From ‘Jungle College’ to first Autonomous College in Nagaland and the North East

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Patkai Christian College observes 48 Foundation Day 

Morung Express News
Patkai | August 28 

When the Patkai Christian College (PCC) was established in the summer of 1974 as a liberal arts college, people reportedly used to refer to it as a ‘jungle college’ due to its location, then away from main Dimapur town.    

As it observes the 48th foundation at the Bundrock Chapel-cum-Auditorium on August 28, however, the college has set many benchmarks along the way, including the distinction of being the first college in Nagaland and the North-East to conferred autonomous status by the University Grant Commission (UGC) in 2005.

Today the college enrolls over 1500 students annually with over 7000 had graduated from the university, informed PCC (Autonomous) Principal Dr Thepfüvilie Peirü as he led the customary practice  of handing over a rooster and a kilo of salt to the  college’s land donors commemorate the day. 

Patkai was established on 1000 acres of land donated by Chümoukedima and Seithekema villages and following the custom of the Angami Nagas, the practice has been adopted to since its establishment acknowledging the donor villages and reaffirm the donation. The college is also sponsored by the Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC) and Manipur Baptist Convention (MBC).

Meanwhile, Rev Dr Tuisem A Shishak, who co-founded the college with his wife, Late Margaret Anne Shishak, led the gathering in the ‘Prayer of Blessing’ for Patkai as it marched into the next phase.  

The Founder and Principal Emeritus also recalled how in the late ’60s, two church bodies — one in Kohima (NBCC) and another in Imphal (MBC) — and a church in Buffalo, New York (USA), were praying for the establishment of the college. 

“Their prayers were answered when Patkai Christian College was established on August 28, 1974,” he said.

He further mentioned how Patkai started off with just 20 students and two faculty with bamboo-thatched huts as classrooms amidst the jungle and thus, a ‘jungle college.’

Today, the PCC is a multidisciplinary institution of higher education offering courses in Arts, Science, Commerce, Music, Mass Communication, and Computer Science & IT with 16 academic departments at the undergraduate and 7 postgraduate departments, as per its website. 

Every year, students from about 13 states of India, including all the North-East states and few from other countries take admissions, it informed, and among others, Patkai is first college in the North-East with 3 distinctive features – College with Potential for Excellence awarded by UGC, NAAC reaccredited ‘A’ grade and Autonomous status, it added,
Earlier, Rev Dr Shishak also dedicated a pulpit which was donated by Rev Judson Rungsung, former principal of the college.

Speaking on the occasion, Rev Dr W Pongsing, Chairman, Board of Trustees PCC also dwelt on how spiritualism can make someone a better person.

He further urged the students to incorporate spiritualism in addition to their academic education based on his sermon, New Life in Christ.’  The students of the Margaret Shishak School of Music also preformed on the occasion. 

Source: https://morungexpress.com/from-jungle-college-to-first-autonomous-college-in-nagaland-and-the-north-east

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