J R S College, Jamalpur

Educationist of reputed and recognition Prof. Shyama Prasad Srivastava was the instrumental factor paving way for the establishment of the college. He arrived at Jamalpur in 1956 and was impressed with the lush green surrounding, salubrious climate, transport facility, Eastern railway’s workshop and cosmopolitan character of this helmet due to railway workshop. Since the area was bereft of any degree college and he being a philanthropist he made a Quest for the opining of a degree college for the education of children of railway workers. Very soon, he came in contact with an activist of railway Men’s congress Mr Shukdev Mandal who was also thinking in the same direction. The duo got in contact with Mr Shobhani. Very soon, they came in contact with Mr Nawal Kishore Lal, General Secretary of Railway Men’s Congress and Mr Yogendra Mahto, then M.L.A. from Jamalpur. Here a resolve was made to open a degree college for the education of the children of thousand workers of railway workshop and this persistent efforts resulted in the formation of the college named Sharmik College on August 15th, 1957. The dignitaries Mr Yogendra Mahto and Mr Nawal Kishore Lal became the founder chairmen and Secretary of the college management respectively while Professor Shyama Prasad Srivastav became the Principal of the college.

In the beginning this college started functioning in the building of RB High School of the city. There were the days of struggle but this quest for noble mission generated the attention of the then Union Minister for Railways Baboo Jagjivan Ram whose Stimulating urge resulted in the college getting ₹ 98000/- and 11.63 acres of land. The next development the affiliation of this college with Bihar University Muzaffarpur, the very next year i.e., March 31st, 1958 the college was named after Baboo Jagjivan Ram, Jagjivan Ram Sharmik College (JRS College). In the beginning the college started from the Scratch and had the facilities for the studies of I.A. and B.A. Courses only. However, there was the urgent need for Modern Scientific education. April 1st, 1975 was the momentous day for this college since it was on this day, J R S College became a Constituent unit of Bhagalpur University. There is no denying the fact that the indomitable spirit of Baboo Jagjivan Ram played on important role in the process. But the transfer and retirement of Principal Prof. Shyama Prasad Srivastav proved to be an irreparable loss for the college. As a matter of result, the pace of development was curtailed.

After Prof. Srivastav, Dr Sharda Prasad then head, Dept. of Economics, Dr. Kalipad Banerjee, then Head Dept. Of Chemistry in Bhagalpur University took over the saddle in 1980 and remained there for a very brief period of 1 year. After him Dr Ram Balak Prasad Singh came and remained in office for more than three years. Thereafter, Dr Ganga Charan Kapri took the charge in 1985. His was a golden period for his dynamic leadership resulted in college achieving laurels in both academics and sports activities.

Students started getting position of merits in university examinations and inter university sport events. Our sport’s team remained champions consecutively in popular games like football, Kabaddi and other athletics events.

But the development took real shape when 11.63 acres of land was transferred in the name of the College in November 1995 after during tenure of then Railway Minister C.K. Jaffer Shareef. Now the College could boasts of its own land for the purpose of creating academic ambience and other extra-curricular activities. As a result some new courses were introduced in the college. The College got into swift action during the tenure of Vice chancellor Dr Ram Ashray Yadav whose determinative action combined with the creativity of Professor-in-charge Dr Moni Kumar Das witnessed great spurt in construction activities and academic culture in the College. The UNIVERSITY GRANTS COMMISSION, New Delhi liberally gave funds to this college resulting in the construction of building of Library, Botany laboratory and some other class rooms.

This college is like an Oasis in the Desert. The teachers of this college are well reputed in their field and are pious mission to inoculate the air of dynamism among the students who are mostly from weaker section. Large numbers of alumna and alumnus from this college are working in the reputed fields in Government and Corporate sectors.

But what has placed the college on altogether different pedestal has been seen in the field of sports and cultural activities. In sporting events the College is the torch bearer in the university giving excellent results despite very limited infra-structure. Unfortunately the college does not have the boundary wall, auditorium hall, hostels administrative building. The founders had the imagination of shanti-niketan like structure where the mind is without fear and the head held high but even in this era of globalization this is a distant reality on account of dearth of teachers and non- teaching staffs. The entire university is right now in the throes of grave upheavals. The college is also in the stage of churning.

In this atmosphere the very intrepid and man of indomitable spirit Dr. Deoraj Suman has graced the chair as a Principal on April 6th, 2013. He is a man of action and is quite familiar with the problems of the college. It is expected that he will give meaningful leadership to the college in order Make College a platform for modern scientific education and research oriented work.