A student of PK Roy Memorial College, Dhanbad, being felicitated on Tuesday. Picture by Gautam Dey

Dhanbad, Aug. 18: The yearlong golden jubilee celebrations at PK Roy Memorial College under Vinoba Bhave University (VBU) kicked off today with felicitation of 15 students for their achievements in different fields in the academic year 2008-09.

A host of several events, including seminars, symposiums, departmental conference, NSS and NCC programmes and games, has been lined up for the year.

This apart, the college will also bring out its magazine, Surabhi — a venture that has been pending since long. From now on, the publication, containing articles, compositions, poems and cartoons contributed by students and teachers besides news about the college, will come out every year. The celebrations will come to an end on 17 August 2010.

At today’s function, eight of the 15 awardees — several of who have been selected for the upcoming National Games — received financial aid of Rs 1,500 each besides medal and citation. Two of the eight students, Subhash Kumar Das (ISc) and Ashish Jaiswal (BCom Part II), have made it to the latest edition of Limca Book of Records for their martial arts skills besides performing in Zee TV’s adventure show Shabaash India. VBU vice-chancellor Nirmal Chatterjee was the chief guest on the occasion.

Principal Ali Imam Khan, who has been posted here since the past 13 years, said that the college with students’ strength of about 8,600 and offering various vocational courses alongside regular ones is vying for National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) recognition. “As soon as we get the NAAC certification, we will stake claim to the Potential for Excellence status from the University Grants Commission,” he said.

Established in 1948 in Katras and later shifted to Dhanbad, the college is the only postgraduate centre to be functioning outside the VBU headquarters.

Postgraduate classes started here in 1982-84 while two vocational courses — biotechnology and envionmental science — began recently. Besides, it also offers two add-on courses recognised by the UGC.

History

Established in 1948 by late BK Roy of the Keshalpur House at Katras the college was later shifted to the Dhanbad by PK Roy Memorial Trust after procuring land in the heart of Dhanbad. Teaching in 1952. Teaching however formally began in the college only in 1960 with the completion of the construction of its own building. The founder Principal of the College was Lat NC Goswami. The college got recognition for Inter and teaching upto Graduation Part I in 60-62 and later got constituent status of the RanchiUniversity.