Political Science
About The Department
Year of Establishment: 1988
The College. Kalipada Ghosh Tarai Mahavidyalaya Bagdogra, was established in 1988 in the outskirt of Siliguri Corporation and approximately 2-3 kilometers from Bagdogra International Airport. It was established to cater to the needs of imparting higher education to the aspirants of the rural areas around Siliguri, Bagdogra, Naxalbari, Chopra as well the big number of tea gardens in the region. Initially, the College was established exclusively as a Commerce College. Later, with increasing pressure on the Siliguri College as well as to satisfy the needs and aspirations of the stakeholders of the region, the College introduced Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences from the year 1995.
Political Science being one of the most dynamic and nationally and internationally relevant discipline was offered with the beginning of Arts and Humanities by the College from the year. However, in the beginning. Political Science was introduced as a social science subject for pass course only as an elective subject. But with the steady growth of the College as well demand from students as well as the guardians of the students, Honours programme in Political Science was started from the year 2005 Political Science as a discipline had a modest journey with one full time teacher and few part-tim teachers. Now, the Department runs with four full-time teachers. It is because of the unflinching commitment and dedication of all the teachers that the discipline of Political Science has steadily grown into one of the most popular subjects for the students. Almost all the students of the Arts Faculty apply for Political Science as one of their elective/Minor subject while there were increasing demands for increasing the seat limit for offering Honours in Political Science. Until recently, the seat limit for Political Science Honours crossed over to more than 150. Under the New Education Policy regime, the present intake in Political Science Major is 3 hundred while in Political Science Minor is around 5 hundred students.
Until the introduction of the New Education Policy (NEP), the Department of Political Science used to offer two programmes – Honours and Pass. Under the old annual system both the Honours and Pass programmes used to be of three years with a division like Part I, Part II and Part III; the difference lay only on the number of papers/courses to be studied. With the introduction of CBCS (Choice Based Credit System) in 2018, both the Honours and Pass students had to study Courses in six Semesters with difference in number of courses to be studied. At present, under Four Year Under Graduate (FYUG) system(NEP), the flexibility of exit after 2 Semesters, 4 Semesters, 6 Semesters and completion of Semesters with corresponding Awards like – Certificate, Diploma, B.A. with Honours and B.A. with Honours and Research respectively has been introduced. The Department has successfully completed three Semesters under the CBCS system and two Semesters under the present FYUG system. Besides, the Department has successfully completed three Add-On Courses on “Fundamentals of Indian Constitution” and “Party System in India”. Students across disciplinary boundaries enthusiastically joined these Add-On courses.
Our Vision
- As such, the vision of the Department of Political Science is :
- To impart knowledge about the basic and fundamental ideas, thoughts, concepts, issues and theories that are developed to explain the challenges faced by individuals, nation-states and other organizations as a whole, the society.
- To equip the learners to critically relate the theoretical aspects of politico-economic and social fields to the socio-economic and political realities of the time at the regional, sub-national, national and global contexts.
- To introduce the learners to the constitution making and law-making processes in India and the world covering the structural, functional and operational parts; the implementation and administration of governing rules and laws along a logical analyses of those constitutional provisions and the legal system as well as their administration and impact on the society.
- To initiate the students from multidisciplinary backgrounds an intellectual urge for understanding the most pressing socio-economic and political issues in terms of historical, comparative, theoretical and policy-oriented perspectives.
- In fine, the aim of the present curricula of the discipline of Political Science is to provide knowledge and skills to the students thus enabling them to undertake further studies in Political Science, Public Policy, Public Administration or International Relations, or to enter into the job market as a skilled claimant.
Our Mission
- Thus, the mission of the Department of Political Science is :
- To inculcate professional values for responsible citizenship.
- To enrich the learners about the constitutional, legal, political, administrative and the social system.
- To enrich the recipients about the basics of the Constitution of India thereby making them professionally sound with constitutional norms and ethics.
- To inculcate in the learners about the professional ethics relating to the values of humanity.
- To spread, among all, the spirit of gender equality.
- To introduce the learners with discourses on betterment of human values and dignity.
- To unfold among others the reasons for local, national and global environmental degradation and the way out for sustainable development.
