GUWAHATI: Cotton College, now Cotton University completed 120 years of its glorious existence on Thursday.
In 1901, Sir Henry Stedman Cotton, the chief commissioner of the erstwhile British province of Assam established Cotton College, the first college of the entire northeastern part of India.
Since then, Cotton has remained a torchbearer not only in terms of higher education, but also the cultural, literary, sports, political and intellectual arenas of the region.
It was upgraded to a university in 2011 as Cotton College State University by an Assam government act.
It was renamed as Cotton University in 2017.
Assam chief minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma was also an alumnus of this leading institution of the region. Sarma was the general secretary of Cotton College Union Society (CCUS) for three terms in 1988-89, 1989-90 and 1991-1992.
It was during his term as GS of the CCUS in 1992, Cotton College became a Centre of Excellence as declared by then President Shankar Dayal Sharma paving the way for it to become a post-graduate college.
Expressing his gratefulness to his alma mater on its 121st foundation day, Sarma wrote on Twitter, “My alma mater Cotton College ~ Now Cotton University, grows 120 years young! I learnt the ABC of life & politics at this pious temple of knowledge. I shall forever remain indebted to all that I gained here. Many old memories I savor, and cherish forever. My greetings to all.”
My alma mater Cotton College ~ Now Cotton University, grows 120 years young!
I learnt the ABC of life & politics at this pious temple of knowledge. I shall forever remain indebted to all that I gained here. Many old memories I savor, and cherish forever.
My greetings to all. pic.twitter.com/S9PwOMuiMx
— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) May 27, 2021
On the other hand, the university has organised a virtual foundation lecture which will be delivered by professor emeritus and former director of IIT, Guwahati D. N. Buragohain on ‘Self-reliant India’.
The lecture will be broadcast live on official Facebook page of Cotton University from 3 p.m.
Chief minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma will also address the Cotton fraternity through a recorded video message.
Education minister Ranoj Pegu will attend the event as chief guest.
Read: HIMANTA BISWA SARMA: EARLY LIFE, EDUCATION, POLITICAL CAREER AND INTERESTING FACTS
