Womens Christian College, Kolkata

About Womens Christian College, Kolkata

Constant innovation is the watchword of this noble institution of pre-independence times. At Women's Christian College we strive to attain an outlook that is an ideal mix of tradition and modernity, discipline and freedom that is essential for the holistic development of our students. The college seeks not only to form and inform but also transform the students by attempting to work a wondrous alchemy of change and purification in young minds.Women’s Christian College was founded on 19th July 1945 under the aegis of the Bengal Christian Council by a group of Christian educationists who were committed to the spread of women’s education in West Bengal. The founder Principal of the college was Miss Stella Bose while the founder Secretary was Miss Nirajbasini Shome.

The London Missionary Society (LMS) allowed the founders the use of the ground floor and two rooms on the first floor of the present building for one year free of rent. The I.A. Course was started with three students in 1945-46 and the figure rose to twenty-two by the end of the session. Calcutta University affiliation for the I.A. course was granted in 1947-48 and that for the B.A. course in 1948-49 (with Honours only in Bengali). It took some more years for Honours to be extended to English, Sanskrit and Economics.

The Saroj Nalini Memorial Institution donated furniture to the college while the Sisters of the Oxford Mission helped it with books and furniture. The London Missionary Society building was bought along with six cottahs of land in May 1952 for Rs. 30,000/-. The property was augmented by the acquisition of two more premises after seven years. An additional building for the B.A. course classes and an assembly hall were built with the help of the State Government and the University Grants Commission. Financial assistance was received from the Methodist mission, the Baptist mission and an anonymous donor from the Church of England.
Miss Stella Bose, the founder Principal was succeeded in office by Miss Kalyani Shome who was succeeded by by Miss Aloka Ahmed. Miss A. Ahmed is currently serving the college as the Secretary to the Governing body. The first President of the college Governing Body was Bishop S.K. Tarafdar.

It is clear from the above account that Women’s Christian College came into being neither through state patronage nor through missionary initiative. It was an indigenous educational enterprise that lay great store on imparting value-based education to young women hailing from diverse social, economic and religious backgrounds without discriminating on the basis of caste, creed or class. From the beginning the college has had a small hostel which is a boon for outstation students. Tucked away behind one of the main thoroughfares of south Kolkata the college is well protected from the harmful hazards of atmospheric pollution and is yet well connected by bus, tram and the Metro to other parts of the city.
The alumni of the College, spread across many professional spheres and walks of life, bear testimony to the sound values they had invibed at Women’s Christian College.