Dhaliara Govt College celebrates golden jubilee

Raghav Guleria

Dharamsala, April 8

Located in the serene environs at Dhaliara in Kangra, Government College

Dhaliara lies adjacent to the Dharmshala-Chandigarh National Highway. With 2,300 students enrolled in different streams, this college is catering to the educational needs of five legislative constituencies – Dehra, Jaswan Pragpur, Chintpurni, Jawalamukhi & parts of Jawali.

Earlier named ‘Thakur Kesho Dass College’

Established by Kesho Dass, a philanthropist from Pathankot in 1973, the college at Dhaliara initially was named ‘Thakur Kesho Dass College’. Kesho Dass was a visionary who supported the cause of education. This specific location at Dhaliara was very wisely identified as it caters to the educational needs of at least five legislative constituencies.Subsequently, the state government took over the college in 1984 and rechristened it Government College, Dhaliara, omitting the name of its founder.

Initially, it only catered to students who opted for the humanities stream. Subsequently, the non-medical stream was introduced in 1989, commerce stream in 1996, and the medical stream in 1999. Besides, the college has BBA, BCA and PGDCA courses under the self-financing mode and a study centre of Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU). B. Voc. in Retail Management and Hospitality & Tourism has also been introduced from the session 2021-22 with 40 seats in each course. The college has adequate teaching and non-teaching staff but the admissions to Sociology and Tour and Travel this year suffered for want of faculty.

To cater to the growing needs of the students, M Sc in physics, chemistry, M Com and MBA were started to provide new opportunities to the students thereby making it a post graduate college. Dr Anju Chauhan, Principal of the college, said efforts were being made to start an integrated four-year B Ed, MA in history, MA in political science, and M Sc in maths.

She further added that efforts were on to provide a sports complex, a swimming pool, and a shooting coaching centre to the college. A new academic and adminstratative Block was also being constructed and would soon be ready for inauguration, she said.

The college recently celebrated its golden jubilee with great pomp and show. It was a huge gathering, a rendezvous of the present having a glimpse of the past. Talking to The Tribune, Dr Anju Chauhan, principal of the college said with a sense of nostalgia, “It was really a proud moment for each one of us associated with this premier institution to celebrate 50 years of the college in a reunion with all the former professors, alumni sharing their memories.”

P C Dadhwal, the founder professor of this institution, remembered old days when stalwarts like Master Hari Ram Thakur, Purshottam Jaswal and other residents envisioned this institute way back in 1973.