BRIEF HISTORY OF THE COLLEGE

Brajrajnagar College is an Aided Composite College under Department of Higher Education, Govt. of Odisha, situated at Brajrajnagar Municipality Area in the District of Jharsuguda, Odisha which is 12 KM away from Jharsuguda District Head Quarters.  Its +3 wing has affiliation to Sambalpur University, Sambalpur  and +2 wing has affiliation to the CHSE,Odisha. The college has NAAC accreditation with ‘B’ Grade in 2015.

The college was established in the year 1978 as a private institution in the NAC Brajrajnagar in the district of erstwhile Sambalpur. The dream of opening of a college became a reality with Sri Danda Pani Nayak as the Founder Secretary; with unstinting grant from the NAC, Brajrajnagar as well as the help of innumerable citizens of this industrial belt. Late Dr. J.K. Sahu, the then Minister, Urban Development, Govt. of Orissa laid the foundation stone of the college, on 15th August, 1978. Afterwards the institution was named as NAC College, Brajrajnagar. During the academic session 1983-84, in accordance with the decisions of Govt. of Orissa,the name of the college was renamed as Brajrajnagar College, Brajrajnagar.

The college received affiliation order to open Intermediate Classes in Arts and Commerce from Academic Session 1978- 79 and received Government concurrence in the year 1981. The teaching and non-teaching staff of the college received direct payment of GIA in 1984 as Degree college. The college got permanent recognition for Intermediate courses in the year 1982 and became a permanent affiliated college under CHSE, Odisha for intermediate courses in Arts, Science and Commerce from the year 1984. Besides, The College got permanent recognition for Undergraduate courses in Arts and Commerce in the Academic Session 1988-89. The college was included under section 2 (f) and 12 (B) of UGC Act vide letter no.F.8.23/87 (CPP-I) dt. 24.01.1991.

Honours classes commenced in Arts from 1995, in Commerce from 1992 and in Science from 2005. In addition to this, Vocational classes were opened with UGC grants and permission in the year 2005. The college got “C++” Grade by NAAC in 2005 during First Cycle and was accredited ‘B’ Grade in 2015 during Second Cycle. The total number of teaching and non-teaching staff working in the college is 44 and 27 respectively. The existing strength of students is 1124 in +3 wings and 1182 in +2 wings and the grand total student is 2306.

MISSION

  • To create a teaching-learning environment conducive to acquisition of  higher knowledge, skill and experience.
  • To incorporate the latest development in education through co-curricular arrangements to help them keep pace with the changes in time.
  • To develop keen personnel through vocational and entrepreneurial education
  • To enable the students with ICT learning
  • To make them capable of utilizing their skill in changing environment.
  • To train the students with empathy, sympathy, love, friendship and faith in God.
  • To help the students realise the benefits of outcome-based education.
  • To help the students understand the meaning and importance of NEP 2020.
  • To make the institution a learning ground of humanity and citizenship.
  • To make the students innovative, creative and contributive to the society.
  • To make the students acquainted with various socio-economic, political issues and think of its solution.
  • To help the students realise the importance of gender-based equality and respect human rights.
  • To realise the importance of self-employment and self-reliance.
  • To accumulate interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary approach to curriculum.
  • To ensure administration through democratic decentralization

VISION

  • The institution being a citadel of learning proceeds with the vision of human capital Formation to cater to the needs of the society and the country by preparing a class of ethically and intellectually sound and committed citizens to shoulder the responsibility of a progressive nation. For the purpose through the time-tested, challenges, weaknesses and accomplishments, the institution has prepared a vision document with the following milestones to achieve garnering the support of the Governing Body, students, staff and all these stakeholders associated with the institution.
    • To transform the society through education, employment generation, empowerment of woman and strengthening the morale fibre of the students.
    • To build up a sense of cultural and patriotic obligation.
    •  To promote leadership, qualities through the activities in NSS and Redcross.
    • To make students as a means of social change.
    • To awaken the students with social sour spots.
    • To bring an end to social maladies and superstitions
    • To help the students realise the importance of a healthy, eco-friendly and sustainable environment and garner the emphatic contribution of the masses.
    • To instil a concern for the institution even after their departure.
    • To develop a passion for ICT learning and re-orient skills in keeping tune with NEP 2020
    • To engender a love for creativity and social service.
    • To promote scientific temper and develop inquisitiveness among the students.
    • To develop self-respect and respect for others.
    • To promote and practise healthy practises in the institution.
    • To instil a sense of self-reliance and employability

    The vision document has been symbolically embedded in the emblem of the institution where it speaks Sa Vidya Ya Bimhuktya meaning liberation through education.

