Cotton University

Cotton University (formerly known as Cotton College) is a public state university located in Guwahati, Assam, India. It was established in 2017 by the provisions of an Act from the Assam Legislative Assembly which merged Cotton College State University and Cotton College. The University has progressed to become one of the top 200 institutions of the country (appearing on the list of 150–200 in the National Institutional Ranking Framework rank list in May 2020).

Cotton College was established in 1901 by Sir Henry Stedman Cotton, Chief Commissioner of the former British province of Assam. It was the oldest institute of higher education in Assam and all of Northeast India. Cotton College became a constituent college of Gauhati University in 1948, and then of Cotton College State University when it was established in 2011, by an Act (Act XIX of 2011) of the Assam Government. The Cotton University Act, 2017, was enacted to resolve problems between the college and the university.

History
In 1899 Manick Chandra wrote to the British government asking to open a college in Guwahati, in so far as Assam was the only province with no college and that Guwahati was the most convenient location. In response, Sir Henry Stedman Cotton, K.C.S.I., then the Chief Commissioner of Assam, announced on 3 November 1899 that a college would be opened in Guwahati. Cotton College, named by the public, was inaugurated on 27 May 1901 by Cotton himself. It was affiliated with Calcutta University and began with five professors which included Frederick William Sudmerson, the first principal of the college, and 39 students.

The college was the centre of the freedom movement as well as literary and cultural movements of the state, which aimed to build Assam's identity as a distinct, integral component of India. When Gauhati University was established in 1948, Cotton College became affiliated with it as a constituent college. In 2015, the college was declared a Special Heritage College.

On 16 October 1992, the college was named as a center of excellence, an occasion celebrated in a solemn ceremony with Shankar Dayal Sharma, then President of India, and it officially became a post-graduate college.

Cotton College celebrated its centennial with a year-long program from 27 May 2001 to 26 May 2002. Krishan Kant, then Vice President of India graced the closing ceremony. India Post issued a ₹4.00 commemorative postage stamp on 25 May 2002 as part of the centenary celebration.

Cotton College State University
Cotton College State University was created through an Act of the Government of Assam (Act XIX of 2011). This act received the assent of the Governor of Assam on 3 September 2011, published in the Assam Gazette on 5 September 2011. The Cotton College became its constituent college.

The election for the University's first Academic Council and University Court was held on 22 February 2013 with three and five members elected respectively.

Cotton University
Over time, conflicts emerged between the University and the College chiefly over the custody of properties. The Assam Legislative Assembly passed an amendment in 2015 that the university and the college be run as separate institutes. The bill, called The Cotton University Act 2017, was passed by the Assam Legislative Assembly on 2 March 2017 in order to resolve these problems. By this act, the University and College would be completely merged. Upon enforcement, the university was renamed Cotton University. By ordinance, the Governor of Assam, Banwarilal Purohit became Chancellor, who then appointed Bhabesh Chandra Goswami as the first Vice Chancellor in July 2017.

Faculties and Centres

 * 1) Faculty of Languages, Literature and Linguistics
 * 2) Faculty of  Physical,  Chemical and Mathematical Sciences
 * 3) Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
 * 4) Faculty of Earth Sciences
 * 5) Faculty of Life Sciences
 * 6) Centre for Women's Studies

HSSLC
In keeping with the former Cotton College's traditions, courses leading to Higher Secondary School Leaving Certificate are possible in the Arts and Science streams. This qualification is awarded upon successful completion of two years of study followed by relevant examinations under the Assam Higher Secondary Educational Council.

Bachelors degrees
Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Computer Application, Bachelor of Liberal Arts, Bachelor of Mass Communication and Journalism and Bachelor of Science (Hons) Biotechnology graduate degrees are offered. The degrees are awarded upon successful completion of three years of study followed by relevant examinations under Cotton University.

Masters degrees
Postgraduate programs leading to the degrees of Master of Arts, Master of Science, Master of Library and Information Science, Master of Law, Master in Computer Application and Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning are offered. The degrees are awarded upon successful completion of two years of study followed by relevant examinations under Cotton University. Admission is offered by way of a national-level entrance examination.

Doctoral programme
The degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) is offered in all postgraduate departments. Admission opens annually in June/July. Selection is based on a written test and a viva voce oral examination. UGC/CSIR JRF/NET/SET qualified candidates are exempted from written tests.

