Aliah University, Kolkata

Aliah University (AU) is a public state university situated in New Town, West Bengal, India. It traces its origins to October 1780, when it was set up by Warren Hastings, the British Governor-General of the East India Company, near Sealdah in Calcutta, under various names including Calcutta Madrasah and Calcutta Mohammedan College. The original building was completed in 1782 at Bow Bazaar, and the college later moved to Wellesley Square in the 1820s. It was elevated to university status in 2008. The university now operates three campuses—New Town, Park Circus, and Taltala—with the New Town campus, inaugurated in 2014, housing Science and Technology students with 156 classrooms, hostels, and laboratories. Admission to undergraduate and postgraduate courses is through entrance examinations such as the Aliah University Admission Test (AUAT) and WBJEE for B.Tech. programs, while M.S. and PhD admissions involve a written test and interview. The university received UGC recognition under Section 12B in 2019 and holds a B+ NAAC grade. In 2016, the university faced student protests over administrative and infrastructural issues. Notable alumni include Islamic scholar Abu Nasr Waheed and politician Nawsad Siddique.