TWO BEST PRACTICES

  1. First Best Practice

Title of the Practice– Introduction of Mass  Prayer for the Students, Faculties and Staffs

The new education policy emphasizes on outcome based education. Hence, the college administration has takes  steps to upgrade  their skills and inculcate a sense of. Therefore the principal and the staffs thought of introducing a mass prayer for the students and staffs. At a particular time, preferably at 10.45 a bell will be rung who informed all the students of the mass prayer. They will stand in line in the campus and pray in chorus. It was decided in the staff meeting, approved in the G.B. and introduced.     – The primary objective of the practice is to purge the dirt in their hearts and show them a path in darkness to make them realize the efficacy of prayer and share the joys and woes of individuals in the communities and feel compassionate and be responsible citizens in future. In brief, the institution aspires to humanize them.

The practice started almost one and half year ago. All the staff members have taken the best care for the arrangement of the prayer session. Soon after the bell is rung, both teaching and non-teaching staff take care to help the students stand in line. Utmost discipline is maintained during the session. Four to five girls initiate the prayer in chorus followed by the students. Care has been taken to select a secular prayer in our local language . The prayer ends with a Shanti Patha. Recently, Thought of the Day is followed by a mass prayer. Since the adaptation, the practice has been continuing with zeal and passion, faith and discipline. It works like a motivation.  Sometimes the principal or the faculty in charge of various assignments makes some important announcement for the students. Thus, the practice has succeeded to motivate, persuade to gain over the students. For the institution, today the practice seems to be indispensable and timely.

The institution has faced obstacles during its introduction. Some staff members were apprehensive of  unfortunate  consequences. The principal consulted the higher officials, resolved  in staff meeting, informed the governing body and introduced the practice. Today when we look back to the days of challenges and struggles and compare the moment of present day satisfaction, joy and satiety prevails among the staff. Any practice with its novelties must confront obstacles but the convincing persuasion and motivation behind the efforts of a seeker always leads them to success. Any practice good or bad eventually has results to follow .Hence the practice of mass prays has beautifully shaped the youthful and growing minds of the students. Being youthful the juvenile delinquencies must find an outlet in their character.  Initially, the institution has felt the ugly spectacles of their youthful spirit, but in the today’s scenario there is a tremendous change.

2. Second Best Practice

 Title of the Practice– Ensuring Student’s Satisfaction Survey and Faculty Satisfaction Survey.

The institution after completing two cycles of accreditation in 2005 and the second in 2014 and further it being an institution with 2(f) and 12(b) , it has availed RUSA funds and OHEPEE assistance . As per OHEPEE guidelines, the institution has adopted the practice of student’s satisfaction survey and faculty satisfaction survey. The whole mechanism of ensuring the survey, starting from the creation and circulation of feedback form among the students to the scrutiny and compliance to the shortcomings, the IQAC plays a pivotal role. The primary objective behind the feedback system is to explore the suppressed discontentment among the students and the faculties, so that the weaknesses traced out and suggested can be rectified eventually leading to the satisfaction of the staff and the students. The institution practically aims at resolving all the discrepancies and anomalies in the delivery of the curriculum.

The IQAC  prepare the feedback form and circulate among the students of different departments under the guidance of the HODs and timely collect them for making a thorough scrutiny of their suggestions and grievances. The feedback form so collected is placed before the academic committee for verification and executing the steps to redress the grievances/ suggestion hinted through the feedback form. IQAC has also succeeded to ensure quality through this mechanism.  The academic committee in consultation of the HODs verify the feedback forms respectively in respect of departments. The feedback form practically points out  weaknesses either the delivery mechanism in the classes or their requirements associated with curricular, co-curricular and extra-curricular activities of the college. The student’s feedbacks are indeed parameters of proving their involvement and association.

The institution faces many hindrances to execute the feedback system as per OHEPP guidelines. The IQAC needs to change the strategies to overcome the obstacles. The first in the process is the poor standard of the students. For the purpose, the faculties sometimes adopt bi- lingual or at times resort to vernacular medium to help them understand. The institution has  introduced doubt clearing classes to clarify their pending doubts. The students are also encouraged in the mentoring groups to bridge the gap between faculties and students. It eventually leads to the making of a student friendly academic ambience. The students have conveyed their grievances and suggestions for up gradation and the faculties have equally traced out the weaknesses among the learners. In future the students can better accommodate to the learner friendly delivery of the faculties, suitably orient their skill and as aspired in the NEP 2020.

