Overview

Cotton University also known as CU, is a public state university located in Guwahati, Assam, India. It was established in 2017 by the provisions of an Act from the Assam Legislative Assembly which merged Cotton College State University and Cotton College. The university has progressed to become one of the top 200 institutions of the country (appearing on the list of 150–200 in the National Institutional Ranking Framework rank list in May 2020). However, as of 2024, Cotton University is ranked 373rd in the NIRF, whereas Gauhati University holds a commendable 40th position in the same ranking. Cotton College was established in 1901 by Sir Henry Stedman Cotton, chief commissioner of the former British province of Assam. It was the oldest institute of higher education in Assam and all of Northeast India. Cotton College became a constituent college of Gauhati University in 1948, and then of Cotton College State University when it was established in 2011, by an Act (Act XIX of 2011) of the Assam Government. The Cotton University Act, 2017, was enacted to resolve problems between the college and the university. == Accreditation == Cotton University, then Cotton College, was accredited with an "A++" grade and a cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of 3.76 on a four-point scale by the 18th SC Executive Committee of the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) on 5 November 2016, reflecting high institutional quality. As of 6 September 2024, the university's accreditation status was revised to an "A" grade with a CGPA of 3.05 on a seven-point scale. == History == In 1899 Manick Chandra wrote to the British government asking to open a college in Guwahati, in so far as Assam was the only province with no college and that Guwahati was the most convenient location. In response, Sir Henry Stedman Cotton, K.C.S.I., then the Chief Commissioner of Assam, announced on 3 November 1899 that a college would be opened in Guwahati. Cotton College, named by the public, was inaugurated on 27 May 1901 by Cotton himself. Before 1948, It was affiliated with Calcutta University and began with five professors which included Frederick William Sudmerson, the first principal of the college, and 39 students. The college was the centre of the freedom movement as well as literary and cultural movements of the state, which aimed to build Assam's identity as a distinct, integral component of India. When Gauhati University was established in 1948, Cotton College became affiliated with it as a constituent college. In 2015, the college was declared a Special Heritage College. On 16 October 1992, the college was named as a center of excellence, an occasion celebrated in a solemn ceremony with Shankar Dayal Sharma, then President of India, and it officially became a post-graduate college. === Cotton College State University === Cotton College State University was created through an Act of the Government of Assam (Act XIX of 2011). This act received the assent of the Governor of Assam on 3 September 2011, published in the Assam Gazette on 5 September 2011. The Cotton College became its constituent college. The election for the university's first Academic Council and University Court was held on 22 February 2013 with three and five members elected respectively. === Cotton University === Over time, conflicts emerged between the university and the college chiefly over the custody of properties. The Assam Legislative Assembly passed an amendment in 2015 that the university and the college be run as separate institutes. The bill, called The Cotton University Act 2017, was passed by the Assam Legislative Assembly on 2 March 2017 in order to resolve these problems. By this act, the university and college would be completely merged. Upon enforcement, the university was renamed Cotton University. By ordinance, the governor of Assam, Banwarilal Purohit became chancellor, who then appointed Bhabesh Chandra Goswami as the first vice chancellor in July 2017. == Campus == Cotton University's campus spans 39.82 acres in Panbazar, Guwahati, an area known for its bustling streets and key landmarks, including the BSNL office, Reserve Bank of India, Gauhati High Court, and Handique Girls College. The Dighalipukhuri bus stop, situated nearby, connects to several key townships, contributing to the area's vibrant atmosphere. == Controversy == On 6 October 2018, violence broke out in connection with student politics at Cotton University in Guwahati, as the university prepared for its upcoming campus elections. Nabajit Dutta, a candidate for the position of general secretary, and another student, Trinayan Baruah, were attacked by unknown assailants in the Japorigog area. Both students sustained injuries but were able to escape. A formal complaint (FIR) was filed at the Dispur police station following the incident. On 8 December 2019, a video of Cotton University students chanting slogans of "Azaadi" gained attention on social media amid ongoing protests against the Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB) in Assam. The video, shared by Facebook user Ivan Ahmed, depicted students expressing their discontent with the government. The chants included demands for freedom from the CAB and targeted specific leaders such as Assam's the then Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, the then Finance and Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, and the then Education Minister Siddhartha Bhattacharya. The students were heard chanting "Sarbananda se azaadi, Himanta se azaadi, Bharat se azaadi, Siddhartha se azaadi," along with calls for liberation from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). The Students’ Union of Cotton University had organized a rally called Rono Hunkaar, or 'War Cry,' to protest the controversial bill, which aims to provide a pathway to citizenship for undocumented non-Muslims from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh. This legislation has faced significant opposition from residents of Assam and other northeastern states. The Northeast Students’ Organisation (NESO) announced a regional shutdown to mark collective dissent against the CAB, which was scheduled for final review in the Rajya Sabha. On 8 January 2020, students of Cotton University in Guwahati hoisted black flags to protest against the attack on students and teachers at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), which has been a controversial institution often labeled as anti-nationalist. The Cotton University