Patna College, established in 1863[1] during the British Raj, is one of the oldest colleges in the state of Bihar. It offers undergraduate and postgraduate courses in science, arts and commerce as well some vocational courses like BBA,BMC & BCA. The college is affiliated to Patna University.[2] It is also considered to be the oldest institution of higher education in Bihar.[3]
 Seal of Patna College | |
Other name | PC |
|---|---|
| Type | Public |
| Established | 1863 |
| Affiliation | Patna University |
| Chancellor | Shri Fagu Chauhan |
| Vice-Chancellor | Prof. (Dr.) H.N. Prasad |
| Principal | Prof.Ramashankar Arya |
| Location | , , India 25°37′N 85°10′E / 25.62°N 85.16°E |
| Campus | Urban |
| Website | Patna College |
 | |
History
Patna College is the oldest institution that provides higher education in entire Bihar state. Nearly every major college of Patna- Patna Law College, Engineering College (National Institute of Technology, Patna at present), Patna Science College and Vanijya Mahavidyala, has their roots from this college. Patna College was established on 9 January 1863, during the British Raj. The paradigm of 20th century education has been appropriated in the history of this college. Accordingly, this ideal college as a complete institution, was to provide multilateral intellectual, social development as its own organization.
For years, Patna College remained reputed in state Bihar as the maiden institution for Post-graduate course in humanities. This college has been a leading institution for intermediate, graduate and post-graduate studies in the state of Bihar. It has established a spectacular tradition in the field of education.
After the split up of old Patna University into Patna University and Bihar University on 2 January 1952, the institution saw a significant shift. Until January 1952, the College was a government college and it functioned as an independent unit, but later it became an implied college of Patna University and became responsible only for Undergraduate studies due to the shifting of the burden of Post-graduate learning on University. After the centralization of two years of special honors-teaching, the honors of all art subjects remained in this college. Honors teaching was carried out by the nominated teachers of the Faculty of Arts from all the colleges of the University. In the first two hours, the students of Arts of Honors classes, of other colleges also used to come to study in this college.
But due to the gradual increase in the number of students, up to the end of the eighth decade, honors classes of various arts courses were conducted in their respective colleges.
Although in 1957, all but the Geography, Sociology and Psychology post-graduate departments were shifted to Darbhanga House. However many teachers of Patna College still have been bearing the responsibility of the postgraduate education by attending the departments in Darbhanga House.
There is hardly any change in post-operative activities. Maximum old councils, clubs as well as hostels still is under the Principal of the college.
On 9 September 1974, Economics department was split from the Patna College and it took form into Vanijya Mahavidyala. Presently Vanijya Mahavidyala is in the college’s yard itself.
Patna College holds a long standing tradition for more than 150 years. Patna College is the maiden college in the entire Bihar that holds the luck to celebrate the centenary ceremony in 1963 itself.
The College is also associated with E. M. Forster's novel, A Passage to India. According to Adwaita P. Ganguly, the institution known as Chandrapore College in the novel is "a replica of Patna College". Forster met Charles Russell and V. H. Jackson, who were professors of the college, in the course of writing his novel, A Passage to India. Forster had collected Hiuen Tsang's Indian Diary from Russell before he made his visit to Barabar Caves that appear as an important location in the novel. A hostel in the campus of the college is named after Jackson.
The legendary filmmaker, Satyajit Ray, used the picturesque campus of the college for his award winning film, Seemabaddha.[4]
Campus and buildings
The administrative block of the college is the oldest of all the buildings. It used to be the site for an opium store-house and a Dutch factory in the 17th century, much before the college was started. Other buildings were constructed gradually over a period of time.
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View of Patna College, Administrative Block in the middle -
Western Corridor Gateway of Patna College -
View of college from Western Corridor
Some of these are the western wing (1871), the eastern (1880), the portico and the present BA lecture theater (1882) connected with the main building by the long western corridor named after principal Ewbank. Later the hostels like Jackson, Minto, New and Iqbal and quarters for the principal and professors were constructed.[5]
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Western Corridor Patna College with the language wing in the far -
Language Wing connected with Western Corridor
The college building has been declared to be a heritage site by the Archaeological Survey of India.[5]
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Ground Floor Stairway -
Upper Stairway
Departments
Arts & Commerce
- English
- Hindi
- Urdu
- Maithili
- Bangla
- Sanskrit
- Arabi
- Farsi
- History
- Political Science
- Economics
- Psychology
- Philosophy
- Sociology
- Geography
- Mass Communication
- Ancient Indian history and Archaeology
150th anniversary
A number of celebrations were organised during 2012 to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the college.[6] Coinciding with the anniversary is the centenary of the Bihar Legislative Council, which held its first session in the seminar hall of Patna college in 1913 and returned there to mark the occasion on 20 January 2012.[7][8]
Notable alumni
- Ramdhari Singh Dinkar-The Hindi poet of national eminence.
