History of Sripat Singh College
Sripat
Singh College was the great vision of a noble dreamer. The Jain Sitamber Zamindar
of Jiaganj, Sripat Singh Dugar decided to establish a College for higher education
in the oldest municipality of Murshidabad district. In April, 1949, he gifted magnificent
palatial out-house at Jiaganj with a donation of Rs. 75000 to fulfill his dream
which is now Sripat Singh College. On 1st May, 1949 the college was affiliated with
the University of Calcutta, and on 1st August, 1949 it began its journey as a co-educational
intermediate College, and from 1st July, 1954, as a government sponsored co-educational
Degree College.
Introduction:
The
vision was born of magnificent wealth, the munificence of a noble dreamer, and of
no mean Mammon of Course. In some lonely hours the great Sripat Singh Dugar, the
last perhaps of the clan of the jain Sitambar blue blood at Jiagang, Murshidabad,
felt he must do that. His worthy partner of life, the co-sharer of his dream, his
wife Rani Dhanya Kumari Dugar inspired his vision. So in 1949, in the month of April,
the deed of gift was signed. Sripar Singh Dugar gifted his palatial outhouse (the
magnificent 'Cutchery Bari'), with a further donation of seventy-five thousand rupees,
for a college in this town Jiaganj. It was Sripat Singh College, the first ever
in this Sub-Division and in this vast region of rural and urban West Bengal. On
May 1, 1949, the Governing Body was formed with Sripat Singh Dugar as the Founder
President. On 11 June 1949 the Governing Body was formed with this Sub-Division
and in this vast region of rural and urban West Bengal. On May 1, 1949, the College
was affiliated with the University of Calcutta. And on the auspicious morning of
August 1, 1949 it began stepping forward as a co-educational Intermediate college
with the Principal Sri Jogesh Chandra Bhattacharya , three cull-time Lectures, one
clerk, one Librarian, one helper, 42 student in the I.A. class and 29 in the I.Sc.
to encourage sincere students Sripat Singhji donated Rs. 10,000.00 for funding scholarships.
The college was raised to Degree standard when in 1951, in terms of Govt. rules,
he made a further donation of Rs. 30,000.00 for working fund. So in 1951 B. S. Pass
course started here with 9 students.
For
the permanent economic security and up keeping of the college the Governing Body
headed by Sripat Sing Dugar moved to the Government of West Bengal and particularly
to the then Chief Minister Dr. Bidhan Chandra Ray in 1953. in terms of Government
Rules of the time Sripat Singhji donated One lakh rupees (Rs. 100000.00) along with
the gift of the regular annuity of Rs 6000.00 every year from his Malda Properties.
And so in July, 1954 W.B. Government initiated the Govt. Sponsored Schme with Sripat
Singh College as the first Govt. Sponsored Co-educational Degree College in the
state. In 1960 B. Sc. (Pass) course was introduced here. Progress was in pace. Learners
thronged. Accommodation became a problem.
Sripat
Singhji donated land adjacent to the building and with his co-operation much more
land was purchased in 1958. In 1959 a large sum of financial assistance for building
construction was available from U.G.C. and the W.B. Government. This joint fund
of Rs. 1,94,000.00 was utilized for the construction of a spacious 3-storeyed building
with more than thirty rooms and halls. In 1961 the building was ceremonially opened
by Dr. K.L. Srimali, the Union Minister for Education. W.B. Chief Minister Sri Prafulla
Chandra Sen was present in the function.Academic activities were transferred here
in August, 1961 and the ancestral out-house of Sripat Singhji, i.e. the old building
of the college has since then been named as the 'Administrative Building'.
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