1866 Orissa famine and Renaming of Ravenshaw University

• 05 Sep 2024

Source: IE

The Union Education Minister has proposed changing the name of Ravenshaw University in Cuttack, citing the association with Thomas Edward Ravenshaw a British administrator, who oversaw the 1866 Orissa famine that resulted in over a million deaths.

• The 1866 Orissa famine, known locally as “Na Anka Durbhikshya,” ravaged coastal Odisha. Historians attribute the famine to a combination of failed paddy harvests, inadequate rice import infrastructure, and supply chain failures.
  • The famine claimed the deaths of about a third of Orissa’s population, prompting the British Government and Christian Missionaries to open 'Anna Chatras' to feed people. Many died of cholera and diarrhoea later on.
• Founded in 1868 as a small school, Ravenshaw College became a full-fledged college in 1876 and was renamed in honour of T.E. Ravenshaw. It evolved into a university in 2006 and has been a key player in Odisha’s education and political spheres.
  • Ravenshaw also advocated for women's education in Odisha, leading to the establishment of Cuttack Girl’s School, which was later renamed Ravenshaw Hindu Girls School.