Godrejsplende at 20:07, 1 October 2025

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{{Short description|College in Ahmedabad, India}}
{{use Indian English|date=May 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2014}}
{{Infobox university
|name = Gujarat College
|image = Gujarat College Ahmedabad.JPG
|caption = Main entrance of the college building
|established = {{start date and age|1879}}
|type = Undergraduate College
|principal = Arunendra Singh Rathore
|city = [[Ahmedabad]]
|state = [[Gujarat]]
|country = [[India]]
|colors =
|affiliations = [[Gujarat University]]
|website = {{URL|https://gasc.gujarat.gov.in|}}
|}}
[[File:Gujarat College1 Ahmedabad.JPG|thumb|College building]]
'''Gujarat Arts & Science College''', popularly and previously known as '''Gujarat College''', is one of the oldest educational institutions of India and the second arts and science college of Gujarat, near [[Ellis Bridge]], [[Ahmedabad]]. It was founded in 1845 as a government-run educational institute, was established as a regular college in 1850, and is now under the direct management of the Education Department of the [[Government of Gujarat]].<ref name=ah>{{cite book|title=Ahmedabad, Being a Compilation of Articles Contributed by Rotarians and Others on Various Subjects Prominently Bringing Out Many Interesting Details Pertaining to and Connected with the City|year=1940|publisher=Rotary Club of Ahmedabad|page=54,59,103|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hcIBAAAAMAAJ&q=gujarat+collage+}}</ref><ref name=b>The Gujarat Government Gazette, 1962 - Page 1195</ref><ref name=gz91>{{cite book|title=Gujarat State Gazetteer, Volume 2 by U.M. Chokshi, M.R. Trivedi|year=1991|publisher=Director, Government Print., Stationery and Publications, Gujarat State|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wKLiAAAAMAAJ&q=Provincial++1860}}</ref><ref>Imperial gazetteer of India ... - Volume 2</ref><ref>Cultural history of Gujarat: from early times to pre-British period by Mañjulāla Raṇachoḍalāla Majamudāra - 1965 - Page 100</ref><ref name=bm>{{cite book|title=A review of education in Bombay State, 1855-1955: a volume in commemoration of the centenary of the Dept. of Education, Bombay|year=1958|publisher=Bombay (India : State). Education Dept|page=238,259|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VtpNAAAAMAAJ&q=collage+Ranchhodlal+Chhotalal}}</ref>

==History==
[[File:Guzarath-college-ahmedabad.jpg|thumb|Gujarat College in 1908]]
Gujarat College started as a small educational institution in 1860<ref name=ah/> due to efforts of [[Theodore Hope|Theodore Cracraft Hope]],<ref name=gz91/> who inspired local people for charity, which led to the start of the institution.<ref name=bm/><ref name=pd>{{cite book|title=Speeches of President Giani Zail Singh: 1982-1984|year=1987|publisher=Publications Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Govt. of India|page=135|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fw22AAAAIAAJ&q=gujarat+collage+1860}}</ref> Thus the institute was started in 1860 as Gujarat Providential College but ceased to work in 1872. However, after a gap of five years it was restarted in 1879 as Gujarat College under management of the Gujarat College Committee, which at that time was under the able leader ship of local textile magnate, [[Ranchhodlal Chhotalal|Rai Bahadur Sheth Ranchhodlal Chotalal]].<ref name=pd/><ref>Women in India's freedom struggle by Nawaz B. Mody|Allied Publishers, 2000|pp-128</ref><ref>Mridula Sarabhai: rebel with a cause by Aparna Basue 1965 - Page 14</ref><ref>Gandhinagar: building national identity in postcolonial India By Ravi Kalia page 52</ref> Later his grandson and philanthropist [[Sir Chinubhai Madhowlal Ranchhodlal, 1st Baronet|Sardar Sir Chinubhai Madhavalal Bert, ICE]] in 1897 came forward and donated 33 acres of land along with generous cash donations worth millions of rupees for the expansion of Gujarat College. To mention, in the year 1897, he donated {{INR convert|6|l}} and further {{INR convert|20|l}} for the construction of Arts College<ref name=z>{{cite book|title=The Bombay University Calendar|year=1929|publisher=University of Bombay|page=18|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1k4mAQAAIAAJ&q=+chinubhai}}</ref> to which he further added a sum of {{INR convert|1.5|l}} for a library and college hall.<ref name=z/> The buildings that came up from these donations were Madhavlal Ranchodlal Science Institute named after father of Sir Chinubhai, Sydenham Library and George V Hall, which all were inaugurated by [[George Sydenham Clarke|Lord George Sydenham Clarke]] in 1912, 1915 and 1917, respectively.<ref name=z/> The Engineer, [[Himmatlal Dhirajram Bhachech|Rai Bahadur Himmatlal Dhirajram Bhachech]], who was President of [[Ahmadabad Municipality]] at that time, overlooked the construction of college buildings. The first college building was constructed in the year 1897, which followed more buildings appearing on the land using the generous flow of donations by Sir Chinubhai Madhavalal, Bert, ICE, who again donated another sum of {{INR convert|10|l}} as patron of college
.<ref name=b/>

