There is a festive spirit abroad on the campus of Mumbai’s oldest liberal arts college- Wilson College, Mumbai- as it celebrates the 200th birth anniversary of its eponymous founder during the current academic year

In the heart of Mumbai’s upscale Marine Drive and fringing its famous Chowpatty sea face, stands the gothic brown and white stone building of Wilson College (estb. 1832), one of the oldest institutions of higher education in the country. Right now there’s a festive spirit in the college as it celebrates the 200th birth anniversary of its founder, Rev. Dr. John Wilson (1804-1875). 

To mark the occasion, the Wilson College management has organised a host of functions through the current academic year, starting with the release by Maharashtra governor S.M. Krishna on April 28 of Vision and Beyond, a commemorative volume published in honour of Wilson. “This volume has been planned as a tribute to Dr. Wilson’s life and contribution and will help us understand his legacy as we move forward in the 21st century. Wilson College has a great legacy of liberalism, commitment and a willingness to reach out to members of the larger community. The members of the bicentennial celebrations committee, as well as members of the commemorative volume committee have taken great pains in putting together a compendium which connects the past with the future,” says Dr. V.J. Sirwaiya, a biochemistry and education alumnus of Mumbai University who took charge as principal of Wilson College in June 2000. Sirwaiya who joined Wilson College in 1982, served as hostel warden and treasurer before taking over as principal.

Though Wilson College opened its doors to its first batch of 30 students in 1832, it moved into its present premises (a declared heritage structure spread over five and a half acres) in 1889, and as such is older than Mumbai University (founded 1857) itself. When Bombay University was formally decreed by vice regal charter, Wilson, together with the Grant Medical and Elphinstone colleges were affiliated with the new university. Since then, Wilson College which currently has an enrollment of 3,300 students instructed by a faculty of 137, has been engaged in attaining its mission “to produce intellectually well trained, morally upright, socially conscious and spiritually oriented men and women.”

With considerable success. It was the first college to initiate Sanskrit studies; Dr. Dugald Mackichan who served as principal for 36 years (1884-1920) served as vice chancellor of Bombay University for a record four terms; it started the first bio chemistry department of Bombay University in 1934; Dr. J.H. Taylor of the college’s physics department was one of the founders (together with Dr. Homi Bhabha) of the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) Mumbai and the college’s in-house magazine The Wilsonian was started in 1909 and has been in continuous publication since. The educational work and scholarship of Dr. Wilson himself has received adequate recognition right from his nomination as one of the original Fellows named in the Act of Incorporation of Bombay University.

The vital advantage of the good start the college received 173 years ago has been maintained since. The National Assessment and Accreditation Council of India (NAAC), a subsidiary of the University Grants Commission, which rates the infrastructure and academic programmes of colleges across the country has awarded the college an A rating on a scale of A++ to D. Comments Sirwaiya: “Moreover under our Cooperative Education Program started in 1980 but reactivated recently, Wilson College has introduced co-curricular personal counselling and personality develop-ment life skills programmes.”

Unsurprisingly this ancient academic institution’s reputation has spread beyond national boundaries and the college has a tradition of attracting students from around the world, particularly from Africa ever since the legendary explorer Dr. David Living-stone sent students from there to be educated in Wilson College. This tradition continues and currently the college’s muster rolls include students from countries like Mauritius, Nigeria, Sudan and Ethiopia who are housed in its three hostels (including one for women students) with an aggregate capacity of 180.

Inevitably given the importance that successive managements accord holistic education, Wilson students have distinguished themselves in boxing and cricket among other sports. The college’s female boxing team is nationally rated and a woman student was recently awarded a Rs.10,000 scholarship by the National Cricket Academy. Wilson’s fine arts club managed by the Literary Society and the Students Council aims at encouraging and nurturing artistic talent and to this end regularly organises workshops in Indian music where eminent Indian artistes perform. Wilson’s distinguished alumni include former prime minister Morarji Desai, former Bombay municipal commissioner S.S. Tinaikar, former Indian test cricketer Dilip Sardesai and internationally renowned danseuse Dr. Kanak Rele.

As part of the bicentenary celebrations of Dr. Wilson, Sirwaiya has drawn up a blueprint for sprucing up the heritage main building of the college. With its elaborate infrastructure, the building needs constant maintenance, especially considering its age and location on Mumbai’s seafront. The college’s auditorium with stained glass roof panels, 32 spacious classrooms, a counselling centre and staff quarters, apart from its five and a half acre gymkhana on Marine Drive, demand constant upkeep. A Maharashtra government allocation of Rs.35 lakh towards the Dr. John Wilson bicentenary celebrations will help to renovate the main building. “We are planning to spend the remaining amount on roof repairs, acoustics and sound proofing of the college hall and other areas. Looking ahead, we plan to strengthen existing departments and start new self-financing courses. More ambitious future plans will be announced in 2007 at the time of celebration of the 175th anniversary of the college,” says Sirwaiya.

Quite evidently an institution built to endure.

Admission and fees

Wilson College offers BA, B.Sc and professional degree programmes. They include:

Arts: English, French, Hindi, Sanskrit, economics, history, philosophy, political science, sociology and Marathi.

Science: Botany, chemistry, microbiology, physics, mathematics and zoology.

Professional courses: Bachelor of mass media, Bachelor of management studies, computer science, and biotechnology. 

Admission. Students seeking admission into junior college (Plus Two) should have cleared the class X exam of the ICSE/ CBSE or any state board. For admission into first year degree (BA or B.Sc),candidates should have successfully completed class XII. However for admission into the BMS and BMM degree programmes, students are required to write an entrance test conducted by the college.

Tuition fee (annual). Junior college (Rs.1,000); BA (Rs.3,250); B.Sc (Rs.4,500); B.Sc biotechnology (Rs.12,500); B.Sc computer science (Rs.13,500); Bachelor of mass media (Rs.11,000); Bachelor of management sciences (Rs.11,000) 

Accommodation. Wilson College administers three hostels with an aggregate capacity of 180. The hostel fee is Rs.5,000 per term.

For further information write to the Principal, Wilson College, Marine Drive, Mumbai 400 001.

Gaver Chatterjee (Mumbai)

Also read: Mumbai University’s downward spiral