Nabadwip Vidyasagar College ―Educated men are as much superior to uneducated men as the living are to the dead‖ Aristottle: Quoted by Diogenes Laertius ―Education is a social process…. Education is growth…. Education is not preparation for life; Education is life itself John Dewey. Only the Educated are free Epictetus: Discourses The prosperity at a country depends, not on the abundance of its revenues, nor on the strength of its fortifications, nor on the beauty of its public buildings; but it consists in the number of its cultivated citizens, in its men of education, enlightenment and character. Martin Luther. Contents Page No. A. Preface 7-10 B. Executive Summary- The SWOC analysis of the College 11-15 C. Profile of the College 16-26 D. Criterion-wise Inputs: Criterion I: Curricular Aspects 28-38 Criterion II: Teaching-Learning and Evaluation 39-68 Criterion III: Research, Consultancy and Extension 69-91 Criterion IV: Infrastructure and Learning Resources 92-112 Criterion V: Student Support and Progression 113-132 Criterion VI: Governance, Leadership and Management 133-145 Criterion VII: Innovations and Best Practices 146-155 E. Evaluative Reports of the Departments: Arts Bengali 157-165 English 166-174 History 175-180 Political Science 181-187 Sanskrit 188-195 Philosophy 196-200 Education 201-206 Economics 207-215 Science Physics 216-222 Chemistry 223-232 Botany 233-241 Mathematics 242-249 Zoology 250-258 Environmental Science 259-265 Commerce Accounting & Finance 266-271 NAAC: Self Study Report Preface Nabadwip Vidyasagar College, established in 1942, is the second oldest and the second largest (sofar as student strength is concerned) college of Nadia district. The college owes its origin to Calcutta Vidyasagar College which during the Second World War bombing shifted its venue partly to Nabadwip and partly to suri, the district headquarters of Birbhum. Since then Nabadwip, an ancient celebrated seat of learning with Chaitanya Mahaprabhu fame got its only centre of higher education in modern times. Geographically located on the border of Nadia and Burdwan districts, the college has to cater the higher educational needs of a vast number of students hailing mostly from educationally and financially backward families. To mention in this connection, the district of Nadia figures in the UGC educationally backward district list. In 5th March, 2007 the college was inspected by NAAC Peer Team and was awarded ‗B‘ grade. Since the visit the college had been trying its best to implement the recommendations of the Peer Team and achieved success to a great extent. Recommendations of the Peer Team and their implementations The post of the principal had been filled in on 16 April, 2008. Twelve Teachers have joined the institution to strengthen the Teaching staff strength however, Seventeenhave left the institution on retirement, death and three teachers have left to join University faculties or as Principal. A regular P.G. course in Sanskrit and three other P.G. Courses namely Bengali, English and History in DODL mode have been introduced. Career oriented communicative course introduced with UGC financial assistance has experienced not unalloyed success. A large number of computers have been provided in the office, Library and departments. In fact, the college administrative and other offices are partially computerized while all the science departments have computer facilities, Eleven internet connections are also there for the use of teaching faculty as well as the students. Five self-financing courses (now renamed Enhanced fees courses) have been introduced. These are Education, Environmental Science, Physics, Botany and Philosophy. Efforts have been made to develop communication skill and computer awareness among the students. A computer laboratory has been setup with a pull of as many as thirty computers. The use of computer is also part of the syllabi of a number of departments and the admission process being totally on-line the students have developed computer awareness and skill to a great extent. The college suffered from an acute space crunch and could not introduce any modern course. The University of Kalyani, the affiliating University sanctioned permission for the introduction of the course of Microbiology and Biotechnology a few years ago. But considering the space problem and other infrastructural weaknesses the college could not go for it. However the space problem now solved to a great extent, the college has a plan to introduce these courses in near future. Nabadwip Vidyasar College 7 NAAC: Self Study Report The functioning of the library has been computerized. There is also internet facility by which the students can avail themselves of E-books and E-journals. The library has now seven computers and internet connections which will be strengthened in the next financial year The post of the Librarian has been lying vacant since 11.02.2001 The West Bengal College Service Commission is the recommending