THE SANSKRIT COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY

Sanskrit College and University, located on College Street in central Kolkata, India, was founded on 1 January 1824 during the Governor-Generalship of Lord Amherst, based on recommendations by James Prinsep and Thomas Babington Macaulay. It was headed by a secretary until 1851, when Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar became principal and admitted students beyond the Brahmin and Baidya castes. Mahesh Chandra Nyayratna Bhattacharyya served as principal for over 18 years and revived the tol system in Sanskrit education. The institution was transformed into a university through the Sanskrit College and University, West Bengal Act 2015, passed on 17 December 2015, established on 19 February 2016, and became functional on 15 June 2016 with Dilip Kumar Mohanto as the first vice-chancellor. The Governor of West Bengal serves as chancellor, and Ayan Bhattacharjee is the current vice-chancellor. The university offers undergraduate, postgraduate, and PhD courses in subjects like Sanskrit, Pali, Bengali, English, Philosophy, Linguistics, Ancient Indian & World History, and Traditional Oriental Learning (Advaita Vedanta, Panini Vyakarana, Sahitya). Its central library holds over 200,000 books and 25,000 manuscripts. It also has an academic and research campus, Sanskrit Charcha Kendra, in Nabadwip, Nadia.