ABOUT US » HISTORY

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Year of Establishment: 20th June, 1887
Founder: Raja Joykrishna Mukherjee
Vision of the Institution: The vision of the institution is to achieve excellence in higher education, empowerment through knowledge, inclusive growth for socio-economic change and sustainable development.
Mission: The mission of the institution is:

• To equip and empower students with relevant knowledge, competence and creativity to face global challenges.
• To achieve innovations in teaching-learning, research and extension activities to realize national goals.
• To spread female education.
• To facilitate optimum use of human and natural resources for sustainable development.
• To promote participation of all the stakeholders in the development of the College.
• To promote and practice inclusive growth.
• To adopt and promote the knowledge output for human development.
• To create awareness on human rights, value system, culture, heritage, scientific temper and environment.

RAJA PEARY MOHAN COLLEGE was founded on 20th June, 1887 by an eminent philanthropist, promoter of education and social reformer in the nineteenth century Bengal, Raja Joykrishna Mukherjee, an benevolent zamindar of Uttarpara, in the Hooghly District of West Bengal. The college is situated in a place which is very near to the famous Grand Trunk Road and just on the opposite bank of the Hooghly river of the famous temple of Goddess Kali at Dakshineswar. Exactly, 125 years ago from now, with thirty one students Raja Joykrishna Mukherjee established this Higher educational Institution with the vision and mission to achieve excellence in higher education and equip and empower students with relevant knowledge, competence and creativity, spread female education and practice inclusive growth for socio-economic change and sustainable development for the society. It is noteworthy that Probal Chandra Mukherjee, himself a member of the founder's family was the first student of the College Unfortunately, Joykrishna Mukherjee breathed his last in 1888 only one year after the foundation of the College. The college came under the benevolent patronage, Raja Peary Mohan Mukherjee., worthy son and successor of the late Joykrishna Mukherjee. Throughout his life Raja Peary Mohan spent huge sum of money for the College and it was in the fitness of things that the College was renamed after his memory in function held on 4th of October 1953. In 1887, when the College was founded Shyama Charan Ganguly, the headmaster of the Govt. School became temporarily the Principal. However, the first Principal Kaliprasanna Ganguly joined in 1897. Kumar Bhupendra Nath Mukherjee son of Raja Peary Mohan Mukherjee, also like his father contributed a substantial financial assistance for the maintenance and survival of the College. Till 1950, classes were limited to the then Intermediate Standard. In 1955 the College got its affiliation for B.A. from the University of Calcutta, for B.Sc. in 1956 and B.Com. in 1958. Honours classes started in the College for the first time in 1959 in the department of Bengali and Mathematics. Gradually Honours affiliation came in Philosophy (1961), Physics (1964), Zoology (1965), Political Science (1966), Economics (1966), Chemistry (1966), Commerce (1972), Physiology (1990), Botany (1996), English (1996) and History (2002).The Departments have a very good track record in examinations with University toppers in a number of subjects. Today the students come to this College not only from the rural areas of Hooghly and Howrah, but also from the outskirts of Kolkata and other districts too. The College celebrated its Centenary with much pomp and grandeur in 1986. To commemorate this occasion the then Honorable Chief Minister, Sri Jyoti Basu laid the foundation of a new building on 22nd June 1986 and the building was later named as the Centenary building. An Auditorium comprising of 320 seats and all modern amenities was inaugurated on 15 January 2002. In 2006 the college has undoubtedly able to solve  the acute space-problem to some extent with the help from the ex-alumina of the college and ex-honourable Member of Parliament Sri Santoshsri Chatterjee, from his M.P. Lad fund, with a addition of a new floor which is now and has endowed the College with a new look.

As a supporter of Vidyasagar's social reforms, he is still remembered as the first signatory to the historic petition sent to Lord Dalhousie, praying for the legalization of Hindu widow marriage in 1856. He made an extensive attempt for the spread of education particularly in the rural areas. By 1858 he was able to establish as many as 31 schools in the districts of Howrah, Hooghly and Bardhaman. He applied for establishing a Girl's School at Uttarpara in 1849 which was turned down by the East India Company's Government. Failing to establish a Girl's School, he donated Rs. 10,000/- to Bethune School, Calcutta, for the cause of female education. The historic Uttarpara Public Library bears testimony to his desire for spread of education. This was the first free Non-Government Public circulating Library in India. Joykrishna was also instrumental in the establishment of the Uttarpara Government High School and finally at an advanced age he fulfilled his cherished dream of establishing Uttarpara College. After the transfer of administration from the Company to the Crown in 1858 the colonial Government gave the permission to establish the college.

The great patron-benefactor of the College: In 1889 the newly founded college was amalgamated with the Uttarpara Government School and came under the management of the government. Eight years later the Government retained only the school's management and the college came under the benevolent patronage of Raja Peary Mohan Mukherjee., worthy son and successor of the late Joykrishna Mukherjee. Raja Peary Mohan Mukherjee was certainly a chip of the old block and a remarkable personality of his age. Besides Uttarpara College, he was also closely associated with Bangabasi and Surendranath Colleges of Calcutta and one of the founders of the Carmichael (R.G. Kar) Medical College. He presided over a mammoth gathering at the then Town Hall, Calcutta to give a public reception to the Swami Vivekananda.

After the demise of Raja Peary Mohan Mukherjee in 1923, the College did not lead to an altogether cul de sac, for his son Kumar Bhupendra Nath Mukherjee, who also, inherited the renaissance idealism and reformative zeal of his grand father and his father. He, too, like his father contributed a substantial financial assistance for the maintenance and survival of the College.

In 1932 a decision was taken by the Governing Body to close down the College. However, the teachers and the non-teaching staff decided to work voluntarily for the College and set an example of extreme self-dedication. Acharya Dhruba Kumar Pal, the then Principal gave a dynamic leadership in this critical juncture. He joined the College as a lecturer and officiating Principal in 1924 and finally became the permanent Principal in 1926 and remained in the post till 1950. Dhruba Kumar Pal and other teachers like Pasupati Ganguly, Pannalal Mukherjee, Ramchandra Bhattacharjee, Mahendranath Gupta etc. set an exemplary devotion. Local citizens and ex-students came forward with donations. Representations were made to the Bengal Government. Finally after many years of hardship, it was on 21 August 1938 a team including Fazlul Haque, the Chief Minister, Nalini Ranjan Sarkar, the Finance Minister and the DPI, visited the College and the College was approved of a financial grant from the Directorate of Public Education in Bengal. After the demise of Acharya Dhruba Kumar Pal who piloted the College through its darkest days for long 25 years, Kiran Chandra Gupta became the Principal in 1950.

The college is celebrating its 125th year of establishment from 20th June 2011 to 20th June 2012. (1887-2012)