A definite step towards the University social life in Bangalore was taken on March 3, 1930 when University Union was inaugurated by Dr. E P Metcalfe. The University Council entrusted the management of the Union in its initial stages to a provisional Working Committee, and after the first annual elections held on August 13, 1930 Prof. C. R. Narayana Rao was nominated the first President of the Union. The main aim of the Union was to create a necessary atmosphere for fostering in the minds of the rising generation, and the future citizens of our state, the ideals of true and enlightened citizenship. The membership of the union was compulsory for both the teaching staff and the students of the Central and Engineering Colleges and optional for Intermediate College and Medical School.
The Union provided a well-equipped reading room and amenities to play indoor games like chess, draughts, carom, ping pong and these were very popular among the members. Equally well attended were the literary, drama and musical events. An outstanding event in the history of the Union was the debate held in October 1933 in which the members of the British Universities’ Debating Team participated and appreciated the Union activities. Similarly, a debating team visited from the United Provinces in January 1935.
University Union had its own independent building to carry out its activities. Even today it exists in its original form to the left, at the beginning of Palace Road which starts from Kempe Gowda Road. Indian Council for Historical Research is located on the first floor of this heritage structure.
It is very interesting to note that Central College had started a hostel for its students more than a hundred years ago, perhaps one of the earliest Government hostels to come up in the city.
After the Plague outbreak in Bangalore in the year 1898, Dr. John Cook, the then Principal desired that all the students who came from the rural areas should live in a healthy locality close to the college, instead of staying in infected parts of the city either in small rented rooms or in friends or relatives houses. He urged the Government to acquire the land attached to the then Kitchetty Choultry and to build two residential buildings with necessary kitchens and out-houses large enough to accommodate ninety-six boarders. The Government sanctioned the proposal and immediately instructed the Department of Public Works to complete the building as early as possible.
They started the work in the beginning of the 1900 and completed both the buildings by the end of the same year, and handed over the same to the Principal, so that he could allow the students to occupy the new hostel on their return to College after the Christmas holidays.
Meanwhile, the Principal had prepared the list of the students who were in need of such assistance and the hostel started functioning from February 1, 1901. A small library and reading room and little recreation facilities were also provided. A small dispensary under the care of an assistant surgeon was attached to the hostel for the benefit of the boarders.
In the beginning, a full time superintendent was appointed.
Subsequently, Government wanted the Hostels in the state to be self supporting institutions, and consequently, the College Hostel was converted into a grant-in-aid institution in 1908. Since then, the Principal was assisted by a resident Warden who used to be one of the faculty members of the college. Many stalwarts like C.R. Narayana Rao of Zoology, Dr. M.A. Sampat Kumaran of Botony, Prof. B.S. Madhava Rao of Mathematics Departments have served as the resident wardens of the Students Hostel.
Even after 118 years, the hostel buildings, the identical twin heritage beauties of the city, can be seen in their original form to the left of Palace Road, a building after ICHR.
Just like in academics, students excelled in literary, cultural and sports too. For over a decade from 1888. The Central College was the despair of all opposing teams, local and moffusil, in both cricket and tennis. Mr. J.G. Tait, a great sports man himself, was coaching the cricket team. This was a great inspiration to the college team to maintain superiority over all other teams in the annual Madras Cricket Tourneys and carry off finally the Brandt Hutchins Trophy by winning it successively for three years in 1893, 1894 and 1895. For several decades, Intermediate College field was the venue for all important cricket matches in the city.
In tennis too, for the first one decade the College remained unbeaten, winning the Girdlestone Trophy in Bangalore and the Travancore Tennis Trophy at Madras. The reputation of the College in hockey and football became popular after 1915 and brought laurels to the College. Even in gymnastics and athletics, the fame of the College had spread far and wide..
In 1920 itself a little attempt was made to begin Scouting. However, in 1923, ‘The University Rovers Corps’ was brought into being and the scouting formally entered the precincts of the Central College. Soon, the Corps were called for service by the Bangalore Session of the Indian National Congress in January 1924. Training in Musketry and first aid formed the principal occupations of the Corps for a number of years.
Thus, in the first sixty years of its existence and during the subsequent decades, Central College has retained its distinct identity.
Now, it belongs to the newly formed Bangalore Central University (BCU).
Concluded
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