In the landscape of colonial India’s education system, the University of Allahabad and the University of the Punjab played groundbreaking roles in establishing the first intermediate colleges—a vital bridge between school and university education.
Founded in 1887, the University of Allahabad in Prayagraj (then Allahabad) became one of the earliest institutions in India to affiliate intermediate colleges, offering education for Classes 11 and 12, then known as “Intermediate Examinations”. These colleges offered foundational courses that prepared students for degree-level studies in arts, science, and law.
Similarly, the University of the Punjab, established earlier in 1882 in Lahore (now in Pakistan), was instrumental in setting up the intermediate education model across northern India. It affiliated several prominent intermediate colleges in Punjab, Delhi, and the United Provinces, including Government College Lahore and Forman Christian College.
These institutions standardized curriculum, examinations, and academic structure during British rule and laid the groundwork for India’s 10+2+3 education system, formalized much later in independent India.
- University of Allahabad: Known as the “Oxford of the East”, it was one of the first five modern universities in India and a leader in pre-degree education.
- University of the Punjab: Played a central role in institutionalizing English-medium and Western-style education in the Indian subcontinent.
These universities not only nurtured intermediate education but also produced generations of freedom fighters, civil servants, scientists, and literary legends.
