Maheshtala College, South 24 Parganas

About Maheshtala College, South 24 Parganas

Maheshtala College was established on 11th November, 1971 to fulfill a long-cherished dream of a few visionaries in the Maheshtala – Nangi- Batanagar area of setting up an institution to impart collegiate education to the students of the locality, who had no other alternatives, but to travel a long way for their higher education or to discontinue it midway. Initially, the college got affiliation from the University of Calcutta for 3 - year degree and Pre-University course in Arts only. Classes were held in Sarengabad High School and it was only later that the college shifted to its present campus, set up partly by government funds , donations in the form of money and labour from local people, teachers and staff and a lot of hopes and aspirations for a better tomorrow for their children. The founding members emphasized more on reaching out to a large section of students rather than on academic excellence, which they believed would eventually follow. Rather, the focus was on nurturing excellence in the young, impressionable human minds that would be mentored to achieve success in their later professional and entrepreneurial ventures and lead happy, healthy lives.

he college has been committed to arranging proper and adequate academic and physical infrastructure conducive to learning. Teaching-learning has been integrated to a matrix of cocurricular and extra-curricular activities to sustain and develop an order of individuals who will be global in outlook, national in ethos and be equally respectful to local duties and commitments.

The college is affiliated to the University of Calcutta. There are three streams in the college – Arts, Science & Commerce, and total student –strength is 1384 There are total 15 academic departments out of which nine are in Arts stream, five in Science stream and one in Commerce stream. Total 6 programmes are functional, in addition to a UGC funded Career Oriented Course in Journalism, Mass Communication, Photography and Video Production. A committed group of teachers – 24 fulltime (including Principal), 2 Government-approved Contractual, 11 Government-approved Part-time and 26 Guest Lecturers (at present) are engaged in dissemination of knowledge, using a wide plethora of teaching-learning techniques. The dedicated and focused group of 15 non-teaching staff (including 5 casual non-teaching staff) provide administrative and functional assistance to ensure smooth functioning of the college. The dynamic and positive leadership of the Principal synchronizes all the diverse aspects – academic and administrative, to ensure that the stated objectives of the college are firmly adhered to.

The college-building is set up on a campus measuring0.787 acres/ 3188 sq.m. There are three wings of the college, one two-storied, and another three-storied, having 25 classrooms & 1 Digital classroom, 5 laboratories, the college-office, and the third building, housing the students‘ canteen and cycle-stand, boys‘ Common Room, Students‘ Union and the Central library of the college. All the three buildings are integrated and comfortably accessible. There is a four-storied Ladies Hostel building, which is at present lying vacant. The college is an oasis of green amidst an industrial belt, and the verdant green – cover effectively reduces pollution, and adds aesthetic appeal to a centre of learning.

​Forty-four years after establishment, the college has emerged as a centre of all-round development of students. University results of the college are satisfactory, compared to other colleges in the vicinity, and every year, there are a number of students who secure First Class grades. Students are respectful, obedient and believe in the tradition of peace and communal harmony that the college is proud of.

Maheshtala College has made steady progress and aspires to fulfill its founding vision in years to come. Swami Vivekananda‘s words are our beacon of inspiration : Chairaiveti . . . March ahead!