University of Calcutta

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[An Obituary: Prof. Arup Choudhuri]

[An Obituary: Prof M. M. Rahman]

History

Year of Establishment : 1922

History of the Department: From its inception in 1922, the Department of Commerce, University of Calcutta has traversed a long way. The Department takes pride in its commendable performance vis-à-vis major developmental indicators such as student intake, number of teachers, published research work, updated curricula and courseware. Almost from the very beginning, the Department has been utilizing the services of a number of guest faculty members drawn from both academic institutions and industrial organizations of repute. At present, it has 20 whole time teachers and 29 guest faculty members. Most of the distinguished faculty members have doctoral degrees and are members of various professional institutions. 

The Department, in keeping with the advances made in different branches of commerce, has revised the curriculum from time to time. The last revision of curriculum has taken place very recently in August 2018. Under the new curriculum, the Department has upgraded to the Choice-based Credit System (CBCS) based teaching. Currently, M. Com. course run by the Department both in the Day and in the Evening Sections, offers 22 papers of 50 marks, divided in four semesters.  Each 50 mark paper will be assessed in stages: 10 marks through Internal Assessment, and 40 marks, subsequently, through written semester end- examinations.

The Department started its 2-year M. Phil curriculum in 1988, and currently it follows the New M.Phil. Regulations, 2016.  One of the greatest strengths of the Department is its Ph.D. programme. It is a matter of pride to note that a large number of researchers have been awarded Ph.D. degrees in significant areas of business-related research including accounting, finance, management and economics. At present, the Ph.D. programme is being conducted under the New Regulations, 2016. More than 100 research scholars are pursuing their doctoral research work under the guidance of registered research supervisors, including, inter alia, many of the distinguished members of the faculty.

The Department publishes a bi-annual journal, Business Studies (ISSN 0970-9657), which features research-based contributions from reputed members of the academia from across the country. Recently, the Volume XL (No. 1) of the Departmental journal has been published. Academic performance, including research and teaching, of Departmental faculty members has earned pan-Indian recognition, as evidenced by the UGC’s sanction of Special Assistance Programme by the University Grants Commission since 1987, under Departmental Special Assistance (DSA) Programme Phase I, II and III.

A number of research volumes have been published by the Department under the three phases of the Departmental Special Assistance Programme. National Seminars and Conferences on contemporary issues, too, have been held periodically every year since 1987. In early 2005, the Department’s contribution to academic research activities was recognized once again by the University Grants Commission when it was granted Assistance for Infrastructural support in Humanities and Social Sciences [ASIHSS], an Infrastructure Development Programme, sponsored. This is a unique distinction conferred to only a few SAP-qualified University departments all over India, based on their academic excellence. The UGC-sponsored ASIHSS programme has also been completed very successfully in the year 2009-10. 

Appreciating the need of the hour for a Master Degree in Finance, the Department has embarked on a two-year full-time self-financed MBA (Financial Management) Course in Finance (erstwhile MBA in Finance), consisting of four semesters under CBCS. Classes for the first semester of the course commenced on and from 26th September 2005. Presently, the fifteenth (Batch of 2019-2021) and sixteenth (Batch of 2020-2022) batches are in the fourth and second semester stages, respectively.

The University of Calcutta – Calcutta Stock Exchange Centre of Excellence in Financial Markets (CUCSE-CEFM), a Centre that is dedicated to multidisciplinary study and research in financial markets, is a collaborative effort of the Department of Commerce, University of Calcutta and the Calcutta Stock Exchange. It functions as an independent body within the framework of the University of Calcutta since 2013. The Centre has actively started to examine select issues that acutely confront the financial system in India. At present, the Centre is focusing on three thrust areas: capital markets, financial inclusiveness, and ethics in financial markets. The introduction of One-Year (Evening) Post Graduate Diploma In Investment Portfolio Management Services (PGDPMS) course in financial markets is an outcome of its objective to create a general awareness about financial markets, since 2018-2019.