About the Department:
- Introduction
The first batch of Kalimpong College was started at Kalimpong Basic College (Now Primary Teacher’s Training Institute) in 1962 with subjects like Nepali, English, Political Science, Economics, History, Philosophy. After a year the College was shifted to Hill Top, Durpin in search of better infrastructure. As the number of students grew year by year the college found a new location in a rented place at Nandu Ram Wool Godown, 11th Mile, Kalimpong. Here Commerce section was introduced in 1972 and Bio-Science in 1974.
As the present College was run on rented building, a new building was a dire necessity. Therefore, the teaching and non-teaching staff launched an agitation for new college building. As a result, the foundation stone of the present building was laid on 23rd September, 1978 by Sri. Sambhu Ghosh, the then Education Minister, Government of West Bengal. Subsequently, the new College building was inaugurated on 6th June, 1982 by Sri. Bhairab Dutt Pandey, the then Governor of West Bengal.
The demand for Geography as one of the subjects was felt by the College as well as the public since the time the college was located at 11th Mile, Kalimpong. However, the subject though much in demand was not introduced immediately. A concerted effort to introduce Geography in the College was made by the college office in the year 1988 under the Principalship of Dr. G.S. Yonzon. Finally, the decade long demand for introducing Geography in the College was met with the sanctioning of the subject on 2nd July, 1993 by the Government. The founder of the Department of Geography is Mr. Deo Dutta Rai who was also a faculty member of Department of Commerce, is still serving the department as the Head of the Department since the last 28 years.
The Department of Geography in the College commenced its General Course from 1994-1995 academic session, vide G.O. No. 457-Edn (CS) dated 2nd July, 1993 with humble beginning of one lecturer, seven (7) students along with one laboratory attendant and with Rs. 10,000. The Honours Course in Geography was started for 2005-2006 academic session with a total of Twenty-Five (25) students.
The Department is presently run by five qualified teachers. The total number of students in the current session is 60 Honours and 54 Program students. The department also maintains a library from where the students can borrow books for certain period of time. Geography as a subject deal with the study of Earth as a subject matter so the department frequently organizes field trips to various parts of Kalimpong and Darjeeling district. Besides field trips the department also organizes departmental seminars, internal assignments like class tests, tutorial classes and remedial classes. The department also boosts of a well-maintained laboratory with all the required instruments as well as computers with software and internet facility, ICT Classroom along with First-Aid Kit and Lost and Found Section.
Present Number of Students (2021-22):
|
Sl. No. |
Odd Semester (July-December) |
Sl. No. |
Even Semester (January-June) |
||||
|
Class |
Course |
No. of Students |
Class |
Course |
No. of Students |
||
|
1. |
Sem I |
Honours |
18 |
1. |
Sem II |
Honours |
18 |
|
Program |
24 |
Program |
24 |
||||
|
GE |
0 |
GE |
0 |
||||
|
2. |
Sem III |
Honours |
19 |
2. |
Sem IV |
Honours |
19 |
|
Program |
22 |
Program |
22 |
||||
|
GE |
0 |
GE |
0 |
||||
|
3. |
Sem V |
Honours |
13 |
3. |
Sem VI |
Honours |
13 |
|
Program |
3 |
Program |
3 |
||||
|
GE |
5 |
GE |
5 |
||||
- Details of Past Faculties
|
Sl. No. |
Name of the Faculty |
Date of joining |
Date of Retirement |
|
1 |
Dr. Samhita Mondal |
12.07.2002 |
28.04.2015 (Transferred) |
|
2 |
Mrs. Binita Chettri |
02.07.1999 |
02.07.2002 (Resigned) |
|
3 |
Ms. Omu Sherpa |
01.09.2006 |
01.09.2009 (Resigned) |
|
4 |
Mr. Gagan Niroula |
01.09.2006 |
01.09.2009 (Resigned) |
|
5 |
Mr. Vinay Limbu |
23.11.2009 |
31.08.2010 (Resigned) |
|
6 |
Mr. Palash Kr. Mondal |
23.04.2010 |
23.04.2009 (Transferred) |
|
7 |
Mr. Sidon Lepcha |
10.08.2016 |
|
|
8 |
Mr. Oded Subba |
22.11.2017 |
|
- Any other: (for lab-based subjects include about laboratories, equipment, classrooms etc.)
Laboratories – 1
Equipment–
|
Sl. No. |
Name of the Instrument/Equipment |
Total |
|
1 |
Prismatic Compass |
3 |
|
2 |
Dumpy Level |
5 |
|
3 |
Transit Theodolite |
8 |
|
4 |
Plate Table Set |
3 |
|
5 |
Gunter’s Chain |
3 |
|
6 |
Engineer’s Chain |
1 |
|
7 |
Barometer |
4 |
|
8 |
Hygrometer |
11 |
|
9 |
Six’s Max and Min Thermometer |
6 |
|
10 |
Rutherford’s (Max) Thermometer |
6 |
|
11 |
Rutherford’s (Min) Thermometer |
1 |
|
12 |
Simon’s Rain Gauge |
2 |
|
13 |
Stevenson Screen |
1 |
|
14 |
Desktop (Computer) |
1 (Teachers) + 5 (Students) |
|
15 |
Laptop |
1 |
|
16 |
Pantograph |
6 |
|
17 |
Planimeter |
9 |
|
18 |
Rotameter |
25 |
|
19 |
Over Head Projector |
1 |
|
20 |
Rocks |
20 |
|
21 |
Minerals |
11 |
|
22 |
Mirror Stereoscope |
4 |
|
23 |
Pocket Stereoscope |
21 |
|
24 |
Walls Maps |
9 |
|
25 |
Thematic Map |
17 |
|
26 |
Topographical Maps |
506 |
|
27 |
Binocular |
1 |
|
28 |
Altimeter |
1 |
Classrooms – 2 (Including Laboratory)