Vital Statistics

WHAT IS IT? A leading institution for women’s education in the country. WHO’S THE BOSS? Principal, Mamata Ray Chaudhuri. HOW CHEAP IS IT? The state government tuition fee rate of Rs 110 per month for science and Rs 75 for arts students respectively. WHERE TO STAY? There are hostel facilities on campus. WHERE IS IT? P-1/2 Suhrawardy Avenue, Park Circus, Calcutta 700017. Phone: 22448120; Website: www.ladybrabourne.com

P-1/2, Suhrawardy Avenue, better known as Lady Brabourne College, is one of those rare Calcutta addresses where in the spring you can still hear the cuckoo sing. There, on hot summer days, sunlight streams through tall trees covered in lush foliage, casting cool gold-green shadows on buildings painted pale yellow. And on rain-washed afternoons, drops of water glisten on the leaves of fruit and flower trees and potted plants that line the cobbled driveway.

But it?s not just this that draws people here. What beckons students to Brabourne is also its reputation as one of the best women?s colleges in the country.

Cosmopolitan culture

Established in July 1939 by the government of Bengal, it was named after the wife of Lord Brabourne, who was the Governor of Bengal till February 1939. In the beginning, there were only 35 Muslim students and nine faculty members and classes were held in a rented house in Park Circus. It was a month later, on August 26, 1939, that the then Governor, Sir J. Woodhead, laid the foundation stone of the building at Suhrawardy Avenue.

?Though it started small,? says Mamata Ray Chaudhuri, the current principal, ?Within a very short time, the college grew into a multi-religious, multi-cultural and cosmopolitan institution.?

Today, between 450 and 500 students from different parts of the country ? as well as a few foreign students ? take admission to the college every year. At the undergraduate level, there are 19 departments in different disciplines in the arts and science streams. While in all other subjects, admission is conducted on the basis of merit, those applying to study English honours are required to take a written test. In microbiology, admission takes place on the basis of an interview.

PhD programmes

In November 2003, an MSc in geography, affiliated to Calcutta University, was introduced. A proposal has also been made to start a postgraduate course in microbiology. Even PhD programmes are in progress in some departments ? namely, geography and microbiology. Also, since 1996, the college has been running a computer certificate course in collaboration with WEBEL informatics. ?Our endeavour is to adapt to the constantly changing environment,? explains Ray Chaudhuri.

What remained unchanged from the beginning to the present, she says, is the regard for high academic standards. This, and a proposal by the college, recently prompted Calcutta University to recommend to the University Grants Commission that the institution be granted the status of ?a centre with potential for excellence?.

First choice of toppers

These inspired Parama Basu, who was a topper at school, to apply here instead of anywhere else. ?Our English department is comparable to the best in the country,? the second-year student of English honours says somewhat proudly. Her classmates Alakananda Mukherjee, Arundhati Bhaduri, Deborina Roy, Debarati Banerjee, Gargi Das and Tanushree Bhattacharya, all have different reasons for being here. ?This place is free from politics,? says one. ?Teachers are strict and insist on punctuality and discipline, but they are also approachable,? adds another.

For sisters Abeda and Zaheeda Ayub, second year students of political science and history respectively, the security in the campus is important.

Says Ray Chaudhuri, ?We like to nurture our students? talents and place emphasis on extra-curricular activities and cultural programmes.? Brabourne is famous for its annual function, featuring various cultural events.

DOLA MITRA

Old memories

Sujata Sen, director, British Council, Calcutta, remembers her student days

I studied English (hons) here from 1972 to 1975. At the time, it had the reputation of being one of the best women’s colleges in the city. But what attracted me most was its excellent English department faculty. But our learning wasn’t just limited to academic knowledge. There was a high level of classroom interaction between students and teachers. Once, our entire class was very rude to a professor named Dipti Mitra. But she was the epitome of gentleness. We were immediately repentant. The next day, we apologised. And again, her response was unexpected. "It happens," she said. It reflected her greatness. Such lessons went beyond academic learning and moulded personalities. There was also emphasis on cultural activities and recreation. I remember that the college kept many bicycles and I used to take part in slow cycling races.

As told to Dola Mitra