JP Nadda to release Asutosh Mookerjee's collected speeches at Delhi Assembly
Synopsis
The Delhi Legislative Assembly is releasing a first-of-its-kind volume of Asutosh Mookerjee's speeches — compiled by a state legislature — with Union Minister JP Nadda presiding. The move signals a growing institutional push to recover pre-Independence intellectual thought for modern legislators and scholars, anchored by the 162nd birth anniversary of the man who built the University of Calcutta.
Key Takeaways
Union Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda will release The Collected Speeches of Bengal Tiger Asutosh Mookerjee on 1 July 2025 at the Delhi Legislative Assembly .
The volume marks the 162nd birth anniversary of Mookerjee ( 1864–1924 ), compiled by the Delhi Legislative Assembly.
Delhi CM Rekha Gupta and Education Minister Ashish Sood will attend as guests of honour.
Mookerjee served as Vice Chancellor of the University of Calcutta and Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court .
The Government of India issued a commemorative stamp in 1964 honouring his contributions to education.
Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda will on Tuesday, 1 July 2025, release a special commemorative volume of the speeches of Asutosh Mookerjee at the Delhi Legislative Assembly. The publication, titled The Collected Speeches of Bengal Tiger Asutosh Mookerjee, has been brought out by the Delhi Legislative Assembly to mark the 162nd birth anniversary of the educationist and jurist, who lived from 1864 to 1924.
About the Commemorative Volume
The volume brings together Mookerjee's parliamentary speeches in a single authoritative collection, making his ideas on education, constitutional governance, institution building, and public life accessible to legislators, scholars, researchers, students, and the wider public. The Delhi Legislative Assembly has framed the publication as part of its continuing effort to document and preserve the intellectual legacy of eminent national personalities who shaped India's democratic and civilisational journey.
Key Dignitaries at the Event
The programme will be presided over by Delhi Legislative Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta at the Assembly House. Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and Education Minister Ashish Sood will attend as guests of honour. Mohan Singh Bisht, Deputy Speaker of the Delhi Legislative Assembly, is also expected to be present. Members of the Legislative Assembly, eminent jurists, academicians, educationists, and scholars are among those anticipated to participate.
Who Was Asutosh Mookerjee
Popularly known as the 'Bengal Tiger', Asutosh Mookerjee was one of pre-Independence India's foremost educationists, jurists, and institution builders. He served as a member of the Imperial Legislative Council, as Vice Chancellor of the University of Calcutta, and later as Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court. His contributions to higher education, scientific research, and academic excellence left a lasting imprint on India's intellectual foundations. The Government of India issued a commemorative postage stamp in 1964 in recognition of his service to education.
Significance of the Publication
Speaker Vijender Gupta has noted that the publication reflects the Assembly's commitment to preserving the legacy of personalities who have defined India's educational and democratic history. This is notably one of the first times a state legislature has compiled and released a dedicated volume of Mookerjee's speeches, underscoring the growing institutional interest in recovering and disseminating pre-Independence intellectual thought for contemporary audiences.
The event marks a rare convergence of legislative, executive, and academic stakeholders around a shared cultural and historical purpose, with the volume expected to serve as a reference resource for future policy and scholarship.
Point of View
Yet the event risks remaining a ceremonial exercise unless the volume is actively integrated into legislative and educational curricula. The presence of a Union minister at a state assembly cultural event also reflects the BJP's broader effort to reclaim pre-Independence intellectual figures as part of a national heritage narrative — a pattern worth noting even as the historical scholarship itself is unimpeachable.
NationPress
29 Jun 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the commemorative volume being released at the Delhi Assembly?
It is a collection titled 'The Collected Speeches of Bengal Tiger Asutosh Mookerjee', published by the Delhi Legislative Assembly, bringing together his parliamentary speeches on education, constitutional governance, and institution building in a single volume.
Who is releasing the volume and when?
Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda will release the volume on Tuesday, 1 July 2025, at the Assembly House of the Delhi Legislative Assembly. The event will be presided over by Speaker Vijender Gupta.
Why is the volume being released now?
The release is timed to mark the 162nd birth anniversary of Asutosh Mookerjee, who was born in 1864. The Delhi Legislative Assembly has framed it as part of its effort to preserve the intellectual legacy of eminent national personalities.
Who was Asutosh Mookerjee?
Asutosh Mookerjee (1864–1924), known as the 'Bengal Tiger', was a leading educationist, jurist, and institution builder of pre-Independence India. He served as Vice Chancellor of the University of Calcutta and Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court, and was a member of the Imperial Legislative Council.
Who else will attend the event?
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and Education Minister Ashish Sood will attend as guests of honour. Deputy Speaker Mohan Singh Bisht, MLAs, jurists, academicians, and scholars are also expected to participate.
