Fergusson College, the premier educational institution in the city, is completing 125 years in 2010 and to commemorate the occasion, VM Bachal, former principal of Fergusson College and also an alumnus of the institution, is writing a book on the history of the college right from the time of its establishment.

Bachal, who joined Fergusson College in 1950 as a student, has had a long association with the college as a student, professor and finally principal until 1993. “FC, the name is associated with class and reputation. But unfortunately something of substance has not been published about it till today. As I had edited a special issue of a publication on the college in the golden anniversary year and been principal of the institution,I have had access to valuable material and first-hand information of the college. Hence I decided to pen down the history of FC,” informed Bachal.

Bachal has rare photographs of Lokmanya Tilak, Gopal Krishna Gokhale and GG Agarkar and also photographs of the first female student of the college, of Lord Fergusson himself taking part in the construction of the building, of Mahatma Gandhi visiting the college and of Indira Gandhi’s frequent visits to the institution over the years. According to Bachal, the book would be around 600 pages and would attempt to chronicle all the information that he has with him.

Initiated with only 35 students in the wake of independence movement in 1885 through the efforts of Lokmanya Tilak, Gopal Ganesh Agarkar and Vishnushastri Chiplunkar, the college is the most reputed institution even today. It’s list of alumni reads like a veritable Who’s Who. The late P L Deshpande, P V Narasimha Rao, Sheetal Mahajan, late Smita Patil and most of the Firodia family members are amongst the known names who have passed out of this college.