- Annada Shankar Ray – Noted Bengali novelist and an early Indian ICS
- Ram Sharan Sharma – Reputed Historian, former Chairman, Indian History Congress, Former Head, Dept. of History, Delhi University
- Jayaprakash Narayan- Known for his Concept of ‘Total Revolution’.
- B C Roy (1897-1901) – First Chief Minister of West Bengal after Independence.
- Sachchidananda Sinha (1892) – One of the makers of Modern Bihar, first Chairman of Constituent Assembly of India.
- Krishna Sinha – First Chief Minister of Bihar after Independence.
- Anugrah Narayan Sinha – Regarded among foremost builders of Bihar and first Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar.
- Bhuvaneshwar Prasad Sinha – Chief Justice of Patna High Court (1943) and Chief Justice of India (1959).
- Kishore Kunal- IPS (Retd.), Ex-Vice Chancellor, K S S University, Darbhanga.
- Prof. P. Dayal - (B.A. in 1939), Professor Emeritus, Patna University and Ex-Vice Chancellor, Magadh University
- Ganesh Dutt(1895) – a Venerated personality of Modern Bihar
- Uday Narayan Choudhary- Speaker, Bihar Vidhan Sabha
- Khwaja Mohammed Noor – Renowned Judge and former Vice Chancellor of Patna University
- Sri Mantreshwar Jha – IAS (Retd.) and Sahitya Akademi Award winner (Maithili language)
- Mahendra Prasad- Member, Rajya Sabha
- Rashbihari singh-Scholar
Notable faculty
- Ram Sharan Sharma, historian, and also an alumnus of the college.[9]
- R. K. Sinha, English,[10]
References
- ^ Chaudhary, Uday Narayan (8 January 2012). "Patna College turns 150". The Times of India. Patna. Retrieved 29 January 2012.
- ^ "Colleges of Patna University". Patna University.
- ^ "CM promises all help to Patna College for growth". The Times of India. Patna. TNN. 10 January 2012. Retrieved 30 January 2012.
- ^ "'Oxford of the East' badly in need of restoration". The Hindu. 9 January 2014. Retrieved 18 May 2018.
- ^ a b "Of Dutch factory and Patna College". The Times of India. Patna. TNN. 7 January 2012. Retrieved 30 January 2012.
- ^ Kumar, Roshan (4 January 2012). "Lecture plan for college birthday". The Telegraph. Kolkatya. Retrieved 28 March 2012.
- ^ Das, Anand S. T. (31 January 2012). "Bihar's oldest college to revive 'royal link'". The Asian Age. Kolkata. Retrieved 29 March 2012.
- ^ Singh, Abhay (20 January 2012). "Council holds centenary meet at Patna College". The Times of India. Patna. Retrieved 29 March 2012.
- ^ Jaiswal, Suvira (23 September 2011). "Secular historian". Frontline. Retrieved 14 February 2012.
- ^ Suresh Nandan Sinha. "Homage to Dr R.K.Sinha". article. The Bihar Times. Retrieved 2 August 2012.
Bibliography
- S K Sinha (1992). A Soldier Recalls. Lancer International, New Delhi. Retrieved 2 August 2012.
- Sujit Mukherjee (1996). Autobiography Of An Unknown Cricketer. Ravi Dayal Publisher, New Delhi. Retrieved 2 August 2012.
- Justice Harihar Mahapatra (2011). My Life, My Work. Allied Publishers Private Limited. Retrieved 2 August 2012.
- Sudhir Kumar Jha (2005). A new dawn: Patna reincarnated. Retrieved 2 August 2012.
- Shreedhar Narayan Pandey (1975). Education and social changes in Bihar, 1900-1921: a survey of social history of Bihar from Lord Curzon to noncooperation movement. Motilal Banarsidass. Retrieved 2 August 2012.