Gloried history
Er. Prabhat Kishore
The opening of a Technical institution in the last quarter of 19th century was ushering of a new epoch of scientific learning and Technical education in Bihar. The famous Wood’s Educational Policy of 1854 laid the present education system. Under this policy, a number of pioneer educational institutions were opened in Bihar.
The thought of opening a technical school in Patna came into existence through the proposed scheme of an Industrial Institution in 1855-56 by W. Taylor, the then Commissioner of Patna. The British Government felt an urgent need to open Survey School to train land-surveyors. On 4th Dec. 1871 the Lt. Governor of Bengal pleaded for establishment of a School for Land-Surveyors.
For the first time in 1871, Survey classes were opened in the newly established Patna College (1863) with hundred students, half of them being ex-students and outsiders. The courses of studies were Drawing, Mensuration and theory of Surveying. Survey classes were also opened at Deoghar, Munger, Chaibasa, Hazaribagh and Purulia. Subsequently, it was proposed to set up special Survey Schools at Patna, Dhaka and Cuttack. Patna Survey School, with a two-year curriculum, was started in March 1876, which appeared as a milestone of Technical Education in Bihar. There were more Bihari Muslims than Hindus in the school. During 1875-76, 21 out of 37 students were Muslims, whereas in 1876-77, 22 out of 45 students were Muslims.
Another important technical institute named “Bihar Industrial School” for artisans was started at Bankipur, Patna in 1879. In the beginning the numbers of students were 150; but when they knew about few scholarships, most of them left out reducing the strength to only 20. The Biharis were little interested for technical education.
The lack of workshop and other equipments also discouraged them. The report of the Education Commission in 1882 suggested about more scholarships to promote technical institutions in India and consequently more scholarships were reserved for Biharis to encourage them to take up technical education.
In 1896, re-organisation of Survey and Industrial Schools of Patna took place and the Patna Survey School merged with Bihar Industrial School as Bihar School of Engineering. The present main block of Bihar College of engineering (now NIT) Patna was constructed in 1900. In this institution, overseer’s course of four years after matriculation were introduced. Till 1908, this institution was under the administrative control of the Principal of Patna College. In 1908, Bihar School of Engineering become independent institution under the Principalship of Mr. F. Walford.
The School was administrated by the Government of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa. It was equipped with workshops, laboratories, lecture theaters, drawing halls and a hostel. The school had four sections- overseer, Sub-overseer, Surveyor and the Artisan. The admission fee was Rs 2/- and tuition fee Rs 2/- per month. Five Government scholarships of Rs 7/- per month were awarded on the basis of annual examination results, out of which four were reserved for Biharis.
When Bihar and Orissa was separated from Bengal on 22 March 1912, the Nathan Committee was constituted in 1913 to study the necessity of self-sufficient Technical College and a separate University. The Committee recommended for opening of Medical, Engineering, Commerce and Agriculture Colleges under Patna University. When Patna University came into existence in 1917, a Committee was formed to make proposals for the development of institution. In 1923, the Bihar School of Engineering became affiliated to the Patna University. In July 1924, the present Bihar College of Engineering started functioning with 30 students. In addition to the degree courses, there two additional courses.
Mr, F. Walford continued as the Principal of Bihar College of Engineering. A number of equipments were added and workshops were enlarged. The material testing laboratories were completed by 1926. A hostel was built for engineering students. An electricity generating set run by a diesel engine was installed for extra load requirements of the laboratories. A windmill was constructed in 1928 to pump water for hydraulic laboratory.
In March 1928, Mr. L.D. Coueslant became the permanent Principal. At his behest, a sub-committee was formed which recommended all-round development of the college including acquisition of land for various purposes. The committee also recommended opening of degree courses in Electrical and Mechanical Engineering. But these courses were not started due to the economic slowdown around the world. However, in 1929 a short Survey Course for Pleaders and Munsifs was introduced.
In 1930, the Industrial Diploma course was included in place of Mechanical Apprentice course. The degree course was recognised by Government of India (Department of Industries and Labour) in 1932 and lateron by Institution of Engineers (India) and City & Guilds of London Institute. In 1936 Mr. Coueslant retired and J. Tullis took over the charge of Principal.
