Establishment and Affiliation
The institute has evolved into its present stature in a span of more than 186 years. It was established on 4 May 1836 as a school by the directors of the East India Company in compliance with Lord Macaulay’s policy for the expansion of education in India. In 1861 the school was affiliated to Calcutta University. Then, after 7 years, on 17th Feb 1868 it received the status of an Intermediate College. Thus this college became the first college of English education in Rajasthan. Then after it was up-graded to a full-degree college affiliated to Allahabad University in 1869 and later on the affiliation was shifted to Agra University in 1927.
After independence, in 1956, when Ajmer state was merged into Rajasthan,the College got affiliated to the University of Rajasthan. In 1987, the affiliation was transferred to the then established Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati University, Ajmer.
Evolution as a Pioneer Institute of Education
At its inception, the government school was started by Marcus Hare, as the first headmaster, alongwith two Indian teachers in Hindi and Urdu. New courses were gradually introduced and it was up-graded to a full-degree college in 1869.
In 1946, in this institution of higher education, Post-graduate Programmes were also introduced in the courses of Economics, Zoology and Botany. In 1948, Post-graduate teaching was taken up in the subjects of History, Political Science and English Literature. The Faculty of Commerce was introduced in 1949 and Postgraduate classes in Mathematics were initiated in 1952.
The string of addition of the Post-graduate classes perpetuated with the inclusion of Hindi Literature in 1953 followed by Sanskrit and Commerce in 1955 and Physics and Rajasthani Shastra in 1959.
The classes for Bachelor of Law (LLB) were also introduced during the session 1952-53. From the session 1978-79, two programmes of one year PG Diploma ‘Labor Law (D.L.L.) and Criminology (D.C.L.) were introduced and the Post-graduation in Law (LLM) was initiated during the session 2005-2006, under the self-financing scheme. Then after the Law Department of the Government College itself was upgraded as Government Law College, Ajmer, by the order of the State Government dated 13-May 2005.
Facilities and intelligentia for high level research have been available in this college since 1920.
Samrat Prithviraj Chauhan Government College, Ajmer has always been a leading institution of education in North-India. Its imposing edifice and sprawling grounds cover an area of 114967.44 square metres in the heart of the city.
The College Building
Initially in 1836 the school was housed in the ‘King Edward Memorial’ building, presently located at the Station Road Ajmer. in 1851 the ‘Ajmer School’ was shifted to a building named ‘Blue Castle’. On acquiring the status of an intermediate college in 1868 there was an increase in the number of students. To meet the increasing demand for larger accommodation for classes, by the increasing number of students, the foundation stone of the present building was laid on 17 February 1868 by General Keating who was the then Agent of the Governor General in Rajputana.in the first Phase, along with the main building of the college, the Principal and Vice Principal residences were built up.
In 1883, 1894 and 1911, these college buildings were expanded respectively. In 1904, the first hostel building was built in the College premises. In 1920, the old building of the Department of Biology was constructed and in 1935 the building of the Department of Chemistry was erected.
To commemorate the Centenary year celebrations, in 1936, the sports Pavilion was constructed as the ‘Centenary Pavilion’. The building of the present arts faculty and various laboratories were constructed consecutively. The Maharana Pratap Auditorium, which is unique and the only one of its kind in any educational institution of Northern India, was built in 1959. Tennis and Badminton courts were built in 1963. The present library building was constructed in 1961 and its upper floor was raised in 1976.
New buildings were added and existing ones extended, from time to time as per the expanding need of this leading educational institution. The latest additions to the building of the institution during the last decade, includes the Nehru Bhawan, the Gymnasium, the new Geography lab etc. while the ‘Games Pavilion – II’ is under construction.
Academicians and Alumni
The college boasts of its heritage lineage, visionary academicians and able administrators who have shaped the college into the present illustrious institution of Rajasthan. This educational institution has been steered by stalwarts like Prof. P. Seshadri, Prof.S.S. Mathur, Prof. Bhimsen, Prof.V.V.John etc.The late Principal Sheshadri, whose statue now stands in the garden – his living monumental memory erected by his students, as if observing with pleasure the progress of this institution with rapidstrike, was the first Indian Principal of this institution – from 1932 to 1942. Prof. V.V. John, Prof.R.S. Kapoor and Prof. C. B. Gena former principals of this institute later served as Vice Chancellors of various universities. It is worth noting that Prof. V.V. John had resigned from IAS and had adorned the post of Principal of this college.
The contribution of this institution in the education world is commendable. Educationists,Administrative and Judicial officers as well as Politicians of yesteryears and the present era have been educated from this institute.
The name of the former Governor of Punjab, His Excellency Mr. V.P. Singh of Badnore, is taken with respect among the alumni who have brought laurels to the college, holding high positions. Dr. Nagendra Singh, who was also the Chief Justice of the International Court of Justice, is among the former students who have adorned the top positions in the judiciary. Other notable dignitaries in the line being, Dr. P. Beri who retired from the post of Chief Justice of Rajasthan High Court and Justice P. D. Kudal, Justice Dalip Singh, Justice Sajjan Singh Kothari who retired as a Judge of Rajasthan High Court. In the subordinate judiciary too, the students who got higher education from this college have rendered their services over the years.
Ms. Savitri Kunadi(Indian Foreign Service) who represented India to the UN Office in Geneva, Colonel BKD Badgel who was awarded the prestigious Vir Chakra, Shri Ajay Vikram Singh Ji who served as Defence Secretary in Indian Administrative Service Central Government as well as Shri Atul Sharma Ji, former Divisional Commissioner of Ajmer, Shri Devendra Singh ji, who had served as Director General of Rajasthan Police and Chairman of Rajasthan Public Service Commission also got their education from this college.
Shri Vinay Gupta, who pursued his graduation and post graduation (Physics) from this college, was awarded the prestigious Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award in the year 2017.
Many of our Alumni have garnered political mileage in their career Mr. Bhupendra Yadav, who is currently serving as a Cabinet Minister in the Central Government and Mrs. Anita Bhadel who served as a Minister of State in the Government of Rajasthan, are the names worth mentioning.
The institute has been the harbinger of all round development of its scholars right from its inception. In the Indian team selected for Moscow Olympics – 1980, three of the then regular students of the college got a place: Paramjit Singh, Hanuman Singh and Zorawar Singh ji; Similarly, Reema Dutta and Manjari Bhargava got a place in the Asian Games for swimming.
Thus basking in a glorious past Samrat Prithviraj Chauhan Government College, Ajmer is striding forth on the path paved by its progenitors.