Magadh Mahila College ‘reinvents’ its mission, offers many new courses in vogue for girls

PATNA: Magadh Mahila College (MMC), a constituent unit of Patna University, has been blazing a trail in the field of higher education for girls in the state ever since its inception 76 years ago (founded in 1946). Its strong cultural tradition with a blend of modernity leaves a lasting impression on every young woman passing out of this institution.
Situated on the bank of the Ganga in the northern side of Gandhi Maidan, MMC is at present imparting quality education to nearly 3,500 students in various disciplines of conventional and professional courses with a missionary zeal.Besides imparting full-time undergraduate and postgraduate courses in addition to some value-added certificate courses, the institution helps students in their academic progression by arranging remedial classes, bridge courses and enrichment classes regularly.
MMC principal Namita Kumari told the newspaper that besides conducting regular honours teaching in 21 subjects of arts and science streams the college offers honours teaching in commerce stream in self-financing mode. At the undergraduate level, the college also imparts honours teaching in bachelor in computer applications (BCA), bachelor in business administration (BBA), and bachelor in social work (BSW) under self-financing mode.
The principal further pointed out that the institution conducts postgraduate teaching in as many as six subjects, including economics, psychology, home science, chemistry, herbal chemistry and music (vocal). It also runs PG diploma course in computer applications and women’s and child welfare.
Recently, the college has introduced several useful value-added certificate courses for the college girls with a view to creating self-employment potential among them. These skill development programmes include certificate courses in computer applications, English language proficiency, Hindi language proficiency, German language proficiency, Japanese language proficiency, health and dietetics, health and beauty care, office management, computer graphics and web designing, block printing, Madhubani painting, Tikuli art, and jute art, craft and design, she said.
Namita said the college has been striving hard for introducing some more new courses as per the needs of the time. Honours teaching in geography is likely to be started soon as proposals for approval of its course and sanction of teaching posts have already been forwarded to the authorities concerned. Efforts are also being made to enhance research facilities in the college by developing a modern lab with all the sophisticated instruments on the campus, she said.
MMC has state-of-the-art infrastructure and learning resources, including ICT- enabled smart classrooms, well-developed automated library and well-equipped computer labs. The college library has more than 1.72 lakh books and journals. Facilities for extracurricular activities, including sports, music, NSS, NCC, science and IT society, students’ counselling cell, grievance redressal cell, Green Earth brigade, Red Ribbon club and language lab are available on the college campus.
The college provides hostel facility to its needy students. A large modern hostel with 636 beds has been constructed on the campus and seats are likely to be allotted from July this year.
The college has also got a day care centre to look after the children of college staff and married students. A 100 KW solar power plant has been installed on the rooftop of the administrative building. A rainwater harvesting structure has also been created inside the campus. MMC has produced a galaxy of brilliant alumnae in different fields.
Two of its alumna, namely folk singer Sharda Sinha and litterateur Usha Kiran Khan, have been honoured with Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri awards, respectively. The college provides counselling facilities to its students and ensures their placement in good companies. The college has also established an incubation centre to prepare skilled young entrepreneurs for business incubation.
The college has recently made a move for creation of a corpus fund with the financial help of its alumnae for completion of its various ambitious development projects.
Two alumna have already donated Rs 10 lakh each for starting this fund, said the principal.