- To go beyond the Campus boundaries to expose the students to different ambience, culture and academic pursuits. As part of this an exchange programme was undertaken with with Naxalbari College where exchange of views in the fields of the subject, culture and students themselves was arranged (Enclosed as Annexure III, part B)
- To attract the students, arrangements of Audio-Visual mode of teaching undertaken - 99,445 through PPT presentation.
- During the pandemic a full-fledged On-Line classes were the only mode of teaching through Google Meet Platform.
Departmental Rules
- The minimum attendance of 75 per cent for the students is strictly adhered. The students. having less than stipulated requirement of attendance are not allowed to appear in the University Examinations. To encourage the students to be class-oriented, 5 marks out of 15 marks allotted for Internal Evaluation of each course have been set aside for attendance.
- Even though there is no separate space for Departmental Library, the College provides provision for Departmental Library in the College Library itself. Students immensely benefit from this provision and can utilize the Reading room of the College Library by utilizing the books purchased for the Department and also issue books as referred by the Faculty Members for a limited period. Besides, students can access the digital library maintained by the College. The Faculty Members can procure books from the Library and access the the digital platform.
- The Department strictly follows the norms of Internal Evaluation of the students. As part of these norms, the Department holds one Class Test and one Assignment-based evaluation for each Course in each semester. On the basis of these Internal Evaluation Tests, a list of Slow-Advance learners is prepared and for the Slow learners arrangements for Remedial classes, Tutorials and Special classes are made.
- As a whole, the Departmental Teachers together show their commitment to the cause of the students and the College. Similarly, the College Authority extends all necessary support to the Teachers of the Department and provides cordial ambience for the students and the Teachers.
- All these make the difference for unflinching commitment of the Teachers and praiseworthy results of the students in the University Examinations.
Distinctiveness
- Regular classes are held.
- Organization of seminars and workshops by the faculties and students at regular intervals.
- Mock Parliament sessions are conducted in every semester with the Courses on Indian Constitution and Indian Government and Politics.
- Group discussions at regular intervals are organized to enhance the skills of the learners.
- Class tests are held regularly to keep the learners adept with the varied dimensions of the discipline.
- Occasional Special Lectures are organized with experienced resource persons from the University.
- Add-On courses on basic areas of Indian Constitution and the Political Process offered for the students across disciplinary boundaries.
- Faculty members take care of inculcating in the students the spirit of human values ethics. Awareness campaigns for environmental sustainability are conducted.
- Spirit of gender equality is maintained in the Department and spread in the Campus by the faculty members.
- Values of self reliance are disseminated for the students.
Message From HOD
I, as Head of the Department of Political Science, Kalipada Ghosh Tarai Mahavidyalay, Bagdogra, feel immensely privileged to share the message that the Department runs very smoothly with dedicated and committed faculty members. I shall fail in my duty if I do not recognize from the core of my heart that it is the unhesitant gesture of the faculty members to shoulder heavy load of academic pressure as well as the day-to-day administrative assignments even to the extent of neglecting their personal and family responsibilities. It is my proud privilege that I got these faculty members – Prof. Sarat Ch. Ray, Dr. Monalisa Chakraborty, and Prof. Tania Biswas. They all are such gentle persons that they always extend their hands of cooperation for completing the Departmental works beside their regular academic assignments.
I would also like to put on record the kind of help, assistance, cooperation and suggestion extended by the College Authorities, in particular, the Principal of the College, Dr. Meenakshi Chakraborty. She always keeps vigil to the smooth running of the Departments of the College thereby stands by any Department for required improvement. The College has attained a new and congenial ambience and atmosphere with her joining the College. I take the opportunity to express my profound hope that the College will scale the heights of success under her able stewardship.
The non-teaching staffs of the College are always ready to help us with ever present smile in their face. Indeed, they are shouldering huge workloads but they never bother about. Rather, they probably consider the College as their temple to worship.
Last but not the least, the students of the College are disciplined in and outside the class and never shows disrespect to the teachers nor the non-teaching staff, not to speak of the Principal. I am really proud of serving in such an august institution.
I extend my regards to all and sundry in the College and best wishes for the students.
Dr. Srinanda Dasgupta
Associate Professor & Head, Political Science
Kalipada Ghosh Tarai Mavidyalay, Bagdogra.
Faculty Members
SACT-II || Political Science
SACT -1 || Political Science
Assistant Professor || Political Science
Associate Professo || pol. Science