The Zoology Department of Maharajadhiraj Uday Chand Women’s College started its humble journey as an Honours Department in July 1971 with a team consisting of a few students, two non-teaching staff members and experienced, dedicated teachers, Dr. Sukumar Das, Dr. Kamal Kanti Ghosh, Smt. Debani Maji and Dr. Jharna Ghosh.Their teaching and basic research abilities have further been recognized by people in general and scientists in particular. Their contributions in different disciplines of Zoology made the department visible to academic and scientific community to a great extent and helped it to occupy a significant position in the academic map of Burdwan district. From the initial stage, the department was housed in an old building of Burdwan Maharajas at Rajbati and later was shifted to its new premises in Golden Jubilee building. The pathway of this journey at the formative stage was not at all smooth rather it was fairly uneven due to inadequate infrastructural facilities and heavy teaching load. But all these obstacles were efficiently overcome by its leader Dr. Sukumar Das and his active colleagues. It was the undaunted spirit and able leadership of Dr. Sukumar Das and everlasting enthusiasm and active co-operation of others that placed the department on the right track of prosperity and progress.
Few months later the academic team was strengthened by joining of Dr.Udayee Guha, Dr. Shibani Choudhury as lecturer in Zoology and Mrs. Anita Roychowdhury as Laboratory Instructor, who shared the teaching assignments to a considerable extent and enlightened the students with information on various aspects of Zoology.
In the subsequent years, the faculty strength was further enhanced by joining of Dr. Bibekananda Mukhopadhyay and Dr. Abhijit Bandyopadhyay. The students of the department were immensely benefited by the proper guidance of them. With the induction of Dr. Subrata Mallick, Dr. Kakali Bhadra, Dr. Nayan Roy, Dr. Soumyajit Chowdhury, and Dr. Moutusi Mandi as teaching faculty members of the department, the domain of both teaching was further widened and the students were exposed to multitude of disciplines and students were immensely benefited by the guidance of new appointed teachers. But in the meantime, many of the teachers joining the department at formative stage have either retired or joined other universities creating irreparable loss of the department.
The Seminar Library of the Department is now fully equipped with recent edition of textbooks and research-oriented books. Every year new books are being added. Since its inception, the department has given proper emphasis on both teaching and job-oriented coaching.
This is the only department of Science Faculty that conducted Ph.D. program. Dr. Meenakshi Mallick and Dr. Uday Kumar Bej were awarded their Ph.D. degree under the guidance of Dr. Sukumar Das.Two teaching laboratories are equipped with instrumentation to impart practical skills to the students in the different areas of Life Science. Research laboratory is equipped to do research in the field of Molecular Biology, Cytogenetics, Vector Biology, and Field Biology. UGC funded minor research projects and WBDST funded major project had enabled the department to add some more facilities to conduct some basic as well as advance research works. There are sufficient numbers of computers with internet facilities for the students as well as teachers to be on the information super highway.
In the last forty years the department had organized many seminars. The faculty members participated in many national and international symposia where their findings or contributions received wide appreciation from the scientific community. At present the department is having three Associate Professor and two Assistant Professor. They are trying sincerely to maintain the standard of teaching and research.
The students of the department since its inception have proved their excellence through their sincerity and devotion. Some scholars graduated from this department have been awarded their Ph.D. degree from Burdwan University and many students graduated from the department are doing Ph.D. in University of Burdwan and other reputed institutes like ZSI, IIT-Kharagpur, and IICB. Many of the students graduated from this department have successfully completed NET, SET and GATE Examinations. Many of our students had joined in college as a Lecturer/ an Assistant Professor of Zoology from the inception of our department and many of them have got job in different Govt. services like Bank, LIC, Health Service, School etc. and different Public Sector. Every year one or two educational tours for the students are conducted by the teachers. Many of the students have also shown their excellence in cultural and others extracurricular activities.
The success achieved in teaching and social activities has been possible due to unstinted support and active co-operation of the efficient non-teaching staff members such as Mr. Santosh Bhattacharya (retired), Mr. Anil Chatterjee (retired) and Mr. Nandadulal Bhattacharya. Now we are with only one NT staff (Mr.Nandadulal Bhattacharya). Our NT staff always extended their helping hand in running the department as well as in making all the programs successful. It is expected that with the active participation of teachers, students and non-teaching members of the department will march ahead at a rapid pace and reach the pinnacle of glory within a short time.