Accreditation and ranking
This institution was accredited with a cumulative grade point average of 3.76 on a four-point scale and grade "A++" on 5 November 2016 by the 18th SC executive committee of the National Assessment and Accreditation Council. At the time, the cumulative grade point average score was the third-highest among colleges in India.

Hostels

 * 1) Krishna Kanta Handique Post Graduate Boys' Hostel (established in 1901; capacity 75 students in 22 rooms)
 * 2) Swahid Muzammil Haque Boys' Hostel (established in 1902; capacity 64 students in 20 rooms)
 * 3) Rajanikanta Bordoloi Boys' Hostel (established in 1910; capacity 85 students in 30 rooms)
 * 4) Swahid Ranjit Barpujari Boys' Hostel (established in 1913; capacity 93 students in 33 rooms)
 * 5) Anundo Ram Barooah Boys' Hostel (established in 1913; capacity 99 students in 33 rooms)
 * 6) Seetanath Brahma Chaudhury Boys' Hostel (established in 1929; capacity 90 students in 25 rooms)
 * 7) Mahendra Nath Deka Phukan Boys' Hostel (established in 1955; capacity 110 students in 28 rooms)
 * 8) Padmashree Nalini Bala Devi Girls' Hostel (established in 1950; capacity 112 students in 25 rooms)
 * 9) Swahid Kanaklata Girls' Hostel (established in 1971; capacity 105 students in 21 rooms)
 * 10) Dr. Kamala Roy Girls' Hostel (established in 2001; capacity 60 students in 25 rooms)

Noted alumni

 * Amulya Barua, Assamese poet
 * Nayandeep Deka Baruah, Indian mathematician and professor
 * Bhupen Hazarika, Bharat Ratna, Renowned playback singer, musician and filmmaker
 * Birendra Kumar Bhattacharya, Indian writer
 * Surya Kumar Bhuyan, former president of Asom Sahitya Sabha
 * Kopil Bora, Assamese actor
 * Gopinath Bordoloi, Bharat Ratna, Former Chief Minister of Assam
 * Homen Borgohain, Indian writer
 * Nirupama Borgohain, Indian journalist
 * Parineeta Borthakur, Assamese actor
 * Upendranath Brahma, former president of the All Bodo Students' Union.
 * Ambika Charan Choudhury, Indian litterateur, historian and activist
 * Moinul Hoque Choudhury, Indian politician
 * Rita Chowdhury, Indian writer
 * Arup Jyoti Das, Author
 * Ardhendu Kumar Dey, Indian politician
 * Lalit Kumar Doley, Indian politician
 * Akhil Gogoi, Peasant leader and MLA, Sibsagar, Assam
 * Ranjan Gogoi, 46th Chief Justice of India
 * Bhupendra Nath Goswami, Indian meteorologist
 * Indira Goswami, Indian writer
 * Jitendra Nath Goswami, Indian scientist
 * Parbati Kumar Goswami, Judge of India
 * Krishna Kanta Handique, Sanskrit scholar
 * Satish Chandra Kakati, ex-editor of The Assam Tribune
 * Gauri Shankar Kalita, Journalist
 * Kamalendu Deb Krori, Indian physicist
 * Jyotiprasad Medhi, Indian statistician
 * Okhil Kumar Medhi, former Vice Chancellor of Gauhati University
 * Motiur Rohman Mondal, Indian politician and physician
 * Arupa Kalita Patangia, Indian Novelist
 * Maitrayee Patar, Indian writer and singer
 * Kalpana Patowary, playback and folk singer (Bhojpuri and others)
 * Anuradha Sharma Pujari, Assamese journalist and author
 * Debapratim Purkayastha, Indian academic
 * Jyoti Prasad Rajkhowa, former governor of Arunachal Pradesh
 * Muhammed Saadulah, Prime Minister of Assam Province
 * Anupam Saikia, Indian mathematician.
 * Bhabendra Nath Saikia, Indian film director, famous writer
 * Hiteswar Saikia, former Chief Minister of Assam
 * Himanta Biswa Sarma, Chief Minister Of Assam
 * Sarat Chandra Sinha, former Chief Minister of Assam
 * Sonaram Sutiya, scholar, freedom fighter and educationist
 * Zerifa Wahid, Actor
 * Riniki Bhuyan Sarma, Indian businesswoman

Noted faculty

 * Abu Nasr Waheed, educationist, was a professor of Arabic and Persian at Cotton College.

List of principals
The institute had 50 principals from 1901 till 2012.