GUWAHATI, May 27 � Education Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma today said that State government would ensure that the Cotton College gets full autonomy to function as a university and does not have to lag behind due to fund crunch, but expected the institution to achieve new heights of excellence and bring about an educational renaissance in the State.
Speaking at the 112th foundation day of the historic institution, Sarma said that Cotton College has always been the pilgrimage of higher education in the State and it has achieved a very high position in the hearts of the people of Assam. But at the same time, considering the growing competition in the field of education, Cotton College has a long way to go to get its desired position.
The College, which got its name in the name of Chief Commissioner of Assam Province from 1896 to 1902, Sir Henry John Stedman Cotton, has presently been upgraded into Cotton College State University with effect from November 1, 2011.
Dr Amarjyoti Choudhury, Pro Vice-Chancellor of the Tezpur University while delivering the foundation day lecture said that the institution needs to promote new and innovative thinking and experiments in various fields to become a pathfinder institute for others.
�Cotton College does have a revered place in the hearts of people, but at the same time, it has to preserve its legacy in the future also. With the modern educational tools and new thinking process, the students should be guided to explore new horizons,� he added.
�As in a beautiful piece of music, higher education too can be viewed as a synthesis of points and counterpoints. Indeed its excellence stems from how successfully it mixes aloofness of scholarly studies with the urge to reach out to the society,� he added.
Earlier, principal of Cotton College Dr Nirada Devi, delivered the welcome address. Commissioner and Secretary to the Government of Assam, Department of Higher Education, HK Sarma and educationist SN Choudhury were also present on the occasion.
