About College

Jagiroad College (the erstwhile Kapili Anchalik Mahavidyalaya) was established on 8th August, 1979. The College is located at Jagiroad, a gradually developing semi-urban conglomeration of Morigaon district of Assam, at a distance of barely one hundred meters from the National Highway 37. The serene campus, spread over a spacious area of twenty-five bighas of land, is nestled by the picturesque Sonaikuchi Hill. Culturally it lies very close to Na-Khola—the abode of the Prince Regent of the ancient Kingdom of the Tiwas –one of the tribes of the state endowed with its distinctive indigenous life-world. Jagiroad College was established by a group of foresighted and committed social-workers of the region.

Shri Mahendra Ahom, the founder Principal and presently the President of the College Governing Body played a pivotal role for seventeen years in the development of the College through his enthusiasm, vigorous spirit and generous approach. The College was able to attract students from the surrounding rural hinterlands who were mostly “first generation” learners and belonged to socio-economically disadvantaged and marginalized communities primarily because of his dynamic leadership. Shri Ahom laid the foundation of academic and infrastructural blue print of the College while inspiring the teachers to promote the cherished values of inclusiveness and equity without losing sight of qualitative parameters. He was adept at introducing innovative teaching-learning mechanisms like tutorials for Higher Secondary level learners with a focus on improvement of reading and writing skills. During his tenure both the Arts and Science Streams of the College were brought under the “deficit-grant-in-aid” system of Government of Assam following affiliation of its programmes and courses by the Gauhati University and it became eligible for developmental grants under sections 2(f) and 12(b) of the UGC Act 1956. A host of young and talented teachers from different parts of the state joined Jagiroad College due to Prof. Ahom’s stress on teacher quality and transparent recruitment policy.

Dr. Altafur Rahman served as the Principal for eight years between 2000 and 2008 and President of the G.B. for five years. During Dr. Rahman’s tenure the College was accreditated and assessed by the NAAC and career oriented professional programmes like MTM and PGDCA (under Gauhati University), distance education programmes under IGNOU, tie-up with NBIRT for promotion of entrepreneurship were started. He also worked towards further expansion of infrastructural facilities like construction of hostels, expansion of library and computer centre. During Dr. Rahman’s tenure, the College also celebrated its Silver Jubilee in 2005 with enthusiasm and gaiety with active coordination of a large number of its alumni. The same year the College came under the ambit of the Assam College Employees (Provincialisation) Act, 2005. Besides Dr. Rahman, one of the former Vice Principals-Shri Utpal Moni Phukan served as the Principal-in-charge in two phases.

Dr. Bhaben Chandra Neog, the present Principal of the College, has begun programmes and courses like Bachelor in Commerce (B.Com. with both Major and General courses), Advanced Diploma in Construction Works (ADCW) etc. As a measure to enhance skilled human resources, Dr. Neog has played the lead role in introducing a few innovative employment- generating courses with the financial support from the University Grants Commission (UGC). These courses are included in two different schemes of the UGC. Of these,the Pulp and Paper Technology (PPT) and the Fashion Technology were introduced under the Community College Scheme and the Retail Management, the Entertainment (Acting) and Tourism and Hospitality Management were launched under the Bachelor of Vocation (B.Voc.) scheme (with due permission from the Gauhati University).

Memorandums of Understandings (MoUs) have been signed by the College with the Industry partners/ Institutions like Nagaon Paper Mill of Hindustan Paper Corporation, Indian Institute of Fashion and Textile Technology, Guwahati, Xavier Institute of Information Technology (XIMIT), Guwahati, Dr. Bhabendranath Saikia Children Welfare Trust (AAROHAN), Janambhumi Groups of Hotels and Resorts, Koyeli Tours and Travels, Excel Construction, Oasis Construction etc. to empower our students in skill and related activities. Regional Govt. Film and Television Institute (RGFTI) located at Kahilipara, Directorate of Tourism, Assam are added support to our students. They are with us to encourage our endeavours in implementing courses to generate skilled human resources for the society.

During the last four years the College could see many new additions in terms of academic as well as infrastructural fronts. Apart from regular courses and skill based courses, Distance Education courses have also been introduced for the needy students. Those who could not avail the higher education in time can now make their dreams realized through GU-IDOL study cum exam center located at the College. About 500 students have been pursuing PG courses from GU-IDOL and two batches have already completed their innings. Further, keeping in mind the deprived students who could not enroll themselves in UG courses as regular students because of many constrains, they now make their dream fulfilled through the study cum exam center KKHSOU opened at the College last year.

There is also an agenda for adding state-of-the-art infrastructural facilities. The process of digitalization of the College class rooms has started under his initiative and three of them have already been upgraded as digital class rooms. A Digital Language Laboratory has been established in the College Computer department for the students. A 50 KW Solar power plant has been installed in the College to meet the shortage of power supply in the smooth running of theacademic and other day-to-day activities. Very recently, the college has also completed establishment of its digital library building.

Jagiroad College since its early days has been in the forefront of promoting inclusiveness and equity, adopting learner-friendly teaching-learning mechanisms, academic exchanges and organizing seminars and conferences. In the past, the College successfully organized annual/biennial sessions of NEIHA, NEIGS and AACEA apart from having regular calendar of seminars by the Seminar Forum and holding State and National level seminars on different topics/subjects. Dr. Subhash Saha, a faculty of the History department, carved a niche for himself as a multifaceted scholar-poet- social activist and was engaged in Post Doctoral research till his untimely demise in 1994. Prof. Moloya Goswami, present HoD of the Education Department, bagged the Best Actress Award of the 37th National Film Awards in 1992 for her stellar role in Jahnu Barua directed movie Firingoti ( A Spark). She has also been thrice nominated as a member of the prestigious Jury for the National Film Awards. Prof. Tulshi Bordoloi, a faculty of the History Department and a former President of the Tiwa Mathonlai Tokhra (Tiwa Sahitya Sabha) acts as a key resource person regarding studies in the cultural and literary heritages of the Tiwas. Teachers of the College are also being engaged in Major and Minor research projects funded by the DST, UGC etc. besides being awarded Ph.D. and M.Phil. degrees from Universities of repute and Institute of National Importance. A section of the teachers are also actively engaged in local literary, cultural and sports organizations besides offering assistance and consultancy to media and community based organizations. Sections of the non-teaching staff too are sincere and committed in their services, IT savvy and actively engaged in furtherance of the vision of the College.

With its nearly two thousand students—a large segment of who still belongs to socio-economically disadvantaged communities, a reasonably high rate of gender parity, a pleasant and peaceful teaching-learning ambience, a committed teaching staff –some of whom have earned academic and other laurels, a supportive alumni— many of whom have successfully shaped and carved out their careers, excellent infrastructural facilities, a wide array of full time academic programmes and courses ranging from Higher Secondary to Master in Tourism Management , excellent support for affordable and broad-based Distance Education under IGNOU, KKHSOU and IDOL of Gauhati University, a well stacked and updated library with nearly thirty five thousand books, varied schemes of scholarships for learners, seminars and conferences, grievance redressal mechanism, wide range of CCA activities—Jagiraod College is uniquely poised to scale higher in the contours of Higher Education of Assam.