Shri HK Arts College, Ahmedabad

About Shri HK Arts College, Ahmedabad

Shri H.K. Arts College Ahmedabad, also known as Shri Harivallabhdas Kalidas Arts College is managed by Brahmchari Wadi Trust of 155 year old Gujarat Vidyasabha. The institution was founded by Sir Alexander Kinlock Forbes an English officer in 1848. Initially known as Gujarat Vernacular Society, it aimed at the development of Gujarati Language and Literature. Renowned Gujarati poet Dalpatram was the first secretary of the institution. This institution has been fortunate enough to get the services of scholars, men of letters and social workers. The institution has pioneered many activities in the field of Literature and Culture. The credit of starting the first newspaper in the state, the first girls school and the first monthly magazine “Buddhiprakash” goes to this institute. A Library is basic to any education institutions, so the institution took an initiative of translating important books from all disciplines in to Gujarati. This institution has published more then a thousand books. It was this institution that saw the dream of establishing the Gujarat University under the leadership of visionaries Late Shri Anandshankar Dhruv and Late Shri Dadasaheb Mavlankar the first speaker of Indian Parliament. They also played an important role in translating this vision into reality.

When established in 1955 the college was known as Ramanand Mahavidyalaya. Later Shri Jaykrishna Harivallabhdas the pioneering industrialist of Gujarat donated a huge amount in the memory of his father and the college got its present name of Shri Harivallabdas Kalidas Arts College. The Institute also supported Post Graduate teaching and research and founded the B.J.Institute of Indology. The college was inaugurated by the well-known Philosopher and the former Vice-President of India Dr Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan. The college was fortunate enough to get the services of Shri Yashwant Shukla an eminent educationist and literary personality as the first principal . He was then followed by Dr. Chinubhai Nayak, Dr. Hirubhai Bhatt and Dr Subhash Brahmbhatt, Dr Hemant Shah Associate Professor and Head of the Department, Economics tookover as Incharge Principal. Currently Shri Shwetang Trivedi, Associate Professor and Head of the Department, Psychology, is the Incharge Principal of the college.

The Proactive support of dedicated and devoted teachers and with all the modern infrastructure, the college has been able to provide a growth conducive environment for the all-round development of the students and faculty. This is done by organizing intellectual, Cultural, Sports and other Extension activities.

There is also a Staff Reading Club where important books of different disciplines and current issues are reviewed discussed and analyzed. We have a large number of faculty with a Ph.D or M.Phil degrees. This is the only college in Gujarat which teaches seventeen different subjects in Gujarati. The college also runs a Post-Graduate center. Under the aegis of ‘UGC professional courses plan’ the college runs a computer centre.

To develop the creative writing skill and instill scientific temper among the students and faculty. The college regularly publishes a magazine named ‘Sabarmati’ every year. The college also has a wall-paper ‘Setu’ and a hand-written magazine ‘Pamrat’(Aroma). The birthday of the noted Gujarati Poet Shri Umashankar Joshi is celebrated as “Book day”, on 21st July every year. On this day each teacher talks about his favorite book to his students. The college has a well-equipped library and a reading-room. The college has well-equipped laboratories for Psychology, Geography and Computer. The UGC awarded the “Best Reputed College” award to the institution and a Cash Award of RS. 7 Lakhs which was use by the college to construct a modern well-equipped conference hall cum language laboratory. The college has a sate of the art auditorium with a capacity of 700 seats.

The college also runs a Medical Health Centre and a Counseling Centre. The college has scaled great heights in N.C.C., N.S.S and Sports. In time of Natural Calamities the student and teachers of the college have always rushed to help the victims. The college caters to the underprivileged sections of the society and strives to inculcate basic but eternal human values among students. It aims at creating a consciousness and sense of duties and responsibilities as a citizen towards the community and the nation. It ultimately aims at making the society a better place to live in.

Over the years the college has produced eminent personalities such as Vice-chancellors, Judges, Advocates, IAS Officers, Police Officers, Artists, Professors, Journalists, Social-workers, Writers and people of merit and vision in all walks of life.