BANKURA CHRISTIAN COLLEGE:  A Retrospection

The college was founded in 1903 by Rev. J Mitchel to promote liberal education in the district of Bankura.  Higher education, as it is conducted through the Collegiate School, Mission Girls School, and Bankura Christian College, has been an integral part of the welfare of the society in West Bengal for over half a century. The classes of the Bankura Wesleyan College, now Bankura Christian College, were opened in 1903 following an eaest request of local parents and guardians. In 1903, the College got its first affiliation from Calcutta University for education up to Intermediate standard in Arts subjects only. Science classes were opened in 1909, and subsequently, the college was raised to the rank of a first-grade institution in 1910.

A large scheme of expansion was mostly done for science studies to the B.Sc. standard in 1923. Subsequent developments included the introduction of Botany in 1931 and of Biology in 1952 to the Intermediate Standard, which was subsequently raised to the B.Sc. standard in 1960. The year saw the introduction of the Three-Year Degree Course in 1960. In 1973, the Physiology subject was introduced. Honours Courses were taught in all the major subjects in both Arts and Science.  University entrance course was also taught at the college. The college also offered pre-medical Courses under the Calcutta University as a special arrangement by the Govement of West Bengal.                                        

The Year of affiliation given for Honours/Pass teaching in different subjects are as follows -  

Bankura Christian College, a pioneer Institution, introduced co-education in Bengal. The first woman graduate came out of this College in 1910. The role of this College in imparting higher education to women students has been recognized as unique. Due to heavy pressure to admit women students, a separate moing Section, only for women students, was opened in 1963, both in Pass and Honours Course in Arts subjects.

In 1973-74, a separate Girl’s College was established in Bankura Town to teach Arts subjects only. Admission to women students in Pass Courses in the moing section was discontinued then. Women students studying Science subjects were admitted both for Pass and Honours Courses under the Co-educational system. Due to heavy pressure of students for admission to Science Courses, a separate shift was started in 1965. In this separate Science shift, only the students studying the Pass courses were admitted. The Day Science Section admits only the students studying Honours Courses. However, later, only the Day Section was continued.

The College had a Hobby Workshop established under the UGC Scheme in 1961. Many students, under the guidance of an expert and supervision of a committee of teaching staff, got their training in Photography, Electronics, Carpentry, metalwork, etc., in this Hobby Workshop. The College was equipped with a Library containing a good number of books, jouals, manuscripts, magazines, etc. Thus, this library also possessed rare collections of books that had been collected over the last 72 years and were not generally available. Thus, such a library collection provided a suitable scope for research work. Under the UGC Scheme, a reading room was constructed, and the Church of North India then provided some funds for the improvement of the reading room and library.

The college provided a scope for various games and sports for both men and women students. There were four playgrounds for various games and sports for both the men and the women students for football, cricket, hockey, etc. There was also a gymnasium to provide proper facilities for the students to build their bodies. A large tank with Diving Boats for practicing swimming, which in tu gave the scope to the students at this college to be annually selected and represent the University and other State teams in various games and sports, etc. This College had a unique tradition both in the past & the present in respect of games and sports. There was one trained physical instructor in the grade of a lecturer who gave guidance to the students in games, sports, and athletics, both to the teaching and non-teaching staff as well as students of the college.

The NCC Unit of this college is one of the oldest units in West Bengal. There were three regular NCC Coys, with 4 Lecturers as NCC officers. The NCC Unit of the college produced cadets, quite a few of whom have joined the Armed Forces as officers. In 1972, a separate NCC Unit was established with one professor-in-charge to guide its activities.

With its own funds, the college Social Service League had a long tradition of Social Service. It ran a free Night School (Rev. Brown Night School) for the poor boys and girls of the locality, where the students at the college worked as teachers. This Night School was recognized by the district Inspector of Schools, Bankura. The Social Service League regularly organized Annual Camps for social work, with the participation of many students and teaching and non-teaching staff. The College Social Service League had always taken the role of a vanguard whenever any drought, famine, or flood had taken place within or outside the district.

Under the U.G.C. Scheme, a Career Advisory Unit with one professor-in-charge was opened in the college, which helped/guided students in choosing their future careers.                                    A Students Health Home took care of the students' health-related problems and provided necessary services. One regular Physician was associated with the Health Home.

There was one observatory in the college that helped the students of Mathematics and Physics in their studies and also created interest amongst the general public regarding the mysteries of the astronomical world.

The college provided hostel accommodation to 241 boys and 50 girls at that time. The hostels were under the direct management of the college authority. The college campus is situated within Bankura Town, in a beautiful natural setting, quite close to the railway station and public bus stand, thus providing extra facilities for communication to different places within and outside the district. A vast campus with towering trees, tanks, playgrounds, and gardens provided an ideal environment for academic pursuit. This college had a special contribution to the community at large for several decades. The college successfully attracted the students of surrounding areas, namely Durgapur, Dhanbad, Bokaro, Asansol, Medinipore, etc.

Eminent scholars and teachers worked as the mentor-cum-teacher of Liberal Education for nearly one century in this Institution. To mention a few famous teachers, Rev. J. Mitchel, Member of the Royal Astronomical Society, London; Rev. A.E. Brown, M. A. (Rangler) Cantab, C. I. E; Prof. E. J. Thompson, the eminent author who translated the works of Tagore; Prof. Anil Baran Roy of Sri Arabinda Ashram; Prof. Sisir Mitra, Prof. Emeritus of Physics Department of Calcutta University also served this Institution at different times. A galaxy of leaders in Educational, cultural, social and Political life were the products of this Institution. Prof. Monohar Roy, once the Registrar of Agra University; Prof. Satyen Chatterjee, formerly Registrar of Burdwan University and the then Chairman of the Board of Secondary Education, West Bengal; and Late Sajani Kanta Das; Prof. Giriga Sankar Dhar an Isan Scholar; Prof. Khudiram Das, Professor of Bengali in Calcutta University, Prof. Amiya Kisku, M.A.(Califoia), Ex- Minister, Department of Health, Govt. of India; Rt. Rev.  S. K. Kisku, M. A. (Cantab), Bishop, Durgapur Diocese, were the renowned Alumnus of this institution.                                

The College is situated in one of the most backward areas, i.e., Bankura, West Bengal. It is one of the poor districts mainly inhabited by Scheduled Castes & Scheduled Tribes and Backward classes. Providing higher Education to the students of these communities was one of the objectives of this Institution. This College is situated just in the center of the hinterland of the present industrially developed areas of the Easte Zone, Durgapur, Asansol, Dhanbad, Raniganj and Jharia Coal fields, Sindri, Bokharo, Samadhi, Tatanagar, Ranchi – (the belt which may be termed as the Ruhr of India)- all these places are within 50 to 75 miles of this College. Thus, this college had a peaceful rural environment congenial for academic pursuit on the one hand and close contact on the other, with the development of mode industrial society in new India.

This unique combination of rural and urban-cum-industrial traits gave this Institution a highly distinctive feature. The college had availed of and thoroughly utilized the funds provided by UGC during the previous plan periods (Viz. extension of classroom accommodation improvement of the library, hobby workshop, laboratories, and added facilities for games and sports. There is hardly any educated family in this district without at least one ex-student of this College. The services rendered by the Bankura Christian College had, undeniably, gone a long way towards the development of our state of West Bengal and played a major role in shaping various important sectors like education, socio-political, socio-economical, and providing leadership, for the country, particularly in the Easte Zone.    

Dr Fatik Baran Mandal

Principal

Bankura Christian College