132nd Birth Anniversary of Maharani Dhanamnjuri Celebrated
Date - 26th March 2017

132nd Birth Anniversary of Maharani Dhanamnjuri Celebrated

“The 132nd Birth Anniversary of Maharani Dhanamnjuri Celebrated at D M College of Science, Imphal”

As it is done in the previous years, the Students Union of D M College of Science, Imphal observed this day the 26th March 2017 as the 132nd Birth Anniversary of Maharani Dhanamanjuri who patronised the establishment of the erstwhile D M College in 1946. Amidst the various general strikes, the floral tribute to the life statue of the Maharani Dhanamanjuri was offered under the leadership of the Principal of D M College of Science Imphal Dr P Ranabir Singh at 9 a.m.

The teaching and non-teaching staff, students and other alumni members of the College also attended the Floral Tribute. It was followed by the release of “THE MEMOIRS – A tribute to Maharani Dhanamanjuri” the second edition of the Students Union highlighting various achievements of the College during the academic sessions 2016-17.

The memoirs published in connection with the 132nd Birth Anniversary Celebrations of Maharani Dhnamanjuri also include the past achievements of the College right from its inception. The Dhanamanjari College was established on Tuesday, the 6 August 1946 with the generous donation of a sum of Rs. 10,000 (Rupees ten thousand) only by the then Queen Dhanamanjuri Devi of Manipur.

The College was allowed its first affiliation under Calcutta University in 1933 after an inspection by a team of experts led by Dr. H.C. Mukherjee who later became the Governor of West Bengal. However, the establishment was delayed due to the outbreak of the Second World War which also affected the academic activities in Manipur.

In August 1949 the College was again affiliated to Gauhati University, Guwahati as the term of the affiliation came under the jurisdiction of the Gauhati University. The premier college grew up in size and enrolment with the introduction of science subjects in 1951 and commerce subjects in 1954. The Department of Education of the D. M. College became the nucleus for teachers’ education in this State.

In August 1959, the Education Department of the D. M. College opened Certificate of Teaching (CT) course. The course was replaced by a Basic Training College (Basic Training College). The College was detached and become full-fledged college in 1972 under the name - Post-graduate Training College. The college was renamed as D.M. College of Teacher Education in 1997.

Master in Education course was opened in the College in the year 2005 with 25 seats. During 1960’s, the college had post-graduate classes in Mathematics, Economics and History in addition to the undergraduate classes in science, arts and commerce. The post-graduate classes were run in the early hours of the evening. In 1965 the continuous demand of Girls’ education in the state and with a motive to promote higher education among the women led to the establishment of a separate girls’ college as a part of the D. M. College.

The erstwhile girl’s college was renamed as Ghanapriya Women’s College in honour of Shrimati Hidangmayum Ongbi Ghanapriya Devi, mother of Shri Hidangmayum Dwijamani Dev Sharma, one of the founders of the D.M. College. The College was initially run at the present building of the D M College of Arts with the specific aim of taking care of the women students.

In 1973, the G.P. Women’s College was shifted to the present campus at the very heart of Imphal city near the Central Jail. Since its inception in 1965, the College has been trying to provide access to education for women in the state up to the graduation level following the academic curriculum of the affiliating universities, the Gauhati University in the past and Manipur University at present. In 1972, the post graduate courses got merged with the J.N. Study Centre, Imphal which was located at the present campus of the D M College of Commerce. The centre later became Manipur University in 1980 which now becomes a Central University.

By the year 1975, D.M. College became so large that it had to be bifurcated into D. M. College of Science and D. M. College of Arts and Commerce. D.M. College of Science had retained the original building because of the immovable scientific installations such as laboratories, gas units, etc. and D.M. College of Arts and Commerce had been shifted to the present site with the building (which was once used as Hostel and later the erstwhile G.P. Women’s College) within the sprawling D.M. College campus.

During 1980 - 81, the D M Colleges along with G P Women’s College were affiliated to Manipur University. During 1982 to 90, new subjects like computer Science, Electronics, Environmental studies, Physical Education, health Education and Sports and Defense studies were opened in D M College of Science so as to help skill development and employability of the “demographic dividend”. In 1995, the Post graduate courses were reintroduced to D. M. College of Science in the subjects, viz., Anthropology, Life Sciences (Zoology), Life Sciences (Botany) and Mathematics.

On 6 August 1996, D M College of Commerce was again bifurcated from the D M College of Arts due to the growing size of class and the need for a separate Commerce College in the State with the introduction of many new subjects.

One research institute entitled Research Institute of Science & Technology (RIST) was established in 2011 under the private initiative which is now attached at D M College of Science providing a platform for nourishing the young researchers of the soil in the field of Science and Technology. Prof. A. Surjalal Sharma of the University of Maryland, USA is the Director of the Institute and Professor N. Nimai Singh Head, Department of Physics Manipur University is the Deputy Director. Now, the D M College of Science has been recognized as “College with Potential for Excellence (CPE)” under the UGC with effect from the year 2012. Further, in 2013, Post Graduate Courses in Physical Education, health Education and Sports are introduced in D. M. College of Science.

One Community College entitled “Dhanamanjuri Community College” came into being at D M College of Science under the pilot Community College Scheme of the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India. The Community College specifically designed for Skill based Vocational Education in the higher education sector started on 13 June 2014 with two trades in Medical Laboratory Technology and Fruits & Vegetables Technology up to the Advance Diploma only. Next year, the D M Community College could expand its scopes with one more trade in Television & Media Productions Technology from the academic sessions 2015-16.

The Dhanamanjuri Community College has been approved again as Deen Dayal Upadhyay Centre for Knowledge Acquisition and Upgradation of Skilled Human Abilities and Livelihood (DDU-KAUSHAL Kendra) under the University Grants Commission from the academic sessions 2015-16 with the approval of B. Voc. /M. Voc. Programmes in Radio Imaging Technology and Digital Multimedia Technology.

The DDU KAUSHAL Kendra at Dhanamnjuri Community College has now been recognized under the University Grants Commission as the prestigious “Centre for Research and Development Activities with effect from 28 October 2016”. Post Graduate Courses are newly introduced in Chemistry Subject. The Office of the Research Institute of Science & Technology (RIST) has been formally launched on 18 February 2017 being attached at the newly approved Centre for Research & Development Activities under the DDU KAUSHAL Kendra Scheme under University Grants Commission, New Delhi.

(Dr Raheijuddin Sheikh)
Director,
DDU KAUSHAL Kendra
Dhanamanjuri Community College, Imphal