Sir Ashutosh Mukherjee, CIE (Bengali: আশুতোষ মুখোপাধ্যায়) (1864–1924) was a prolific Bengali educator and the first Indian Vice Chancellor of the University of Calcutta from 1906 to 1924. Perhaps the most emphatic figure of Indian education, he was a man of great personality, high self-respect, courage and towering administrative ability. He became the first student to be awarded a dual degree (MA in Mathematics and Physics) from Calcutta University and received the prestigious Premchand-Roychand scholarship.
Sir Ashutosh Mukhopadhyay wanted to donate Govt. debenture papers amounting to Rs. 3000/- on 19th April, 1921 to Calcutta University for awarding a medal in his mother's name titled " Jagattarini Medal. since 1921. The syndicate of Calcutta University took decision in the affirmative.According to this proposal a committee was formed with the persons Ashutosh Mukhopadhyay, Chunilal Basu, Amulya Charan Vidyabhushan, Dinesh Chandra Sen, and B.C.Majumdar to fix the name to whom the award was given for the year 1921. The meeting of the award committee decided unanimously ;
The genius of Nazrul Islam since his first appearance in the field of Bengali literature has never been in doubt. The different aspects of his contribution - as a poet of the people, as a writer of songs, as a fearless fighter for our national freedom - have been gratefully acknowledged by his countrymen. In 1945, the University of Calcutta had honoured him with the Jagattarini Medal - the highest honour of that period for original contribution to the literature of Bengal. After Independence.
