kolkata: West Bengal Heritage Commission has recognised 177-year-old Gurudas Tarashundari Institution in Khagrah in Murshidabad as a heritage educational institution.On March 16, the Commission members handed over a plaque to the District Magistrate Sharad Kumar Diwedi.
The plaque will be installed at the school building. Earlier, Krishna Nath College, popularly known as KN College, had received heritage status.The school was set up on March 15, 1845 at the initiative of Makaiah Hill, a British civil servant inside the Jubilee Chappel.
The primary purpose was to spread English education. It was among those schools which had been set up after Lord Mecauley submitted its report to the British Parliament which recommended that English should be the medium of instruction in 1835.
Sandip Dasgupta, head master of the school said geting the plaque will give impetus to the school.
District Magistrate Diwedi said: "For any school, surviving for 177 years deserves admiration. The school has been able to uphold the academic excellence." Basudeb Mullick, a senior official of state Heritage Commission, said: "Murshidabad has a long history and tradition. Many of the old structures have been given heritage tag and more such structures will be announced as heritage structures."
The state Tourism department along with a private agency has taken up a special initiative to project Murshidabad as a heritage district.