie that won the prestigious Silver Peacock award. A fashion show with the different attires of the North-East along with popular dance like the Manipuri dance, the famous Mizo bamboo dance and the Assamese Bihu dance. Also, cultural and traditional music were performed along with rock anthems.
Alumni
Wilson College has been home to a number famous personalities including writers, scholars, ministers, sportspersons, artists etc.Some of the college’s eminent alumni include:
- Shri Morarji Desai (1896–1995)
- Nissim Ezekiel (1924–2004)
- Balasaheb Gangadhar Kher (1888–1957)
- Dilip Sardesai (1940–2007)
- Dr. Vijayendra Kasturi Ranga Varadaraja Rao (1908–1991)
- Dr. Vasant Ramji Khanolkar (1895–1978)
- Dr. Khanolkar (1912–13)
- Asoka Mehta (1911–1984)
Other prominent personalities include A.R. Wadia, former director, Tata Institute of Social Sciences; Shri J.B. Patel, former Vice-Chancellor of the Sardar Vallabhbhai Vidyapeeth; J.M. Hamilton, General Secretary, The Church of Scotland; Samuel Mathai, former Secretary, University Grants Commission and Professor G.M. Nabar, Director of the Bombay University Department of Chemical technology.
Placement Process
- Pre Placement meet: An Imperative forum on campus to make the students aware of the organization in terms of its business,relevant job profile,future,careergrowth prospects and the remuneration offered.
- Registration by students: Interested students register with the company representatives on the spot post the pre-placement talk.
- Selection Process as per Company directives:Students undergo the relevant procedures followed by companies such as technical test, group discussion and personal HR interview and final interview.
- Short-listing of students:An email of shortlisted students to be provided to the placement committee and the relevant students are informed accordingly.Companies may also mark a copy of the information to the selected students.
List of Recruiters
To name a few of the many companies who have approached Wilson College for its focused and dynamic students over the years:- KPMG India
- India Bulls
- Aviva India
- Wipro
- Times Now
- Alchemist India
- Kotak Securities
- Biocon Ltd.
- Balaji Telefilms
- ACC Ltd.
- Protiviti Consulting Pvt. Ltd.
- Miles Software Solutions Pvt. Ltd.
- Forex India
- Accenture
- Mahindra Satyam
- Patni Computers
Summer InternShips
Students undergo corporate internships once they complete their second year which enables them to get corporate exposure as well as get better job prospects post their graduation.To name a few companies where our students have successfully completed their internships from are as follows:- ABN AMRO Bank
- Unichem Laboratories Ltd.
- Religare
- DSP BlackRock
- Export-Import Bank of India
- ABN Amro Bank
- ICICI Bank
- NDTV Profit
- New India Assurance Co. Ltd.
- Max New York Life Insurance
- Expat Properties (I) Ltd.
- Bharti Axa Life Insurance
- Shoft Shipyard Pvt. Ltd.
- Motilal Oswal Securities Ltd.
- Bharti AXA Life Insurance
- Taurus Asset Management Co. Ltd.
- Career Management International
- Laffan Express Company
- Yogesh Trading Co.