Dharanidhar Autonomous College is a Government Autonomous college in the district of Keonjhar in the Indian state of Odisha. The college was established in 1957 as an intermediate science college. It was headed by the collector R. Venkatraman, IAS and granted affiliation by the Utkal University, the then only university of the state, the same year, with the name Keonjhar Science College.
Status
The main building of the college, spanning more than ten thousandsquare feet of plinth area and solid concrete structure with provision for almost all necessary facilities was donated by a benevolent elite, Muhammad Shrajuddin of Keonjhar. The college was taken over by the Government of Odisha in 1962, and on opening of the faculty of the humanities in 1967, it was renamed Keonjhar College. Department of geology introduced as Hons at B.Sc level in the year 1974. And Geology department of this College is highly prestigious and have renowned alumni in national and international level.During 1983–84, the institution was changed into the present name, after the name of Dharanidhar Naik, a renowned revolutionary whose voice against feudalism has been instance and inspiration for uprise in this region. In 1999 the college was affiliated to North Odisha University, at Baripada, in the adjoining district of Mayurbhanj. Autonomous status was conferred to the college on 24.09.2004. It has been accredited B++ grade by the NAAC on 02.02.2006. Now the college has a undergraduate student strength of 2300. This is the second largest college in Odisha by accordance area.College is equipped with well maintained Laboratories,a large Central library, audio visual labs with advanced technology and a large playground.
Academics and Facilities
Dharanidhar Autonomous College offers Courses at the undergraduate level in subjects like Anthropology, English, Economics, History, Mathematics, Philosophy, Political Science, Oriya and Sanskrit in humanities stream, in commerce and in Botany, Chemistry, Computer Science, Geology, Mathematics, Physics and Zoology in Science stream. In addition to this it is also offered B.Ed in physical sciences,Biological sciences and Humanities. Beside it offers post graduate teaching in Political Science, Commerce, Chemistry and Geology.
