University of Mumbai & Rajabai Clock Tower

The University of Mumbai, established in 1857 following the British “Wood’s Despatch” educational reforms, is one of India’s oldest modern universities. Initially modelled on the University of London, it began as an examining body overseeing affiliated colleges before expanding into teaching and research. It played a key role in shaping higher education in colonial and post-independence India, becoming the first Indian university to admit women to all degrees in 1883. The university’s Fort campus is home to the iconic Rajabai Clock Tower, built between 1869 and 1878 with funds from businessman Premchand Roychand, who named it after his mother, Rajabai. Designed by English architect Sir George Gilbert Scott, the tower combines Gothic and Venetian styles and was once Mumbai’s tallest structure. The clock tower not only marks time but also symbolises Mumbai’s colonial-era educational aspirations and philanthropy, anchoring the university’s historic presence in the city’s cultural and architectural landscape.