students expressed solidarity with the victims and demanded government action against the attackers. Sudarshan Kaushik Sarma emphasized concerns about student safety, stating that if safety could not be ensured in the national capital, other regions would also be at risk. The Assam Students' Forum also called for the resignation of Union Home Minister Amit Shah over the incident. On 7 January 2022, at least 15 students from Cotton University were injured in a clash between two hostels: Mahendra Nath Deka Phukan (MNDP) and Sita Nath Brahma Choudhury (SNBC). The altercation arose over the results of the university's student union general elections. One of the injured students, Pragyan Protim Bora, was severely hurt and was initially taken to Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) before being transferred to a private hospital in the city the following day. According to Prithviraj Rajkhowa, assistant commissioner of police in Guwahati, the incident occurred around 10:30 PM on Wednesday, shortly after the election results were announced. The elections, which took place on Tuesday, were closely contested. The MNDP hostel, supported by the Satra Mukti Sangram Samiti (SMSS), secured three key positions: vice-president, general secretary, and assistant general secretary. In contrast, the SNBC hostel, backed by the Asom Chatra Parishad (ACP), managed to win only the presidency. SMSS is affiliated with Sivasagar MLA Akhil Gogoi’s Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS), while the ACP is the student wing of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party’s key ally, the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP). Rustom Raj Brahma, the officer in charge of the Panbazar police station, noted that both hostels filed First Information Reports (FIRs) against each other. The MNDP hostel accused students from the SNBC hostel of attacking them with sticks and bamboo, as well as pelting stones, resulting in injuries to over 15 students from the MNDP hostel. A similar FIR was lodged by the SNBC hostel against the MNDP hostel, containing similar allegations. On 2 July 2022, several students at Cotton University in Guwahati were injured during a clash between two hostels in the early hours of Saturday. Around 1:45 AM, inmates of a boys' hostel reportedly threw bricks, bottles, and other objects at another hostel. Several students who were asleep at the time sustained injuries, with some retaliating by throwing similar objects. One student was seriously injured and required admission to Gauhati Medical College and Hospital. The circumstances leading to the clash remain unclear; however, university sources indicated that tensions on campus had increased following the general secretary of the students' union's decision to join the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). On the preceding Thursday, students, particularly those residing in various hostels, held a demonstration on campus, expressing their belief that he had been supported as an apolitical candidate and arguing that it was "unethical" for him to join a political party. Following the incident, a case was filed, and an investigation was initiated by the police and the students were arrested. On 14 November 2022, Guwahati Police arrested Anupam Mali for allegedly attacking Rapido driver Sajid Choudhury on November 10 near the Guwahati Railway Station. The incident involved a group of Cotton University students following their elections. CCTV footage showed Mali carrying a wooden log during the assault. While Trinayan Baruah, an Asom Chatra Parishad leader, was present, he was not directly involved in the attack. The case raised concerns about the safety of app-based drivers, especially during late hours, with calls for more government action. A 21-year-old female student from Cotton University in Guwahati was reported to have died by suicide at her residence in Goreswar, located in Assam's Tamulpur district, on 2 December 2022. According to police, the victim was a BA fifth-semester student at the university. Her body was discovered hanging from the ceiling fan at her home. Authorities found a suicide note and are currently investigating the circumstances surrounding her tragic decision. The note indicated that the student attributed her actions to her difficult financial situation, stating, "My economic condition is extremely bad; I am ugly; I hate my life." On 24 February 2023, a Higher Secondary student from Cotton University, Surya Narayan Das, was reported missing. Surya last spoke to his mother at 8:30 PM on Thursday, shortly before leaving his hostel room in Uzan Bazaar at 9 PM after dinner. In response to the report, the Latasil Police initiated a search operation to locate the missing student. He was never found and was later declared dead. On 6 March 2023, four students from Cotton University were arrested by Panbazar police for their alleged involvement in two separate assault incidents. The students, identified as Mriganka Kashyap, Hrishikesh Das, Mausam Mahanta, and Sanjay Rangthal, are all undergraduates in their sixth semester. Kashyap and Das, who reside at the MNDP hostel, are accused of attacking the district general secretary of the BJP Guwahati city unit. Meanwhile, Mahanta and Rangthal allegedly assaulted an employee of NF Railway at the Guwahati Railway Station. Sanjay, who was initially absconding, was apprehended at Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport. The arrests were made following two First Information Reports (FIRs) lodged at the Panbazar Police Station, leading to charges under sections 143, 279, 294, 307, and 326 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). On 27 November 2023, an alleged assault occurred involving students from Cotton University in Guwahati. The incident took place on the university campus, where a woman was reportedly attacked by a group of male students, said to be residents of the MNDP hostel. According to reports, the group of students was initially involved in an altercation with a man they accused of theft. When the woman and her husband attempted to intervene, they were allegedly assaulted by the students. The woman later reported that she was struck on the head, resulting in her losing consciousness. Following the incident, the students reportedly fled to the MNDP hostel and secured the gates. Authorities from the Panbazar police station responded to the scene, and the woman was taken for a medical examination. Panbazar police station Officer-in-Charge