authority for the appointment of Librarians in college. Requisition (one point roster) for filling up the post has been submitted long ago and a librarian was recommended in the year 2011 but the candidate did not join the post. Since then we are yet to receive further recommendation. However, the college has appointed a qualified, full time librarian on contractual basis. During the Peer Team visit in 2007 the college had only one photocopy machine. At present there are as many as four photo copying machines in the college- one in the Principal‘s Secretariat, one in the Library and One/Two in the college office. The college has now installed Koha Library Software i.e. open source for automation in different subjects. The students and teachers have access to E-Journals with the introduction of internet facility and INFLIBNET N-List programme. Paucity of fund as well as suitable land did not allow the college to construct an auditorium. But we have built a seminar hall which, with its modest facilities, is used for organising seminars, workshops, awareness programmes and meetings on large scale. Efforts are made to record the student progression as far as possible. The introduction of computer and other departments help up greatly in this work. The Alumni Association has been started and it holds occasional meetings. But its activities are yet to get momentum and the much desired involvement of the Alumni in the developmental works of the college has not been achieved. The NSS and NCC units carry on the extension activities to help the down trodden and to bring about social concern among the students. In the recent years the activities of these two units have been intensified. They are being involved in the welfare activities more and more. The co-ordinator of our NSS unit has been adjudged the best coordinator in the University. As we have mentioned before, the NSS unit has strengthened its flow of social work and a full time permanent teacher has been appointed NSS officer. The University of Kalyani, in a recent meeting of its Executive Council, the second highest Governing Body of the University has decided to include NSS activities in the curriculum and we hope this decision will have a far reaching positive effect on the student community in redefining the social commitment of the students. The College maintains a separate NSS account and the NCC accounts are properly maintained. The NSS unit now organizes NSS camps more frequently. The Placement cell has been established but it must be admitted, it has a long way to go. Nabadwip Vidyasar College 8 NAAC: Self Study Report An Internal Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC) has been set up and efforts are on to make it more effective. Education, it is redundant to say, is a continuous process and the college had been tirelessly striving to extend its fold in different directions of higher learning to produce cultivated citizen and we must admit, it‘s a saga of both failure and success. Nabadwip being a semi urban area and the student population mostly having a rural as well as first learning background, the so called academic excellence is far to seek here. But despite all odds some of the students make marks of commendable achievement and the overall academic success rate is satisfactory. The college has walked a long way since its initial accreditation in 2007, introducing five Honours courses (Philosophy, Education, Economics, Environmental Science and Physics- all Enhanced Fees courses) a regular M.A. in Sanskrit course and three M.A. (Bengali, History and English Courses) on D.O.D.L mode. Good and extensive research work is one of the preconditions of higher education ―There is nothing permanent except change‖ said Heraclitus and to cope with this change research is absolutely necessary. Dynamism is the keynote of human civilization and hence, we must all obey the great law of change. It is the most powerful law of nature, as advised by Edmund Burke. A number of teachers in the college have been conducting research works with UGC minor research grant. Teachers of the college are involved in regular academic pursuits by taking part in various national and international seminars, workshops, conferences and symposia Dr.Dhrubajyoti Sarkar, Deptt. of English Participate and Presented papers in the international conferences held in Australia (2011- 2012), Oxford (2012-2013) Smt. Sutapa Saha Mitra, Deptt. of History, participated and presented papers in the international conferences held in Macau, China (2013-June) and Mr. Nirmalendu Ganai, Deptt. of Physics, participated and presented papers in the international conferences held in Italy respectively, Mr.Nirmalendu Ganai, Deptt. of Physics has been selected for a post-doctoral research work in Germany and is going to join in January 2016. Two members of the teaching faculty one in English and one in Mathematicshave joined the University of Kalyani and the University of Calcutta P.G.