Cotton Univeristy - CU

About the Department

The Department of Chemistry of Cotton College was among the first Departments of the College that started in the year 1901, and the Chemistry Building is the oldest building from where this institute started its epic journey. Recently, with a fund received from the UGC, the historic building has been preserved as a heritage building and is being used to teach undergraduate and postgraduate students. Prof. Chunilal De was the first teacher of the Department, who taught both Chemistry and Physics. The Department has been functioning from the original century-old building of Cotton College. In 2001, a new building, the Harish Chandra Goswami Bhawan, was constructed alongside the old building. This Department of erstwhile Cotton College was able to receive an infrastructure development grant from DST-FIST in the year 2005. The department was also recognised by UGC as “Shining Department” during the visit by NAAC committee members in 2016.

The Department of Chemistry has a long history of quality teaching and research. The B.Sc. Honours Course in Chemistry was introduced in 1913-14 under Calcutta University, the course later getting affiliated to Gauhati University. The Post-Graduate Course in the Department under Gauhati University was started in 1974. The Laboratories of the Department were recognised by Gauhati University for carrying out Ph.D. research in 1998. The department has produced a number of notable alumni. Three Vice Chancellors including the present Vice Chancellor (Prof. B. C. Goswami) of Cotton University, top ranking administrative officials of the Government, principals of several colleges including the erstwhile Cotton College, present Registrar of Cotton University, a number of faculty members in different IITs and in top ranking universities within and outside the country are alumni of this department. Dr. Binoy Kumar Saikia, an alumnus of this department and a scientist at NEIST-Jorhat, has added another feather to the cap of this department by receiving the glorious Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award 2021 in the field of Earth, Atmosphere, Ocean and Planetary Sciences.

The department also has a long history of spreading Chemistry education among the masses. It has a departmental journal named ‘Molecule’ and a wall magazine named ‘The Clarion’, which were created with the aim to spread Chemistry education to students from various backgrounds and disciplines. Moreover, this department had the credit of developing a combined soil and water testing kit which was showcased by DST. Presently, the Department is in the process of developing online courses and planning for implementation of NEP-2020.