INSTITUTIONAL DISTINCTIVENESS

All the institutions are bound to abide by the guidelines and directives of the central government and the State government. Being a citadel of learning imparting higher education that is U.G Programme in all the streams Arts, Science and Commerce with Honours, the institution has marched ahead with discipline and commitment to have the highest Seats and highest number of students in the district and thus occupies the pride of space in the floor higher education. Apart from the curriculum, the institution has adopted NSS and Youth Red Cross to vibrant and proactive wings to organise a plethora of eye-catching programmes and undertake extension activities and outreach programmes like Blood Donation and Blood Grouping Camp, Awareness Camp in the institution and nearby village and observed various days of national and international importance along with the district administration and the support of former students. through the process the volunteers are helped to learn the beauty of leadership and pleasure of working together, sharing and the concept of humanity like love, empathy, sympathy. The institution faithfully coordinates and executes the Self-Defense training programme for girls, a directive of Higher Education department in the light of Odisha State Youth Policy 2013. The directives intend to secure the girl students on the face of rising cases of atrocities and empower women to keep them pace with the development in the present scenario.  The programme equally enables them to defend against any type of physical assault. It builds self-confidence so that they can contribute to their own development and shape their own destiny. Every year nearly two hundred girls from +2 & +3 get trained in the skill of self defense. But the institution maintains its distinction in this field   by creating two master trainers Miss Nitu Manharan and Miss Nagma Manharan, who have been chosen as master trainers to train in the nearby colleges, in return they earn little pocket allowance from the government.

Apart from sincerely executing the assigned curriculum and the associated administrative necessities the college takes care of the students as the prime target group (beneficiary) of all the events and activities in the college. With the aspiration of the institution to make the academic hub in the locality the present principal along with its staff members left no stone unturned to add a mass prayer in the curriculum at 10: 45am and make the Career Counselling Cell and Placement Cell effective and active for the larger interest of the students.

Soon after the first period all the students and the staff stand in line in the campus at 10:45am and in chorus, everybody recites a holy prayer with a Hope to invoke His blessing and begins the day with optimism and enlightenment. It helps to create an atmosphere of peace, tranquillity and serenity in the campus. Through the process the institution practically expects a kind of reformation among the students. It cherishes a value-based foundation with their awareness of ethics, responsibilities and obligation to the college, society, the nation and eventually fulfil their goals of being a responsible citizen of the country.

The career counselling cell and placement cell help the students realize and explore their hidden potentialities. They organise skill-based entrepreneurship training / awareness programme sometime with the district employment Office or any other industrial companies. The institution has also adopted Spoken Tutorial Course in collaboration with IIT Mumbai, and self-developed course for Communicative English and Personality Development to prepare the students facing interviews and competition ahead. Recently enough, the institution is trying for its best for the recruitment of meritorious and pass out student and ensure feasible employment. With this purpose HCL Technology and TPWOL were contacted to come for campus selection through recruitment. As informed by the Placement Cell, some students by now have been recruited in the process.

The practices initiated by the institution thrust upon the holistic development of the children with inclusiveness, embraciveness, and adaptability. It strives to reach its goal through the following practices and principles— educational practices, collaborative practices, supplementary aids, community involvement, education for sustainable development, prioritized outcome-based education and a successful outreach programme. The faculties meticulously prepare the lesson plan to complete their curriculum and record their progress in the progress register. The convincing and explanatory delivery in the classes, doubt clearing in tutorial classes, personal connectivity during mentor -mentee relationships, behaving like an aide in the remedial classes for the poor learners and making the best possible efforts to act, interact and assimilate in the seminar and discussion makes the education contributive to the students. Equally the process of mentoring bridges the gap between the teacher and the students. They are patiently heard with empathy and sympathy, and consideration so that they can overcome the challenges and the circumstance obstructing them in their progress.  The institution equally assigns the faculties to carry out different activities through different cells and committees. The Cell like Grievance Redressal Cell, Gender Sensitization Cell, Anti-Ragging Cell, Career Counselling, Placement cell, SSG Association, Cultural Association, Planning and Coordination Committee, Library Committee etc. strive to support the differently abled, unprivileged, economically and socially backward and deprived students to achieve their goals in life. The institutional celebration of days and festivals give a firm footing to their faith. Further, all the grievances brought forward to the notice of the Principal are carefully analysed in the presence of Administrative Bursar, Accounts Bursar and the members of the grievance redressal committee and depending on the intensity and depth of the problem the principal either directly communicates to the higher authorities and tries for its solution or makes a written request for the redressal. Sometimes the result related problems are settled with the help of the Controller, Sambalpur University. The internal problems are settled in the presence of senior faculties.

The outreach programmes help the NSS students and Red Cross students assert their connectivity and association to the people in the community. They conduct awareness programme in the nearby adopted village and convince the local people regarding the social maladies.

* ABOUT BRAJRAJNAGAR *

Brajarajnagar is a town and a municipality in Jharsuguda district in the state of Odisha, India. It is famous for MCL-owned coal mines and now-defunct Orient Paper Mills of Birlas established in 1936. Most of the population in this city were working for Orient Paper Mills, which belonged to Birla Group of industries. Brajrajnagar has in its vicinity numerous open-cast and underground coal mines of IB Valley Coalfield and Orient Colliery Area belonging to government-owned Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL).