Mirik College Awaits Permanent Affiliation: A Step Towards Expansion and Development

Mirik College, an institution established in 2001 in the hill town of Mirik, some 50km from Siliguri, is on the cusp of a significant transformation. The college, home to around 600 students, is awaiting permanent affiliation to the North Bengal University (NBU) and the introduction of more undergraduate courses.

The delay in obtaining permanent affiliation has been due to the lack of land ownership, a major criterion for affiliation. However, in March this year, the state land and land reforms department handed over the ownership of the land, where the college building stands, to the college authorities.

Poonam Biswa, chairperson of the governing body of the college, said, “Once the general elections are over, we will submit our application at NBU, seeking permanent affiliation.” The affiliation will enable the college to upgrade its infrastructure and introduce new courses, benefiting the students immensely.

The college, located at Kawlay in ward 6 of Mirik town, is situated on a three-acre plot that previously belonged to the state tourism and the state forest departments. After obtaining a no-objection certificate from the tourism department, the college authorities conducted a joint survey with the forest and land and land reforms departments. Following the survey, the state handed over the land to the state education department.

Biswa further added that they would soon convene a meeting of the governing body of the college to adopt a resolution for permanent affiliation from the NBU. “A copy of the resolution will be handed over to the NBU authorities and the inspector of college IC to speed up the process,” she said.

In the Mirik subdivision, there are 14 higher secondary schools. After passing Class XII, students of these institutions have limited options for further studies. The college currently offers undergraduate courses in English, Nepali, history, geography, and political science. “Most of the students are from humble economic backgrounds and cannot afford to go out and study in colleges at Darjeeling or Siliguri,” said a teacher at the college.

With only 10 permanent faculty members at present, the college is in dire need of more teachers. Nima Lama, the teacher-in-charge of the institution, said, “Once we get the necessary go-ahead from the NBU, we will expand the existing infrastructure and apply for UGC grants. The affiliation will help us to introduce new streams and appoint more teachers.”

As Mirik College stands on the threshold of a new era, the students and teachers eagerly await the changes that the permanent affiliation will bring.