Scottish Church College

Pioneering Education

Scottish Church College is the oldest continuously running Christian liberal arts and sciences college in India. It has been consistently highly rated by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council, an autonomous organisation that evaluates academic institutions in the country. The college also enjoys the status of ʻCollege with Potential for Excellence’. a quality rating by the University Grants Commission. It is affiliated with the University of Calcutta for degree courses for graduates and postgraduates and is a selective co-educational institution, known for its high academic standards. Some famous students from the past include Swami Vivekananda, Subhas Chandra Bose, Paramahamsa Yogananda and the film star, Mithun Chakraborty. 

The spread of European education in alliance with the doctrine of Christianity had been an important impetus to missionary enterprise in India in the nineteenth century. Scottish Church College, established in 1830 as the General Assemblyʼs Institution and given its present name in 1929, is an establishment born out of one such impetus.

The college founder, Rev Alexander Duff, was the first missionary to India from the Church of Scotland. His idea was to set up an institution which linked western education with Christian mission and the eventual progress of the people. Years later, the College is committed to the vision of its founding father and aimed at academic excellence, along with social awareness and character building.Supported by the Governor-General of India, Lord William Bentinck, Rev Alexander Duff opened his institution in Feringhi Kamal Boseʼs house, located in upper Chitpore Road, near Jorasanko. Raja Ram Mohan Roy helped Duff by organising the venue and bringing in the first batch of students. The college authorities played a pioneering role in promoting gender equality by emphasising the significance of womenʼs education.

During much of the nineteenth century, the college remained the only institution of its kind in the city and in the country to promote the cause of co-education. Today, media surveys rate Scottish Church College as one of the top fifty colleges in India.