The degree course in Electrical Engineering was started in July 1945. In 1940, an electrical sub-station consisting of transformers and motor generator was installed in the college. A new two-storey workshop building was constructed during 1943-44 for the training of war technicians. From 1945, the building was used as Electrical Laboratory and in 1952 the Department of Mechanical Engineering was transferred to it.
After the end of World War-II, the first Indian principal Sri Bhagwat Prasad took charge in June 1945. In view of increasing demand for engineers, the seats for Civil Engineering degree course were increased from 30 to 50 in 1945 and 16 seats were provided to the newly introduced Electrical Engineering course. in 1949, the 66 seats were rose to 100. In 1950 the first batch of BIT Sindri was admitted to Bihar College of Engineering raising the strength to 132. In 1952, when these students transferred to newly founded institution at Sindri, the seats were reduced to 72. In January 1952, the administration of the college was transferred to PatnaUniversity. In the same year Sri Bhagwat Prasad was appointed member of BPSC and Dr. Ramji Prasad Verma, a product of this college, became the new Principal.
In 1952, some students were admitted to Mechanical engineering degree course without any provision for staff, accommodation and equipments. The sub-ordinate classes were transferred to Muzaffarpur along with some staffs, hence now carrying on only degree course. In Dec. 1953, N.N.G. Dastidar became the principal of the college. Under the modernisation scheme the seats in Electrical and Mechanical departments were raised to 30 each.
Two seats were reserved for Diploma holders in each branch of engineering. Also steam turbine, compound steam engine and a boiler was installed in the mechanical engineering laboratory. With U.G.C. grant the new block (now the Department of Civil Engineering) was constructed.
In June 1958, after retirement of Prof. Dastidar Prof. R.K. Verma being the senior-most professor took over charge. In 1959, Dr. Deep Narayan Singh was appointed as the Principal. From 1960 to 1970, several development schemes were implemented in the college. In 1962, there was a proposal to increase the seats to 180. In 1964, a new building came into existence for the department of Electrical Engineering.
In 1965-66 five year integrated undergraduate courses and 60 additional admission scheme were implemented. Thus the number of seats in each branch became 60 each. In addition, one-year post-graduate diploma courses in structure and Public Health Engineering were introduced. New Engineers Hostel with a capacity of 249 seats was constructed and a large area in adjoining Golakpur was acquired for future expansion, though the possession is yet to be received. In 1971, 60 additional admissions, five-year integrated course and one-year post graduate diploma courses were abolished and four year courses were reintroduced. In the same year, intermediate science classes were started with 60 students.
Small Industries Research Training and Development Organisation (SIRTDO) was established in 1972 for the purpose of self-employment and a new building was constructed. In 1974, for the first time two girl students were admitted to the college. Masters Degree courses were introduced in 1978 in all the three branches of Civil, Electrical and Mechanical Engineering. Simultaneously, under-graduate teaching in electronics was also started. After a record of 19 years of principalship, Dr. D.N. Singh retired in May 1978. Prof. B.B. Chakravarty being the senior-most professor took over the charge of principal.
4-1/2 year Architecture Engineering course was started in the college in 1980. In July 1980, the college was selected for Training of Rural Youth for Self Employment (TRYSEM). A Water Resources Studies Programme of the Patna University was set up at the Bihar College of Engineering with support of U.G.C. and Bihar Government.
In 1989 a four-year degree course in computer engineering was introduced with 15 students. A Computer Centre was established in the college campus in collaboration with the former USSR. One-year and three-year post graduate diploma courses were started in the same year through All India competition. A 40-seated girls hostel was constructed through the fund provided by the U.G.C.
In 1984 Prof. B.B. Chakravarty voluntarily stepped down from the principalship handing over the charge to senior most professor Daya Sharan. In 1990 Daya Sharan also stepped down due to medical reasons and Prof. S.N. Chakravarty became the principal. Prof. S.N. Chakravarty retired in 1993 and Dr. S.P. Singh took over the charge.
Bihar lost its only Regional Engineering College located at Jamshedpur, when Jharkhand was carved out of Bihar on 15th November 2000. By 2002, the Central government decided to upgrade all RECs to NIT, with the aim of having at least one NIT per State. On 28th January 2004, Bihar College of Engineering was taken over by the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India and upgraded as National Institute of Technology. In 2007, it was granted institute of national importance status in accordance with the National Institute Technology Act 2007.
(The author is the former student of Bihar College of Engineering, Patna and was Honorary Secretary of its Common Room Society)
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