加尔各答大学创建于1857年，是印度3所历史最悠久、规模最大的综合性大学之一。

　　加尔各答大学的管辖范围包括印度整个北部地区，截止80年代末，该校共有16个学院（67个系）、5个大学学院和211个附属学院，注册学生达15万人。

　　16个学院是文学院、理学院、商学院、新闻学院、家政学院、图书馆学院、工程学院、技术学院、美术与音乐学院、社会福利与商业管理学院、医学院、牙科学院、顺势疗法与外科学院、印度草药与外科学院。

　　在大学文学院、大学科学技术学院、大学医学院、大学商学院和大学法学院中，前3个学院的规模最大。大学文学院共开设20个专业，外语类专业有英语和法语；语言类专业是比较语言学、孟加拉语、阿拉伯语与波斯语、印地语、梵语、巴利语（古印度语言之一，现为佛教之宗教语言）、乌尔都语（通用于巴基斯坦和印度）、泰米尔语（南亚地区用语）；其他人文和社会科学专业有历史、古印度史与文化、考古学、哲学、社会学、教育学、经济学、图书馆学、新闻学、政治学。大学科学技术学院开设的21个专业是农学、人类学、生物化学、植物学、动物学、地理学、地质学、化学工程、化学工艺、纯化学、计算机科学、应用数学、纯数学、应用物理、纯物理、生理学、心理学、应用心理学、塑料与橡胶工艺学、无线电物理学与电子学、统计学。大学医学院共开设24个专业，它们是：眼科学、矫形学、麻醉学、药物学、生理学、生理医学、放射诊断学、放射疗法、解剖学、胸外科、儿童健康、医学、普外科、实验外科、生物化学、癌症研究、神经病学、妇产科等、心病学、医学微生物学与寄生虫学、皮肤病学与性病学、胸腔疾病、病理学等。

　　加尔各答大学的其他重要学术机构是：3个系级博物馆（分属于人类学系、商业系、古印度史与文化系），两个高级研究中心（分设在无线电物理学与电子学系、古印度史与文化系），以及阿苏托什艺术博物馆。后者建于1937年，是印度的第一个大学艺术博物馆，馆内藏有8000件珍品，犹如民间艺术画廊，如雕塑、绘画、织品、陶器、金属制品、象牙制品等，反映了公元前两世纪到近代各时期东印度和孟拉加国的艺术传统。

　　加尔各答大学是印度重要的教学和科学研究中心，它吸引了一批著名教授和学者到此任教，同时又培养了不少优秀人才。

　　印度物理学家C・凡卡塔・拉曼教授毕业于马德拉斯学院，当加尔各答大学建立物理系时，他在该系任教授，积极推动大学开展科学研究。拉曼自1920年起着手光散射的实验研究，1928年在其著名论文“一种新的辐射”中首先指出散射光中有新的不同波长成份，它和散射物质的结构有密切关系。这一现象后被称为“拉曼效应”。1930年，因发现分子辐射的新应获诺贝尔物理学奖。

　　著名学者梅格纳德・N・鲍斯1915年获加尔各答大学理科硕士学位，1917年开始在母校担任物理学讲师，1945年任物理教授。他和梅格纳德・N萨哈共同完成了萨哈一鲍斯方程，1958年当选为英国皇家学会会员。

　　加内什・普拉萨德博士被誉为印度教学研究之父，1914-1918年在加尔各答大学任数学教授，1923年又到该校任高等数学教授。他认为，开展科学研究和教学工作同样是大学的重要职能，并于1919年率先创办了巴纳拉斯数学学会。

　　加尔各答大学的办学思想曾对以后印度成立的大学产生了较大影响。

    Throughout the first half of the nineteenth century the then British rulers of the country were coming to realize the need for establishing modern universities in India, partly in their own interests and partly as a result of the efforts of a small group of liberals within the ruling classes who genuinely wished to spread modern education among the Indian masses.

