History of College

Navadweep, popularly called Nadia, is situated on the western bank of Bhagirathi. It is just opposite to the confluence of the rivers: Jalangi and the Bhagirathi. With the passage of time, ‘Navadweep’ was named as Nabadwip. Nabadwip is situated at near about seventy miles north of Calcutta. It was a very large and populous city, a great trading centre and seat
of Hindu learning in the 15th &16th century. The old and the young men and women, belonging to higher castes got engaged in intellectual pursuits as if there was no other business in the world. In each street there were several Toles (Colleges) and each College contained, according to the Chaitanya Bhagabat, hundreds and, sometimes, thousands of pupils. According to Thakur Brindaban, a citizen, a saint, a student, an eye-witness, “thousands every day came to the city from all parts of India, some to being and some to finish their education, and thousands left every day after having obtained their diplomas.” Students thronged everywhere; they gathered at the marketplace, the streets, the bathing ghats and the strand. They assembled in thousands at every convenient spot to hold a literary discussion. While walking in the streets, the students talked about literary subjects. Literary
tournaments were held every day at every ghat of the city. Each student had a book in his left hand having distinguished badges which symbolized that he was separated from others. It was his ornament, his friend and his strength, which secured for him respectful attention everywhere. Vasudeva Sarvabhuman, the author of Anumanmanipariksha and his disciple Raghunath Siromani Bhattacharya, the author of Tattvachintamani Didhiti were the most renowned scholars and they developed Nyaya Philosophy and established Nyaya College at Nabadwip. Another renowned philosopher, Krishnananda Agamabagisha, the author of Brihat Tantrasara, was also born at Nabadwip. Not only that, a cultural mediator and spiritual saint, Sri Chaitanya Deva (1486-1533) was born in this sacred land, but he had also established a Tole at Mukunda Sanjay's house. It is told that the Vidya Samaj of Nabadwip honoured Sri Chaitanya Deva with “Vidyasagar” title. Krishnachandra Roy (1710-1782) spent huge amount of money to promote Sanskrit learning at Nabadwip. He established many Sanskrit schools at Nabadwip and gave away rent-free land to maintain them. He provided a monthly stipend for foreign students coming to get higher studies in Sanskrit. His wife, Rani Bhabani was also a patron of Sanskrit culture in Bengal. Once, Rev. James Long argued that Nabadwip was the “Oxford of the Orient”. With the passage of time, the influence of Sri Chaitanyadeva’s ideas and Gaudiya Vaishnavism, Nabadwip and Mayapur has begun to be recognized as an important Vaishnava pilgrimage centre in the world map. Nabadwip Vidyasagar College is situated in such a place which is replete with immense historical background. During the Second World War, following the bombardment by Japan, Calcutta saw an unprecedented exodus of a huge number of intellectual citizens who, for finding a safe haven on this part of Gangetic soil, started settling in Nabadwip. Calcutta Vidyasagar College, with its fast-dwindling teachers and taught, had its two branches founded one in Suri, Birbhum and other in Nabadwip. The journey of Nabadwip Vidyasagar College started on 5th March 1942 and at the inception, it started its classes at Nabadwip Hindu School, and it had functioned as a branch of Calcutta Vidyasagar College up to 1948.
With Prof. Madhab Das Chakraborty of Calcutta Vidyasagar College to look after its functioning, and a local committee comprising some eminent citizens of Nabadwip at the helm of affairs, the College started its humble journey till Prof. J.K. Chowdhury took over as the Principal when on 10th September 1948, the College obtained an independent status, a full-fledged Governing Body and a permanent affiliation from Calcutta University. Nabadwip Vidyasagar College is affiliated to Kalyani University since 1999 and NAAC (National Assessment and Accreditation Council) re-accredited with Grade ‘B’ in September 2017. The College at present imparts education in as many as seventeen Honours courses and fifteen general courses, Sanskrit regular M.A course and three M.A courses in DODL mode. The College further owns three acres of land where a women’s hostel was built with financial assistance from the UGC ; and just opposite to it, there is another plot where an SC/ST hostel was built. Dr. Swapan Kumar Roy, M.Com, Ph.D., MBA (HR) is the Principal and ex-officio secretary of the Governing Body. The Principal looks after the day-to-day functioning of the
College and is entrusted with the task of implementing the decision taken by the G.B. as per Kalyani University rules and law of the land. This apart, the College has a pool of talented, qualified, disciplined and dedicated teachers and non-teaching staff.