Patna College felicitates toppers, retired staff on foundation day

Patna: Patna College, a constituent unit of Patna University, celebrated its 164th foundation day with great gaiety and fervour on Friday. The celebrations began with the hoisting of the college flag by Patna University (PU) vice-chancellor Namita Singh, followed by a march past by NCC cadets. As many as 164 balloons of different shades, symbolising the college’s 164 eventful years of growth and development, were released on the occasion. Students who secured top positions in the last university examinations, along with teachers and non-teaching staff who retired from PU service last year, were also felicitated on the occasion.Addressing teachers, students, and alumni, the chief guest and PU’s former vice-chancellor Rash Bihari Prasad Singh fondly recalled his days at the institution as a student, teacher, and principal, and the values he imbibed from the campus. He described the college—one of the oldest in eastern India—as the “brain capital” of the country for its profound impact on India’s academic life. Emphasising its rich heritage, he said, “The college must continue its glorious tradition of imparting quality education and igniting young minds.”In her presidential address, the VC noted that while the college has a glorious past, its present needs improvement. “Efforts are underway to prepare the college to meet modern challenges and compete globally. Teachers and students, who are on par with their counterparts elsewhere, must strive to help the college regain its leadership role in the academic world,” she said.College principal Anil Kumar, in his welcome address, urged students to maintain peace in the college and hostels and contribute to the all-round development of their alma mater.The toppers, who were felicitated, included Md Ashar (Arabic), Ankit Kumar Jha (Ancient Indian History and Archaeology), Khushi Kumari (Geography), Prabhat Kumar (Sanskrit), Md Intjar (Statistics), Shabana Praween (Urdu), and Jyoti Ranjan (Mass Communication). The programme was conducted by English department teacher Naqui Ahmad John. A lively ‘kavi sammelan’ and ‘mushaira’ added colour to the celebrations.