    In 1845, the Council of Education which then consisted of F.Millett, James Alexander, C.C.Egerton, Rassomay Dutt, Prosunno Coomar Tagore and Dr. FJ.Mouat formulated a proposal for the establishment of a University of Calcutta. The University of Calcutta was to consist of a Chancellor, a Vice-Chancellor and Fellows. The Governor-General of India was to be the Chancellor and Visitor of the University. There would be four Faculties. The Chancellor, the Vice-Chancellor, and the members of the Faculties were to form a body politic and corporate to be known as the University of Calcutta.

    In July 1854, the Court of Directors of the East India Company sent a 'despatch' to the Governor General of India in Council suggesting the establishment of the Universities of Calcutta, Madras and Bombay. In pursuance of the despatch, the University of Calcutta was founded on January 24,1857 by the incorporation of an Act of the Legislative Council (Act No. II of 1857).

    Sir James William CoIvile was appointed the first Vice-Chancellor of the University of Calcutta. The Lieutenant Governors of Bengal and North-Western Provinces, the Chief Justice of Bengal, the Bishop of Calcutta and members of the Supreme Council of India, all for the time-being, were to be ex-officio Fellows of the University of Calcutta. Twenty-nine Ordinary Fellows were also nominated. The Governor-General-in-Council also laid down certain directions regarding the appointment of the Registrar of the University and the examiners for different examinations. The Senate was directed to promulgate the rules proposed by the Committee and approved by the Government and frame such others as might be considered necessary.

    The University Act , Act No. II of 1857, was passed by the Legislative Council and received the Governor-General's assent on 24th January 1857. The University of Calcutta was brought into existence even before the Act received the formal assent of the Governor General. The first meeting of the Senate was held on 3rd January, 1857. The Vice-Chancellor and twenty-two Fellows were present. The Senate appointed Colnel W. Grappel, Professor of Jurisprudence, Presidency College as Registrar of the University for two years.

    Though the first meeting of the Senate was held on 3 January, 1857, the University did not immediately come to have a habitation of her own. Towards the end of 1872, at a cost of Rs. 4,34,697, the Senate Hall came into being. It was formally entered by the Senate of the University on 12 March 1873, on the occasion of the Annual Convocation ceremony, led by the then Vice-Chancellor, E.C.Bailey and the Chancellor Lord Northbrook.

    On 13 March, 1875, Vice-Chancellor Bailey remarked in his Convocation Address that time had arrived when the University itself might very properly, within its means, assume, to some extent, actual teaching of the highest character. It was only in 1917, however, that all post-graduate teaching in Calcutta was centralized under the direct and immediate control of the University itself.

    Soon after the University had come into the possession of and settled down in its own habitat, an addition of Rs. 3500 from the surplus received of the University for the year 1873-74, was made to the Library Fund , the nucleus of which had already been formed by the donation of Rs.5000 by Joykissen Mookerjee of Uttarpara. From the closing balance of the financial year 1875-76, an addition of Rs. 1500 was made to the Library Fund. A valuable collection of the publications of the Early English Text Society was also received as gift during the year. Thus was laid the foundation of the Library, which has today grown into what may be called the University Library system consisting of a Central Library and Departmental Libraries in that different University Campuses.

    The Hon'ble Justice Gooroodas Banerjee became the first Indian Vice-Chancellor of University of Calcutta in the year 1890. Sir Asutosh Mukherjee was the Vice-Chancellor for four consecutive two-year terms (1906-1914) and a fifth two-year term (1921-23). To this day Sir Asutosh remains the most illustrious Vice-Chancellor in the history of this University. It was during his tenure that the University reached a pinnacle of glory as an educational institution of the finest quality.

    The decade of the 1930's is also significant in the history of the University. Syamaprasad Mukherjee who became Vice-Chancellor in August 1934, took up the helm of the vessel which his illustrious father Asutosh Mookerjee had launched on its historic voyage. The Central Library of the University was shifted from the Darbhanga Building to the newly built third floor of the Asutosh Building to accommodate the swelling number of books and readers. Within a few years the Calcutta University Press brought out a large number of books written by a galaxy distinguished authors on various branches of learning.

    In 1934, a proposal was mooted to establish an art gallery and museum in connection with post-graduate studies in Ancient Indian History and Culture. It took shape and form in 1937 when the Asutosh Museum of Indian Art was opened in the Western Hall of the then Senate House. Today Asutosh Museum is one of the richest University museums in India.

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