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Welcome to Devchand College Website

Devchand College, Arjunnagar is a pioneer and renowned grant-in-aid institution affiliated to Shivaji University, Kolhapur in the State of Maharashtra. Initially, it was affiliated to Savitribai Phule Pune University (University of Pune). After the establishment of Shivaji University, Kolhapur in 1962, the affiliation was transferred to the nearby university. The college imparts education in Arts, Commerce and Science streams. UG, PG and Ph.D. programmes are conducted.  It is accorded Jain Minority status in 2010. The motto of the college is Tamasoma Jyotirgamaya. In three NAAC cycles of accreditation, the college has obtained ‘A’ Grade twice.

The college was established in 1961 and is situated on 45 acres of land. The long and shapely three-storey building, which is an architectural beauty in itself, stands as the concrete embodiment of the founder-President Padmabhushan Shriman Devchandji Shah’s vision. Nearly 2300 students from economically and socially disadvantaged communities from 35-40 villages of both sides of Maharashtra and Karnataka border take education every year at minimal cost. The college has modern state-of-art facilities, equipments, laboratories, research laboratories, multipurpose gymnasium, hostels, gymkhana and other infrastructure facilities. Above all, it is geared to meet local as well as global challenges in education by adapting to emerging trends and technologies with focus on value education.

VISION

Tamaso Ma Jyotirgamaya (i.e. Transition from Darkness to Light)
‘The present era is the era of knowledge. Every child should get quality education at minimal cost to carry out the duties of responsible citizen. It is education which develops thought, intellect, and moral values’: Padmabhuashan Shri. Devchandji Shah.

MISSION Statements

  • To provide quality education to the rural and socially and economically disadvantaged students and  make them globally competent
  • To promote scientific temper and research
  • To facilitate physical and mental development of students
  • To inculcate human values such as equality, honesty, compassion and discipline
  • To promote the values of social service, secularism, nationalism and environmental awareness

Goals

  • To provide quality education in minimum cost through conventional and short term skill-based courses to enable students to be self-reliant and globally competent
  • To promote research culture among students
  • To inculcate social and personal values through various co-curricular and extra-curricular activities
  • To promote gender equality and environmental consciousness through various activities

Core Values

  • Quality Education
  • Social Service
  • Sound Character
  • National Integration
  • Global Competence
  • Gender Equality
  • Responsible Citizens
  • Environmental Consciousness
  • Scientific Temper
  • Expertise in Arts, Sports and Culture

Brief History

The college was established in 1961 under the educational Trust named Janata Shikshan Mandal. The founding father of Devchand College is the great visionary leader, Padmabhushan Shriman Devchandji Shah. He realized the urgent need for a higher education institution in the rural and hilly region as there was not a single college around except in the district place.  Middle and lower class students had no opportunity to take higher education as travelling to the district place was costly. As imparting quality education to the rural youth was the mantra of Padmabhushan Shriman Devchandji Shah, he consulted a number of renowned national and local educationists- Shri J. P. Naik, Prof. G.P. Pradhan, Prof. Kokil and Shri D.V.Joshi, among others- with a view to making it an ideal institution. He brought renowned teachers from far-away places to teach, provided modern facilities and supported in every possible way to benefit the student community. In a short period of time, the college emerged as an academic and cultural centre in the region. Since 1961, it has been doing yeoman service to the society and a lion’s share of the credit in the socio-economic transformation of the region goes to the college. Thousands of students have got education at negligible cost and many alumni have occupied top positions in national and international organizations.

Illustrious Visitors to the College

Acknowledging the significance and contribution of Devchand College to the society, particularly upliftment of poor communities, illustrious personalities from all fields – politicians, industrialists, businessmen, intellectuals, professionals, spiritual Gurus, academicians, poets, artists, sports personalities- have visited the college.  Among them a few names are- former Prime Minister Hon’ble Late Shri Lalbahadur Shastri, former Vice-President, Hon’ble Late Shri B.D. Jatti, former Prime Minister Hon’ble Shri H.D. Deve Gowda, Defence Minister of India, Hon’ble Shri Yashwantraoji Chavan, Hon’ble Shri, His Highness Chhatrapati Shahaji Raje, Rani Indumati, Kolhapur, Mr. and Mrs. Fanbers from American Peace Forum,Minister of Education, Hon’ble Shri Madhukarji Chaudhari, Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Hon’ble Shri Vasantrao Naik, Hon’ble Sharadraoji Pawar, Hon’ble Shri Prafullbhai Patel, ‘Hind Kesri’ Shri Maruti Mane, Major General, NCC, Shri Veerendra Singhji, Shri Arun Gujarathi, Shikshan Maharshi J.P. Naik, Shri Manoharbhai Patel, Shri Chhotabhai Patel, Barrister S.S.Mane, Shri S.M. Dahanukar, Shri Shankarrao Thorat, renowned scientist Dr. Jayant Naralikar, Tarkateerth Shri Laxmanshastri Joshi,  Shri P.V. Gadgil, spiritual Gurus- Parampujya Punyas pravar mahabodhi Vijayji Mahabodhi Sadhu and Padmasagarji Maharaj, Poet Anil, Shri Sadanand Varde, Prof. G.P. Pradhan, Shri Shankar Patil, Shri P.S. Rege, Shri S.M. Joshi, Shri Hamid Dalwai, film actor Shri Chandrakant Mandare,  Prof. Shivajirao Bhosale, Shri Ranjeet Desai, Jnanapeeth Awardee Padmabhushan Shri V.S. Khandekar, Jnanapeeth Awardee Shri Vrinda Karandikar, Shri G.N. Dandekar, Rankavi Shri Tandale, Dr. D. Y. Patil, Late Shri Ratnappa Kumbhar and Hon’ble Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra Shri Ajitdada Pawar.

Milestones

  • Establishment- 1961
  • Main Building- 1961
  • Boy’s hostel- 1962-63
  • Girls’ hostel- 1968-69
  • Anusuyaben Girl’s hostel- 2011
  • Postgraduate courses in Arts and Commerce- 1972-23
  • Separate office block- 1996-97
  • M.Phil. in English- 2005
  • Silver Jubilee Hall/Gymkhana- 1988
  • M.Sc. in Agrochemicals and Pest Management in 2012-13
  • English language laboratory- 2010
  • Computer laboratories- 2015-16
  • Suvarn Library building- 2015-16
  • Check Dam, Bandhara, for rain water harvesting and drip irrigation- 2015-16
  • Office and library automation- 2018-19
  • Research laboratories- (Chemistry) 2012 & (AgPM) 2017
  • M.Sc. in Physics and Chemistry- 2017-18 and 2018-19 respectively
  • M.Sc. in Microbiology and M.Com. in Accountancy- 2019-20
  • Ph.D. Programmes (Chemistry and Agrochemicals and Pest Management)- 2015-16 & 2019-20 respectively
  • Multipurpose gymnasium and multipurpose seminar hall- 2020-21

 *Health care centres, psychological clinic, a post office, a consumer store and credit society services, etc. are in place.

Distance Education Centres

  1. A centre of Yashwantrao Chavan Open University (YCMOU)
  2. A branch of Centre for Distance Education, Shivaji University, Kolhapur