Nishikant Khajuria
Standing tall amidst sky-high pines and sprawling lawns, the ages old monumental architecture of the Government Gandhi Memorial Science Colleges, which started its journey as Prince of Wales Colleges more than 100 years ago, does a bit more than justify the “Heritage status” that it has been recently conferred upon by the University Grants Commission.
Besides adding its share of literati to the knowledge pool of the State and the nation over the years, GGM Science College serves as a witness to the transition of times that the generations have beheld. The mighty girth of the walls enclosing this engineering marvel is strength personified.
The royal beginning of this Institution of Higher Learning dates back to 1905, when Maharaja Pratap Singh announced the opening of this college. With 26 students on its roll and Prof R N Mukherjee officiating as the Principal of the College, the campus came to life on 20th April 1907, even though the foundation stone was laid in July 1904, amidst a vast lush green area of about sixty-five acres, by the then Resident of Kashmir, Sir Francis Young Husband. GGM Science College, Jammu, has, unswervingly, upheld the essence and richness of traditions and academics with pride ever since it came into existence.
The Prince of Wales College was affiliated to Punjab University, Lahore in May 1908. Initially a stream of subjects namely English, Mathematics, Chemistry, History, Persian, Sanskrit and Philosophy were taught up to the Intermediate state. In January 1910, two more subjects namely Geology and Arabic were introduced and gradually most of the courses were upgraded to the graduation level. The college was shifted to its present location on 18th September 1912 with Prof S Robson as the Principal. By virtue of it having probably the best infrastructure in the whole of northern India, the college attracted scholars and teachers of repute and stature as its faculty members and hence the college excelled academically. The doyen of Indian Geology Dr D N Wadia established the Department of Geology in 1930. Its departmental museum, with its rich and rare collection, continues to be one of the best museums of Geology in the whole of Northern India. The college continued to expand and in 1940, K G Sayaiden, the then Director of Education inaugurated an independent Library block. Around the same time, the Arts Block came up and subsequently departments of Bio-Sciences (1954) and Geography were also added. Freedom of India from British rule led to renaming of the Prince of Wales College to Government Gandhi Memorial College on 20th May 1948.
This college has the distinction of having one of the oldest museums of Geology, housing the finest and most extensive collection of fossils, minerals and rocks as old as 3 billion years old. These include specimens of meteorites, vertebrate fossils, rocks and mineral specimens collected from different parts of world. The Geology museum, named after Dr D N Wadia, was established in 1912, and this is one of the oldest specialist geological museums in India. An eleven-feet long fossil tusk of Elephas Ganesha (Stegodon Ganesa), a close relative of the ancestors of the present day elephants, believed to have lived between Pliocene and Pleistocene periods, retrieved from Jagati Hills, Nagrota, Jammu by Dr D N Wadia, is at display in this Geological Museum.
The GGM Science College Central Library holds over 60000 books. Some of these books are more than 100 years old. Besides, the geology department library contains about 200 rare books and journals of late Nineteenth and early Twentieth Century. The oldest journal dates back to 1862.
Similarly, the Department of Geology in GGM Science College, is the second oldest department of Geology in India. The teaching of Geology was started in the department in 1907, more than a century ago. The department has the honour of being founded by the father of Indian Geology, Padam Bhushan Dr D N Wadia, FRS who was appointed professor of Natural sciences in the college in 1906. Given the contributions of Dr D N Wadia to the field of Geology in general and to this college in particular, Wadia Chamber was also recently established in the Department of Geology,
Now, following the official conferment of `Heritage Status’ to GGM Science College and sanctioning of Rs 55 lacs for maintenance and preservation of heritage resources under different heads, the college is all set to materialize its plans like establishment of an Heritage gallery, digitalization of the library, preservation of the Geology museum etc.
Pertinent to mention here that in its 12th Plan period, UGC launched a scheme of granting `Heritage Status’ to Colleges and Universities, which are more than 100 years old. 60 such proposals from Colleges across the country were received by the UGC. This included proposals from GGM Science College, Jammu and Government SP College, Srinagar. Along with 18 other colleges across India, GGM Science College, Jammu was accorded the Heritage status. In response to its proposal submitted and case presented during the interface meeting at UGC, New Delhi on May 13, 2015, the GGM Science College received sanction to the tune of Rs 55 lacs for maintenance and preservation of heritage resources under different heads. Rs 25 lacs have been approved for digitalization of College Library including Geology Department Library, Rs 10 lacs for establishment of Heritage Gallery, Rs 10 lacs for preservation and maintenance of Geology Department Museum and Rs 10 lacs for sensitization of community in general and students in particular of significance of historic and cultural implication of heritage status in J&K.
The proposal was conceptualized, drawn up and presented before the UGC Expert Committee by Dr Satinder Singh, Principal of the College, Dr Ravinder Tickoo Associate Professor and Rakesh Gupta, Assistant Professor of the College.
The proposed Heritage Gallery has been planned to be established inside the Old Hall displaying historical photographs contemporary of the era with the establishment of the college, scientific equipments of yester years of the college etc. The college has plans to undertake the preservation process of the invaluable books and journals through digitization and prevention against bookworms etc. The college library records viz, accession, circulation etc will also be digitized. At the College Geology Museum, the specimen wooden racks are proposed to be replaced by glass racks besides taking up some immediate repair works. For sensitization of the community in general and students in particular of significance of historic and cultural implication of heritage structures in J & K, tours and visits of the students to the existing heritage sites, identification of new sites and their documentation will be carried out.
Even as the official `Heritage Status’ to GGM Science College is hoped to ensure better preservation of what already exists and addition of what is need of the hour, the amount approved by the UGC is not sufficient enough for the required initiatives. Ironically, no money has been sanctioned for the restoration and maintenance of this more than 100 year old heritage structure, which requires some immediate repairs and renovation with the help of technical experts.
“We will take up this urgent issue with the UGC and submit a representation in this regard after consultation with concerned agencies so that restoration and maintenance of the heritage building of this college is aided,” said Dr Satinder Singh, Principal of GGM Science College.
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