After Independence of India, the college continued to expand and the New Science Building was built in 1948, Tutorial Building in 1965, and Science Workshops in 1965.The Department of Dramatics was established in 1970–71.

==Present status==
The college houses departments of Arts faculty, departments of science and a full-time degree course in drama. The institute also runs many undergraduate courses.

The institute is managed by the Commissioner for College and Universities under the State Department of Education.

== Affiliation ==
The college started with affiliation from [[University of Bombay]], which was granted in March 1879.<ref name=bm/><ref name=pd/> Later when [[Gujarat University]] at [[Ahmedabad]] came into existence it granted its affiliation to Gujarat College and since then the college is affiliated to Gujarat University.

==Indian Independence Movement==
[[Mahatma Gandhi]] held an historic meeting at Gujarat College campus under the presidency of V.J. Patel on 28 September 1920 and addressed a huge mass of students asking them to join [[Non-cooperation movement (1919–22)|Non-cooperation Movement]], giving detailed description of atrocities committed by British regime on Indians. This led to many professors and students leaving college, as it was government run institution and joining [[Gujarat Vidyapith]], which was started by Gandhi in 1920.<ref>{{cite book|title=Gandhi and the Mass Movements|pages=13, 20–21, 30–33|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4i1aMXriA0sC&dq=gujarat+college&pg=PA13}}</ref>

During the [[Quit India Movement]] in 1942, many students of college participated organizing a rally and shouting slogan against British, which led to death of one student of college named [[Vinod Kinariwala]], who was shot dead by English policeman inside college campus, on 10 August 1942.<ref name=toi/> Later in 1947, Veer Vinod Kinariwala Memorial was inaugurated by [[Jai Prakash Narayan]] in memory of his martyrdom inside college campus.<ref name=toi>{{cite news|title=Tributes to Quit India Movement martyrs|url=http://mobiletoi.timesofindia.com/mobile.aspx?article=yes&pageid=4&sectid=edid=&edlabel=TOIA&mydateHid=08-08-2012&pubname=Times+of+India+-+Ahmedabad&edname=&articleid=Ar00406&publabel=TOI+gujarat+college+vindo+kinariwala|access-date=2 April 2013|newspaper=Times of India|date=17 February 2013|url-status=bot: unknown|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130411013640/http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:bxTyd_jOuEAJ:mobiletoi.timesofindia.com/mobile.aspx?article%3Dyes%26pageid%3D4%26sectid%3Dedid%3D%26edlabel%3DTOIA%26mydateHid%3D08-08-2012%26pubname%3DTimes%2Bof%2BIndia%2B-%2BAhmedabad%26edname%3D%26articleid%3DAr00406%26publabel%3DTOI+gujarat+college+vindo+kinariwala&cd=9&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=in&client=firefox-a|archive-date=11 April 2013|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

