The University of Calcutta had an enormous territorial jurisdiction during a considerable period of its existence. This jurisdiction practically continued till the Indian Universities Act of 1904 came into operation, wherein provision was made for the first time for defining the territorial limits of the five universities then existing in India (including Burma and Ceylon), viz. the Universities of Calcutta, Bombay, Madras, the Punjab and Allahabad. In fact, there was no territorial limit fixed for the University of Calcutta in the Act of Incorporation in 1857, and when in 1882 the Punjab University and in 1887 the University of Allahabad came into existence, no provision was made in the Acts for these Universities, curtailing the jurisdiction of the University of Calcutta.

From the list of schools and colleges enjoying recognition and affiliation of the University of Calcutta in 1903, i.e. immediately before the Indian Universities Act of 1904 was passed, it will appear that two institutions in the Punjab, viz. Bishop Cotton School, Simla and Baring High School, Batala (Gurdaspur) were then enjoing affiliation to the University of Calcutta; St. John’s College, Agra, Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College, Aligarh, Thomason Engineering College, Rurkee, Joynarayan’s College, Benares, and other colleges belonging to the then United Provinces of Agra and Oudh, were also affiliated to this University.

Schools from the districts of Peshwar, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Dera-Ismail Khan, Multan, Jullundher, Ludhiana in the Punjab, Bhopal, Bundelkhand, Indore, Ujjain, Jaypur of Central India, Cawnpur, Lucknow, Mirzapur, Musoori, Nainital, Allahabad of the then United Provinces of Agra and Oudh, used to send up students for the Entrance Examination of the University of Calcutta. Lahore Government College, which was first affiliated to the University of Calcutta in 1864, prepared students chiefly for the examinations of the Punjab University after that University was established but some of the students were also sent out for the examinations of the University of Calcutta ; such was also the position of Government College, Delhi. Jaypur Maharaj’s College, Jaypur, that was first affiliated to the University of Calcutta in 1873, trained students for the Oriental Examinations of the Punjab University and on the establishment of the University of Allahabad, it was affiliated to that University also although it continued enjoying affiliation of the University of Calcutta long thereafter.

Foundation of the University of Calcutta

The Court of Directors of the East India Company sent a despatch in July, 1854 to the Governor-General of India in Council, suggesting the establishment of the Universities of Calcutta, Madras and Bombay.

In pursuance of that despatch, the University of Calcutta was founded on JANUARY 24, 1857.

The University adopted in the first instance, the pattern of the University of London and gradually introduced modifications in its constitution

University Campuses