Gujarat College

Gujarat Arts & Science College, popularly and earlier known as Gujarat College, is one of the oldest educational institution of India and second arts and science college of Gujarat, near Ellis Bridge, Ahmedabad. The institution was founded in 1860 as a government-run educational institute. It was established as regular college in 1879, and is now under the direct management of the Education Department of Government of Gujarat.

Gujarat College started as a small educational institution in 1860 due to efforts of T. C. Hope, who inspired local people for charity, which led to the start of the institution. Thus the institute was started in 1860 as Gujarat Providential College but ceased to work in 1872. However, after a gap of five years it was restarted in 1879 as Gujarat College under management of the Gujarat College Committee, which at that time was under the able leader ship of local textile magnate, Rai Bahadur Sheth Ranchhodlal Chotalal. Later his grandson and philanthropist Sardar Sir Chinubhai Madhavalal Bert, ICE in 1897 came forward and donated 33 acres of land along with generous cash donations worth millions of rupees for the expansion of Gujarat College. To mention, in the year 1897, he donated ₹6 lakh (US$8,900) and further ₹20 lakh (US$30,000) for the construction of Arts College to which he further added a sum of ₹1.5 lakh (US$2,200) for a library and college hall. The buildings that came up from these donations were Madhavlal Ranchodlal Science Institute named after father of Sir Chinubhai, Sydenham Library and George V Hall, which all were inaugurated by Lord George Sydenham Clarke in 1912, 1915 and 1917, respectively. The Engineer, Rai Bahadur Himmatlal Dhirajram Bhachech, who was President of Ahmadabad Municipality at that time, overlooked the construction of college buildings. The first college building was constructed in the year 1897, which followed more buildings appearing on the land using the generous flow of donations by Sir Chinubhai Madhavalal, Bert, ICE, who again donated another sum of ₹10 lakh (US$15,000) as patron of College .

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