Year of Establishment

1961

Objectives

• To provide adequate infrastructure and facilities for the study of the Bengali language and literature at M.A. and PhD level.

• To assist fostering the latent aesthetic and critical capabilities of the students for the proper appreciation of the fullest import of language and literature on individual and society.

•To provide research facilities to scholars desirous of undertaking advanced researches on the subject.

Mission

The mission of the Department is to project the study of language and literature as an effecting vehicle for promoting the cause of the social cohesion and national integration.

Vision

The Department of Bengali was opened in the year 1961. Prof. Birinchi Kumar Baruah, who was the Head of the Assamese Department, acted as the in-charge of the Bengali Department. The Department earned its independent status as soon as Dr. Jatindra Mohan Bhattacharya joined the Department as its Reader and Head in 1964.

The Department aims at fostering the latent aesthetic and critical capability of students for proper appreciation of the fullest import of Language and Literature on the individual and society. Further, it seeks to provide research facilities to scholars interested in undertaking advanced researches on the subject.

History of the Department

The University of Guwahati was established in 1948. The Department of Bengali under this University started its journey in the year 1961. Initially the department did not run independently. Professor Birinchi Kumar Baruah, who was the Head of the Assamese Department, acted as the Head-in-charge of the Department till March 1964. Professor Maheswar Neog of the same Department also acted as a Head-in-charge of the Department of Bengali from March 1964 to September 1964. The department earned its independent status as soon as Dr. Jatindra Mohan Bhattacharya joined as Reader and Head in 1964. Initially, only 2(two) full time teachers, viz. Sri Sudhangsu Bhusan Dey and Sri Dipak Sen (since Dr.), were in the faculty although most teachers of the Assamese Department, viz. Dr. Birinchi Kumar Baruah, Dr. Maheswar Neog, Dr. Satyendra Nath Sharma, Sri Golak Chandra Goswami (since Dr.), Dr. Upendra Nath Goswami, Sri Sukumar Biswas (since Dr.) taught in the Bengali Department as part-time lecturers. Dr. Amasesh Dutta and Sri Hirendra Nath Dutta of English Department were also part-time lecturers in Bengali initially. The Department of Bengali, Gauhati University can claim to introduce the higher study in Bengali language and literature at first in North east India. Initially most of the students moved to Kolkata for the higher studies of the subject Bengali. But as soon as Gauhati university launched the course MA in Bengali, many students from various parts of Assam and North East India rushed to the Gauhati University for MA Degree.

In the beginning there were only 12(twelve) students in the Department, but gradually roll strength increased so much so that there are by average 120 students every year in the Department from 1970. However, with the introduction of Semester System the intake capacity was reduced to 40 students per semester. At the very beginning the Department followed a syllabus for M.A. very akin to Assamese and had a number of books from Sanskrit and English literature. In the final year, there were two divisions or groups, Group A offering literature and Group B Bengali linguistics for special study. The students had to offer any one of the two. The syllabus underwent a change in the year 1967 when portions of English and Sanskrit literature were dropped and new books from Bengali literature were enclosed. Keeping the group system intact, the syllabus was being reoriented from time to time. The Department had prepared a draft syllabus on a drastically changed pattern for the semester system which was placed before the Faculty Council by the month of August 2001. New and comprehensive, this was aimed at the necessity of the age. This syllabus came into effect in the year 2002. CBCS syllabus started from the Academic Session 2020-21. There are now 18(Eighteen) courses in four semesters. The first and second semester consist of 10(ten) courses having 4(four) Core courses and 1(one) Value Added course in each semester. The third semester consists of 4(four) courses of which 3(three) core courses and 1(one) elective course while the 4^th semester syllabus consists of 3(three) core courses of one 1(one) elective or open elective course.

At the beginning the Department was accommodated at the main Arts Building. In 1974 the Department was shifted to a newly constructed Arts Block. At present this building has been named DR. SURYYA KUMAR BHUYAN BHAWAN. There are at present 15 (fifteen) rooms at its disposal, four  class rooms, two for library, seven chambers for teachers , one for scholars, one for office and one  for Head’s chamber.

