Sir,
The article’A College of Heritage'( DE,Sunday Magazine, dated Aug 2,2015) made an interesting reading.The writer has delineated some interesting facts about this college which,alongwith Government SP College Srinagar,has been granted ‘Heritage Status’ by the UGC.The fact that Maharaja Pratap Singh announced the opening of this college in 1905 and that it started its functioning with just 26 students on its roll and that Professor RN Mukherjee officiated as the first Principal of this college are the facts which may be new to many Jammuites.The Prince of Wales College, as it was then known, having best infrastructure and teachers of repute, was the only institution of higher education in those days in the Jammu division and was much sought after for education of high quality.The author has also highlighted the contribution of Dr.DN Walia who founded the Department of Geology, the second oldest Department in India should make us feel proud of this college.May I add here that in those days a national panel was prepared to select the Principal of this college. In fact, it was in 1880 that during Maharaja Pratap Singh’s rule,the first school on western lines was opened in Kashmir by the Christian Missionery Society,London and it is Tyndal Biscoe School named after the first Principal of the school.
Maharaja Pratap Singh is also credited with establishing many educational institutions in J& K including the famous SRML School Jammu.It was he who pioneered the promotion of education on the Western lines in J&K.Other institutions which have been in existence in the state for more than a hundred years too must be declared as ‘heritage institutions’ and steps taken to preserve and conserve them before it is too late.Exhibitions depicting photos, documents, bills, certificates etc issued by the University/ College before independence must be organised and they must be preserved and displayed to give a glimpse to the students, teachers and other people about the culural heritage and grandeur of those days.Alumini Meet of the former students/ professors need to be organised and a committee of old students must be constituted for the preservation of these historical institutions.
Yours etc…
Ashok Sharma,
Jammu
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