==Notable alumni==

*[[Vinod Kinariwala]] - independence activist
*[[Nautam Bhagwan Lall Bhatt]] - physicist
*[[Indulal Yagnik]] - independence activist, writer and filmmaker
*[[Kasturbhai Lalbhai]] - industrialist<ref>{{cite book|title=Business World, Volume 7|year=1987|publisher=Ananda Bazar Patrika Limited|page=44|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OZ5aAAAAYAAJ&q=pulled+out}}</ref>
*[[Ambalal Sarabhai]] - industrialist
*[[Umashankar Joshi]] - poet, writer<ref name=p>{{cite book|title=Modern Gujarati Poetry: A Selection by Rita Kothari|year=1998|pages=82, 85|isbn=9788126002948|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JObSbMwe3aUC&dq=gujarat+college&pg=PA85}}</ref>
*[[Disha Vakani]] - television actress<ref name=mirror11>{{cite news |title=I enjoy acting: Disha Vakani|url=http://mumbaimirror.com/entertainment/tv/I-enjoy-acting-Disha-Vakani/articleshow/16193137.cms |work=Mumbai Mirror|date=30 December 2011 |accessdate=14 May 2013}}</ref>
*[[Girjaprasad Chinubhai Madhowlal]] - later the Sir Chinubhai Madhowlal Ranchhodlal, 2nd Baronet of Shahpur.
*[[Ganesh Mavlankar|G. V. Mavlankar]] - politician, the first speaker of [[Lok Sabha]]<ref name=s>{{Cite web |url=http://www.amdavadma.org/3sep.htm |title=Problem of City expansion: The answer lies elsewhere: J. B. SANDIL |access-date=23 April 2013 |archive-date=31 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220331035635/https://www.amdavadma.org/3sep.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref>
*[[Nanalal Dalpatram Kavi]] - poet.<ref name=s/>
*[[Vikram Sarabhai]] - scientist.<ref name=s/>
*[[Anandshankar Dhruv]].<ref name=s/>
*[[Vidyagauri Nilkanth]] -author, social activist, wife of [[Ramanbhai Nilkanth]], one of the first women graduates from Gujarat.<ref name=s/>
* [[Vishnuprasad Trivedi]] - Gujarati literary critic
*[[Ranjitram Mehta]] - Gujarati author
*[[Radheshyam Sharma]] - Gujarati author
*[[R. M. Kantawala]] - former [[List of Chief Justices of the Bombay High Court|Chief Justice of the]] [[Bombay High Court]]
*[[Uttamlal Trivedi]] - Gujarati writer

==Notable faculty==
*[[M.V. Rajadhyaksha]] - Marathi writer and critic
*[[Prahalad Chunnilal Vaidya]] - physicist and mathematician
*[[Dhirendra Mehta]] - Gujarati novelist, poet, commentator
*[[Dhirubhai Thaker]]- Gujarati writer and critic<ref>{{cite book |title=Encyclopaedia of Indian Literature: sasay to zorgot |volume=5 |year=1998 |isbn=9788126002948 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JObSbMwe3aUC&dq=gujarat+college&pg=PA85}}</ref>
*[[Anandshankar Dhruv]] - Gujarati scholar, writer, educationist and editor<ref name=c>{{cite book|title=Encyclopaedia of Indian Literature: devraj to jyoti, Volume 2 edited by Amaresh Datta|page=1004|isbn=9788126011940|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zB4n3MVozbUC&dq=gujarat+college&pg=PA1004|last1=Datta|first1=Amaresh|year=1988}}</ref>
*Gatubhai Gopilal Dhru - biographer, translator and writer<ref name=c/>

==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Gujarat University}}
{{coord|23.0219|N|72.5633|E|source:wikidata|display=title}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Colleges affiliated to Gujarat University]]
[[Category:Universities and colleges in Ahmedabad]]
[[Category:Arts colleges in India]]
[[Category:Commerce colleges in India]]
[[Category:Schools in Colonial India]]
[[Category:Universities and colleges established in 1860]]
[[Category:1860 establishments in British India]]
[[Category:British colonial architecture in India]]

Gujarat College - Revision history

Godrejsplende at 20:07, 1 October 2025