It was fifty eight years ago, when the leading citizens from the different fields of life of Latur area, namely: Shri. Manikraoji Sonavane, Shri Chandrashekharji Bajpai, Shri. Keshavraoji Sonavane, Shri. Ramgopalji Rathi, Shri. Nathmalji Inani, Shri. Shantilalji Shah and Shri. Madanlalji Biyani, recognized the importance of higher education in order to achieve the overall progress and prosperity of the region. These dignitaries came together and decided to start a college in Latur. As many of them were followers of “Arya Samaj’, they proposed the name of Swami Dayanand for the education society. Hence, the name“Dayanand Education Society”. The modest beginning was the foundation of Dayanand College of Arts, Science and Commerce Latur, in the year 1961. In 1964, the inclusion of Late Shri Raja Narayanlalji Lahoti in the society, gave enormous moral support to the development of the society. The society has now made such a rapid progress with the establishment of three separate single faculty colleges.
It was felt by the Society to offer quality education in science to the students of this rural area. Therefore Science College was separated with an independent status as “Dayanand Science College, Latur” in the year 1967. This proved to be a milestone in the development of science education of the region. Under the able and dynamic leadership of Principal K.H. Purohit, the college made outstanding progress. Now “Dayanand Science College, Latur” is one of the well-known and reputed Science Colleges in Maharashtra State. Initially, the college offered under graduate (UG) course with the basic subjects like Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Botany and Zoology. Keeping the pace with time and sensing the needs of the students, applied subjects like Industrial Chemistry, Microbiology, Fishery Science and Electronics were introduced in the year 1978-79. The year 1977 saw us through a wonderful achievement viz. a separate new building of Science College was constructed to accommodate class rooms. The new building was inaugurated at the auspicious hands of the then Vice-President of India Hon. Shri. B.D.Jatty. Being a single faculty science college having long standing establishment, the Management, Ex-Principal Dr. G.M. Deshmukh and staff gave a serious thought to introduce post graduate (PG) courses in Physics, Chemistry, and Microbiology in 1992. Introduction of PG courses benefited UG students of this area, because at that time Physics and Chemistry courses were run at the University level only and Microbiology course was run by the Government Institute of Science, Aurangabad. The introduction of these PG courses accounted to the vertical growth of our college. During the same period, the Computer Centre was established to impart computer education to the staff and students leading to certificate course. Journals and periodicals are available in the reading room. The college has a team of highly qualified young and long-standing experienced talented teaching staff holding Ph.D. and M. Phil. degrees. Most of the times the students topped in ranking in the University examinations both at UG and PG levels.
Now Dayanand Education Society, has completed 58 years establishing one after another educational Institutes at Latur according to the growing needs of local community. With the independent status, each College is a growing very rapidly. Now all the independent colleges are under the umbrella of Dayanand Education Society, have got best reputation in the state. Today the trust is running the following colleges at its educational complex of 22 acres of land.
Every College has its independent infrastructure and building. Nearly 10,000 students are taking educations in these institutes from Junior to Senior College up to UG, PG and Ph.D. level. In this Institute nearly about 800 teaching and non-teaching staff are working continuously to achieve the mission and goals of the institute. Each senior college has different additional certificate courses and Research Laboratories. All the colleges run by the trust are well-equipped, furnished fulfilling all the infrastructural needs having 24 hours water supply, sufficient light arrangements and fully qualified and experienced teaching and non-teaching staff. The managing body of the trust is very keen to fulfil the vacant posts as per reservation norms of State Government. The institute is financially competent to start new courses and programmes according to the need of the community. Hon. Chairman, Hon. Office bearers and Hon. Directors of the managing body as well as the members of the trust are dedicated to attain educational goals, having experience of running the trust for long years devoting their valuable time for the fulfilment of educational needs of the local community.
Hon. President, Vice-President, Secretary as well as members of the managing body are always having informal chats with the parents, students, non-teaching employees, teachers and office bearers and heads of the different colleges run by the trust. The purpose is to acquire the first hand knowledge and information and to take feedback on the strengths and weaknesses of the Institutes. The Institute has the huge AC auditorium, Cricket stadium; Tennis court, indoor stadium, big ladies hostel and boy’s hostel with facility of Wi-Fi, Sanstha’s guest’s room, spacious play-ground in the campus. The Institute has provided all the infrastructural facilities like building, laboratories, library, reading room, class rooms, girl’s waiting room, store room, multi-purpose hall, purified, hygienically safe and cool drinking water arrangements in each colleges. The academic map is growing fast. The results are above 90% of all the classes. The College are equipped with audio-visuals as well as reprographic and IT facilities. The staff is highly qualified devoted and dedicated to teaching, learning, research and extension work, taking teaching as not profession but mission of their life.
In the year 2011 our Institution celebrated Golden Jubilee Year by organizing different programmes. The closing ceremony programme took place in the gracious presence of Hon. Pranb Mukharjee, President of India, Hon. K. Shankarnaryan (Governor of Maharashtra), Hon. Shivraj Patil Chakurkar (Governor of Punjab), Hon. Prathviraj Chavan (Chief Minister of Maharashtra), Hon. Rajesh Tope (Minister of Higher Education, Maharashtra), Hon. Rajendra Darda (Minister of Education, Maharashtra) We are proud to mention that the Institute is completely free from the devastating and destructive activities like ragging, exploitation and torture to the girls as well as the female staff members, addiction to charus, ganja, gurd, smoking, tobacco chewing and alcoholism etc. The College Parivar is successful to maintain communal harmony and brotherhood among the students and staff members belonging to different castes and religions. The institute has achieved much, yet it desires to go one step further in each and every academic year. We would like to quote Robert Frost’s couplet which was strongly appreciated by Pandit Neharuji, our first Prime-Minister and were placed on his office table throughout his life:
“The woods are lovely, dark and deep. But I have promises to keep, And miles to go before I sleep, And miles to go before I sleep.”
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