Dhiman Dasgupta's Review On Asutosh College, Kolkata

Asutosh College is a great institution that have had great names associated with it. While the world knows about Einstein, few knows about the Raychaudhuri equation without which Einstein's theory is incomplete. The creator, Prof. Amal Kumar Raychaudhuri aka AKR, taught at my college once upon a time.

I entered Asutosh College directly on the merit of my ICSE scores in year 1988. My score in ICSE was 79%. I passed the +12 WBHSE in 2nd Division and decided to study sociology. I felt knowledge was more important than career - a person with sound knowledge and worldview can automatically make his/her two ends meet.

There was no scope of internship and stipends from the college in early 1990s. In tech or b schools maybe it was different, but not in mainstream colleges. However, in 1992, I joined an advertising agency to do my apprenticeship in the trade that eventually gave me a 20 year long career.

Again, in those days placement and job opportunities on campus was unheard of in mainstream colleges. Colleges imparted knowledge discourse and did not spoon-feed the pupil. The life ahead was for one to fend for oneself - the times were tough and unemployment was immense. There was nothing on offer in terms of packages, job guarantee etc.

I had served as the cultural secretary in the students union for two terms. The two major events every year - the Freshers' Welcome and the College Social and I had to manage both. These were the years bengali music was taking a turn to get back its lost glory and the movement was spear headed by the composer-lyricist singer Suman Chatterjee. I was lucky to have him perform at one of my Socials.

Thanks to the government policy, it was extremely affordable. We had to pay a monthly fee of Rs.35/- only. At the time of entrance and examinations, the fees were slightly higher and I do not remember them at this point. But, the state govt's policy for an affordable education made it an even ground for pupils from all economic categories.

Scholarships in University of Calcutta were a thing of the past. It is only in the doctoral or post-doctoral realm could one expect to get an university grant. In early nineties, banks did not have a product called "Education Loan" as the central govt did not have a policy for it. Actually, Education as an industry was still in its early infancy.

There was little extra-curricular activities on campus. Our sports arena was located 5 km away beside Fort William. The labs were pretty well equipped. Those were, however, years of great debating. We were observing the disintegration of Soviet Union, western attack on Iraq and the rise of right wing politics in India in forms of Babri Masjid demolition. College life was full of political debate.

The Alumni network is fractured and exist primarily on social networks online. The physical one meets up twice a month at a designated venue near the college. Camaraderie is in great action, and I am a beneficiary. Palliative cancer care of my mother was done at a lesser cost at a college senior's nursing home and under the caring guidance of an oncologist who is a school buddy.

Those were neither the days of semesters not that of liberal marking. Of the eight papers, four were to be cleared at the end of the second year and four more at the end of the third. Hence the pressure was there. But, since I loved the subjects I studied and took academic interest in them - my walk on the tracks was much smoother than many.

Faculty at the Dept. of Sociology at Asutosh College was of high standard. One of the professors deserve a special mention - Prof. Amritava Banerjee - popularly known as AB. He, apart from being a teacher was the Political Secretary to the Marxist leader EMS Nambudripad. The way AB taught us Marx and the incubation of Sociology in 19th Century was awesome. His teachings continue to be a great influence in my life. This great man passed away in 2013.