Dinabandhu Mahavidyalaya

Dinabandhu Mahavidyalay is a general degree college situated in Bongaon, North 24 Parganas, in the Indian state of West Bengal. It primarily offers undergraduate courses in arts, science, and commerce, and is currently affiliated to West Bengal State University, having previously been affiliated with the University of Calcutta. The college was established in 1947, with Bongaon High School serving as its birthplace, to provide quality higher education to the largely middle and lower-middle class population of Bongaon and its rural surroundings, as no college existed in the locality at that time. It is named after Dinabandhu Mitra, a Bengali dramatist best known for his play Nil Darpan, which depicts the plight of indigo farmers. In 2022, the college observed its 75th anniversary. The science faculty includes departments such as Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics, Computer Science & Application, Botany, Zoology, Anthropology, and Economics, while the arts and commerce faculty includes Bengali, English, Sanskrit, History, Geography, Political Science, Philosophy, Education, and Commerce. A Post-Graduate course in Bengali began in the 2008–2009 session under West Bengal State University, and postgraduate courses in History, English, Bengali, and Education are offered through the Directorate of Open and Distance Learning of the University of Kalyani from 2009–2010. The college is recognized by the UGC and was once NAAC-accredited with a B grade, though this accreditation has expired. Notable alumnus Ashok Kirtania serves as Minister of Food and Supplies, Government of West Bengal.