All you need to know about RG Kar, doctor who gave Asia’s first non-govt medical college

Doctors and medical students protested at Nair Hospital in Mumbai on Tuesday following a nationwide shutdown of OPD services called by the Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA).

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The action was in response to the sexual assault and murder of a post-graduate trainee doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9.

Who founded RG Kar Medical college?

RG Kar Medical College, established in 1886, is a cornerstone of Kolkata’s healthcare system and was the first non-government medical college in Asia. 

Founded by Dr. Radha Gobinda Kar, who served as its first secretary until his death in 1918, the institution has been instrumental in shaping healthcare in West Bengal and beyond. The Government of West Bengal took over the college on May 12, 1958.

Who is RG Kar?

In an article published in the National Library of Medicine, Radha Gobinda Kar was born on August 23, 1852, in Howrah. He graduated from the Bengal Medical College, later known as Medical College, Calcutta, which was established in 1835 as Asia's oldest medical college.

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In 1916, Calcutta University granted affiliation for the Preliminary Scientific MB course, which was extended to the first MB standard the following year, admitting 100 students. A year after Kar’s death, in 1919, the university granted affiliation for the final MB standard. In recognition of Lord Carmichael’s role in these advancements, the college was renamed Carmichael Medical College as a mark of gratitude.

In 1933, RG Kar Medical College established the first Psychiatry OPD in Asia, marking a pioneering achievement in the field. By 1941, the college had become a prestigious institution in India, with its faculty, facilities, and students serving as exemplary assets.

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On May 12, 1948, the college was renamed R. G. Kar Medical College & Hospital in honor of its founder. The Government of West Bengal took control of the institution on May 12, 1958.

What's the latest with the rape case?

The appointment of former RG Kar Medical College & Hospital Principal Prof. (Dr.) Sandip Ghosh to Calcutta National Medical College & Hospital sparked a major protest on Tuesday.

Students demonstrated against the appointment as West Bengal Minister Javed Ahmed Khan and TMC MLA Swarna Kamal arrived at the hospital.

Dr. Ghosh, who resigned from RG Kar Medical College & Hospital the previous day, was quickly reassigned to Calcutta National Medical College & Hospital. Students criticized the move as unethical and demanded justice, expressing concerns about a repeat of the issues at RG Kar Medical College & Hospital. They raised 'Go Back' slogans and urged the minister to address their grievances.