Brief History of DSB Campus, Kumaun University, Nainital
Brief History of DSB Campus, Kumaun University, Nainital
Kumaon University was
established in the year 1971 under sub-section (1) of Section 4 of the Uttar
Pradesh State University Act, 1973 (Act No. 10 of 1973) under the Uttar Pradesh
Government's Notification No. (10) 8651/15/75(85)/61 Dated the 23rd November,
1971. Under the UGC Act 1956, Kumaun University was granted Section 12 (e)
recognition by the University Grants Commission. It is the oldest state
university in the state, which provides higher education to about one lakh
students of Kumaon, Uttarakhand.
Wellesley Girls High School, Nainital, founded by Emma L. Knowles (1840-1924). Miss Knowles was born in New Jersey in 1840 and died at the sanitarium in Castile New York, March2 8, 1924. Thirty-five years of her life was spent in India with only three short furloughs. At the time of her retirement in 1917, an article of appreciation appeared in the Woman's Missionary Friend with the heading, 'A Pathfinder", in recognition of her career as the founder of our two schools in the Himalayas: Wellesley, Nainital; and Queen's Hill for Anglo-Indian Girls, Darjeeling. Miss Knowles spent many years in India as Principal of schools for European girls at Nainital and Calcutta before coming to Darjeeling. Emma Knowles played a major role in establishing the Wellesley Girls High School in Nainital.
With the inspiration of
famous freedom fighter Pandit Govind Vallabh Pant, it took place on July 19,
1951, in Wellesley Girls High School building, a philanthropist Thakur Dan
Singh Bisht started a Degree college for students of the hills with a modest
income. It was his noble venture and financial support with a selfless zeal
that so many students passed out from this college, who could not afford higher
education in the plains. Today the DSB Campus of Kumaun University, named after
his benevolent father, Thakur Deb Singh Bisht is housed there. For the people
of Kumaun and Garhwal, his greatest contribution was the DSB Degree College
established in Nainital. The poor students from the villages and towns of
Uttarakhand found it difficult to go to major towns for higher education and
thus be rendered a yeoman service in the field of education. He donated Rs. 5
Lakhs and the buildings where the main campus is housed he donated his
Smugglers Rock state where the girls' hostels are sited Apart from establishing
the college he extended financial assistance to poor students.
Before the year 1973, there
was no university in Uttarakhand, all degree colleges and colleges of
Uttarakhand were operated by Agra University. Due to this, the students had to
face inconvenience. From improving marksheets to getting back papers, and
degrees, students had to go from remote hill places to Agra. In those days,
there were no easy means of transport, this disparity gradually gave rise to a
movement named 'Kumaon-Garhwal University Banao Andolan', and the flame of this
movement spread all over Uttarakhand with the support of social workers and
intellectuals. The entire Uttarakhand movement became peaceful. This movement
was also suppressed by the then administration. On December 15, 1972, the
students of Pithoragarh Government College were demonstrating, along with them
in the procession were students of inter colleges and workers of various social
organizations. The police fired at them and a school student Mr. Sajjan Sing
and Nepali labour Sri Shoban Singh were shot. After this firing, this movement
became intense. The fire of the movement intensified at various places.
Ultimately, as a result, the Kumaon and Garhwal University was established on
March 1, 1973.
Initially, the DSB campus
came into existence as a Constituent College, but by the amendment issued on
March 15, 1994, it was recognized as a university campus.
Dr. Reetesh Sah
Kumaun University
Nainital
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