The Fort William College in Calcutta, where the civil servants of the company were to receive training in the literature, science and languages of India, did not find the favour of the Court of Directors and was merely continued as a language school for Bengal Civil Servants. In which of the following year it was closed forever?

Correct option is B

The correct answer is 1854

The Fort William College was officially dissolved/abolished on 24th January 1854 by the Governor-General, Lord Dalhousie.

• The Charter Act of 1853 introduced the system of Open Competition for civil services, ending the patronage system of the Court of Directors. This made the college's role in training nominated candidates obsolete.
• After the establishment of the Haileybury College (East India College) in England in 1806, Fort William College's role had already been reduced to merely a language training school for Bengal civilians.

Information Booster:

Fort William College

•  Established by Lord Wellesley on July 10, 1800 (backdated to May 4, 1800, to commemorate the first anniversary of the victory at Seringapatam against Tipu Sultan).
• To train European civil servants in Indian languages, laws, history, and customs before they took up their administrative posts.
• The Court of Directors in London disapproved of the college (citing high costs and Wellesley's independent action). This led to the founding of Haileybury College in England.
• Despite its political struggles, it became a hub for the "vernacular renaissance," employing scholars like William Carey and Mrityunjay Vidyalankar who standardized Bengali prose.