Education makes a people easy to lead, but difficult to drive; easy to govern, but impossible to enslave.

         The largest of trees has its origin in the tiniest of seeds. The sweetest of flowers has a modest beginning in the small bud. One small step of Armstrong on the moon has been a big jump for humanity. Every historic milestone has its beginning in the apparently simplest of actions. The history of mankind has repeatedly bourn testimony to this truth. The history of Prabhat Kumar College, Contai, one of the premier institutes of repute in the state, is no exception.

         The high tide of the Bengal Renaissance may have been more perceptible on the national front with the struggle for independence gaining the ultimate momentum, but its spirit had spiralled into every nook and corner of Bengal. The final shaping force came in the form of the Gandhian whirlwind that swept across the country in the 1920s and this southernmost sub-division of Bengal was graced by his auspicious visit in 1926.

         The torch of nationalist fervour that he carried provided the much-needed fire to the patriotic zeal of noble souls of the area and touched the chord of the magnanimous humanist Late Babu Biswambhar Dinda, a benevolent Zamindar of the locality. Yet to completely recover from the shock of the untimely death of his only son, late Prabhat Kumar Dinda, at the tender age of twenty-five, the big heart was still yearning with the burning desire of ‘doing’ something great for the spread of education in the area and he came forward with a princely donation of Rs. 44,527/- to the college fund and left a will bequeathing his whole property to a Board of Trustees with a direction to spend half the annual income from the property for maintenance and development of the college. He continued to be the guiding spirit of the college as the life-member and secretary of the college till his death in May 1937. Initially the college was being run in a portion of the oldest education institute of the sub-division, Contai High School.

         That was the beginning and, as they say, the rest is history. The initiative taken by the humanist Late Babu Biswambhar Dinda, brought together, in its strides, so many humanists of the area that within a very short period the organisers of the college got the support of late Rai Saheb Gangadhar Nanda of Mugberia, a munificent landlord contributing Rs.10,000/- for this noble mission. Besides rendering the pecuniary help, they secured a plot of land, a little over an acre, as gift from Mahanta Badrinarayan Das.

         The college was yet to have its own premises. As late as in 1937, during the period of Founder Principal Nepal Chandra Roy, the college authority purchased a plot of land measuring about 5.7 acre with a moderate building from the American Baptist, Bengal, Orissa Mission, at a very modest price of Rs.3000 and the college was shifted there (which also happens to be its present location) on 26th August, 1937. One room was erected on the top of the college building and another with a veranda was also built up by the Trust Board during session 1940-41 and named “Biswambhar Hall” in memory of the principal donor, Biswambhar Dinda. In course of time the college authority got fifty bighas of land either by purchase or by acquisition.

         The college that made its maiden appearance as an Arts college in 1926 under the University of Calcutta and started with only 39 students has now developed into a full-fledged multi-disciplinary one with roll strength of about 6000 students, now affiliated to the Vidyasagar University. The college started B.A., I. Sc., and B. Sc. in the years of 1940, 1947, and 1954, respectively. Along with the march of time our Institution is also marching ahead by opening up new horizons of study to cater to the needs of students to meet the challenges on the frontiers of education in the twenty-first century. Right now, the college offers Honours courses as well as General courses in 20 subjects and Post-Graduate Course in Physics. This year also witnesses the resumption of the B. Ed. Course after a gap of few years. The college also promotes ODL (Open and Distance Learning) and has study centres of NSOU in the Open mode and of Vidyasagar University and Rabindra Bharati University in the Distance mode.

         The history of this institution would remain incomplete without a reference to the contribution of late Satish Chandra Dinda to the growth and prosperity of the college. He was at the helm of the affairs in college for a long time as Secretary and the college under his wise captaincy weathered many storms and attained a great name and fame in the annals of education in our country. Founder Principal Nepal Chandra Roy joined this college on 19th July, 1926 and retired on 13th December, 1957. He was well known as an able administrator, draconic disciplinarian and a true teacher in Mathematics. During his long tenure of selfless service he left no stone unturned in bringing about all-round development. Both in the University of Calcutta and the Department of Education, Govt. of W.B., the Institution was held in high esteem because of its progress and performance. Right from Prof. Roy to the present Principal, Dr. Amit Kumar De, the college has been fortunate to have excellent administrators at the helm of office who have taken the college to new heights of glory. Their efforts would not have been successful but for the tireless efforts put in by the galaxy of teachers who have rendered and still continue to render their valuable contribution to the academic excellence. The Governing Body, undaunted in its effort to keep up the glory of the institute, a dedicated support staff and a very constructive Students’ Union are harmonizing well with the efforts put in by the Teacher-in-Charge and the teaching community of the college to translate of the dream of the founder(s) to reality.

         The Institution had satisfactorily been assessed & accredited in 2007 with B+ Grade and re-accredited in 2014 by National Assessment & Accreditation Council (NAAC) of University Grants Commission (UGC)  and is now preparing for the third round of evaluation. The college in its stride over the last ninety years has played a glorious and significant role as the harbinger of the light that higher education radiates. Bereft of Governmental munificence during the British rule in India drawing sustenance from tireless and united toil of dedicated teachers, devoted employees and innumerable students, if has secured the present stature of premier degree college in West Bengal. Attainment of such laudable status inevitably entails upon the institution the responsibility of maintaining and improving upon the same.

May the college fulfill the noble mission in the years ahead with unstinted co-operation of all concerned. Let this Ninety-Two years young college run full throttle.