Ewing Christian College, Allahabad

About Ewing Christian College, Allahabad

Ewing Christian College is the story of continuous striving for excellence, in the face of insurmountable odds, throughout its existence of hundred years. Established in 1902, in the University-town of Allahabad, when the University had no campus and was only granting affiliation, the College soon rose to post-graduate status, with a strong emphasis on research and extension work, relevant for rural India.
Spread on a sprawling green campus of 42 acres, on the bank of river Yamuna, the College opened its Agriculture Economics Extension Department, on the other side of the river, which soon developed into Allahabad Agriculture Institute (now a Deemed University). The College took giant strides in the field of higher education, with Dr. Dudgeon opening first laboratory course in Botany, laying a very strong base for research in the College, training students like Panchanan Maheswari, who excelled as a Botanist par excellence. Strong stress on research and extension work attracted attention of Lindsay Commission on Higher Education, which had identified the College as a probable centre for Research and Extension Department for the province of UP.

By the introduction of the Allahabad University Reorganization Act, 1921, the degree and postgraduate classes were shifted to the University, reducing the College to the Intermediate level. The College then braced itself up and acquired land near the University, where Ewing Christian University College (presently, William Holland Hall University College) started functioning from the year 1923. Many of the College professors decided to stay back in the Intermediate College, which established itself as one of the best colleges in India, attracting students from far and wide. Audio-Visual programme was introduced in 1932, Compulsory Physical Education in 1933, Co-education in 1935 and compulsory Military Education in 1947. At the same time, a sizable group of teachers were engaged in higher education through the University College. The College regained its undergraduate classes, in Science, in 1951 and in Arts, in 1956 and soon thereafter established itself as a premier institution and its efforts were immediately rewarded by UGC, which selected the College, for COSIP Programme, in 1970, it being amongst the first batch of the colleges selected to test the efficacy of the programme. The College didn't wait for similar programme in Arts, and launched on its own, some interdisciplinary programmes, in 1973, with the efforts of stalwarts like Dr. Harper, on the faculty of the College, and it was again rewarded by the UGC, which selected the College for COHSSIP Programme, in 1975.

Ewing Christian College is possibly the first College in the country, which started preparing for Autonomy, around 1975, and started moving ahead in preparedness. Pushing the efforts for autonomy under the leadership of the then Principal, Dr. S. D. Chand, the College moved its proposal for autonomy in 1986, and gained autonomy in 1994, becoming the second autonomous college of the State.With the advent of Autonomy, the College administration succeeded in gaining full control of the academic programme. Introduction of compulsory attendance and Midterm examination, weeded out the unwanted elements. The College then embarked on innovations and was amongst the first set of colleges in the country, to be selected for introduction of vocational courses, at First Degree level, in 1994.