Taraknath Palit | |
|---|---|
 Taraknath Palit,c. 1912 | |
| Born | 1831 |
| Died | 3 October 1914(1914-10-03) (aged 82–83) |
| Occupation | Lawyer |
| Known for | Philanthropist, social worker |
SirTaraknath Palit (1831–1914) was an Indian lawyer from theBengal Presidency and a philanthropist.[1] He was associated with theSwadeshi Movement during thePartition of Bengal and was one of the key figures behind the establishment of Ballygunge Science College of theCalcutta University andJadavpur University.
Taraknath was born in 1831 inKolkata, the only son of millionaire, Kalisankar Palit. He was brought up in Amarpur inHooghly district,West Bengal.[2]
Taraknath graduated from college at theHindu School, Kolkata and then he studied law in England.[2] During his stay in England, he came in contact with the firstAssamese graduate andcivilianAnundoram Borooah.[3]
In 1871, Taraknath returned to India and established a legal practice.[2]
Taraknath Palit was instrumental in the founding of theNational Council of Education (NCE) of India, "a stout supporter of nationalism and national development and attempted to nationalize education."[2] He was one of the main figures behind the foundation ofBengal Technical Institute at the height ofSwadeshi Movement, along withMaharaja Manindra Chandra Nandy,[2]Bhupendra Nath Bose,Nilratan Sircar andRashbihari Ghosh.[4] It was established on 25 July 1906[5] and was the direct predecessor ofJadavpur University.
In June and October 1912, he executed two trustdeeds forCalcutta University, donatingRs 1.5 million.[6][nb 1] His donations helped fund the 27 March 1914 creation of the University College of Science and Technology.[7][nb 2]
He wasknighted by theBritish Government on 1 January 1913.[8]
He died on 3 October 1914.[2][9]
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