The Department of Bengali has a glorious history of its own. It is credited with a galaxy of scholars in the Bengali studies who held important positions in the department as well as in the research field of Bengali Literature. They are Dr. Jatindra Mohan Bhattacharyya, M.A., D. Litt.; Dr. Debidas Bhattacharyya, M.A., D. Litt.; Dr. Sukumar Biswas, M.A., Ph.D., D. Litt.; Dr. Dipak Sen, M.A., Ph. D.; Dr. Sukdeb Sinha, M.A., Ph.D.; Dr. Sudhangsu Shekhar Tunga, M.A., D. Litt.; Dr. Usharanjan Bhattacharyya, M.A., Ph.D.; Dr. Nikhilesh Purkait, M.A., Ph.D., D. Litt.; Dr. Birendra Nath Rakshit, M.A., Ph. D.; Dr. Amalendu Chakrabarty, M.A.(double), Ph.D.; Dr. Tarit Choudhury, M.A., Ph. D.; Sri Subhas Dey, M.A.(died in 2008); Dr. Binita Rani Das, M.A., Ph. D.  Other Members of the Department : Dr. Sanjay Bhattacharjee, M.A., Ph. D.; Ms. Devarati Jana; M.A., Dr. Rama Das, M.A. Ph.D; Dr. Rupasree Debnath, M.A. Ph.D; Dr. Shyamashyam Krishna Pujari Chattopadhyay; Dr.Barun Kumar Saha; Dr. Munshi Mahammad Saiful Ahamed, M.A. Ph.D  are also following that tradition.

Heads of the Bengali Department since its inception:

1) Dr. Birinchi Kr. Barua, MA. Ph.D , 1961-1964(March)

2) Dr. Maheswar Neog, MA. Ph.D, 1964 (March)–1964 (September)

3) Dr. Jatindra Mohan Bhattacharjee, MA. Ph.D,1964 (September)–1970 (June)

4) Dr. Sudhangsu Bhushan Dey, MA. Ph.D, 1970 (July) –1971(June)

5) Dr. Debidas Bhattacharjee, MA. Ph.D, 1971 (July)–1976(March)

6) Dr. Sukumar Biswas, MA. Ph.D, 1976 (April) –1977(March)

7) Dr. Sukdev Sinha, MA. Ph.D, 1977(March)–1979(March)

8) Dr. Sukumar Biswas, MA. Ph.D, 27.02.1981–31.12.1989

9) Dr. Dipak Sen, MA. Ph.D, 01.01.1990–25.09.1991

10) Dr. Sudhangshu Sekhar Tunga, MA. Ph.D, 26.09.1991–25.09.1994

11) Dr. Usharanjan Bhattacharya, MA. Ph.D, 26.09.1994–25.09.1997

12) Dr. NikhileshPurkait, MA. Ph.D, 26.09.1997–28.02.1998

13) Dr. Usharanjan Bhattacharya, MA. Ph.D, 01.03.1998–30.04.2006

14) Dr. Amalendu Chakrabarty, MA. Ph.D, 01.05.2006–30.04.2009

15) Dr. Tarit Kr. Choudhury, MA. Ph.D, 11.05.2009–20.10.2009

16) Dr. Amalendu Chakrabarty, MA. Ph.D, 21.10.2009–31.05.2019

17) Dr. Binita Rani Das, MA. Ph.D, 10.06.2019–Till Now.

Courses and Programmes

1. POST GRADUATE PROGRAMME:

Name of Programme: Master of Arts in Bengali

Duration of the Programme: 4 Semesters; 2 Years

Intake Capacity: 55 (Fifty Five)

2. RESEARCH PROGRAMMES:

Name of Programme: PhD in Bengali

Duration: Maximum of 5 years

Intake Capacity: Variable – As per availability of seats

Scholars Awarded Ph.D Degree (from July 2018):

1. Ratnadip Purakayastha, 2. Ananda Ghosh, 3. Runumi Chakraborty, 4. Kakali Mandal, 5. Sanjoy Sarkar, 6. Akram Hossain, 7. Mausumi Banik, 8. Ranjana Sarkar, 9. Saikat Routh, 10. Suchismita Bagchi, 11. Subhabrita Ghosh, 12. Aswini Sharma, 13. Swapan Das, 14. Shelly  Dutta.

Ongoing Ph.D. research Scholar:

1. Ranjoy Saha, 2. Subashis Saha, 3. Himadri Sekhar Chakbarty, 4. Mihir Mazumdar, 5. Abhijit Saha, 6. Anindita Saha, 7. Ritaja Bhattacharjee, 8. Swarnali Sarkar, 9. Bikash Bepari, 10. Chandrima  Bhattacharya, 11. Amrita sikidar, 12. Somen Paul, 13. Basab Das, 14. Rini Chatterjee, 15. Subrata  Roy, 16. Sujit Sarkar, 17. Priya Das, 18. Animesh Das, 19. Dipankar Saha, 20. Chaitali Garai,  21. Punam Dey, 22. Mofijul Sekh, 23. Sourav Saha, 24. Masuma Begom Tapadar, 25. Snehashish Roy, 26. Biswa Dhar, 27. Bappan Debnath, 28. Ranjan Debnath, 29. Reshmee Bir.