The people of Rangapara and the adjacent areas have been seriously pondering over the idea of starting an institution of higher education for a pretty long time. The seed was firmly put into ground long back in though the sapling took time in coming up. It was in that the inhabitants of Rangapara, Balipara, Chengelimari, Misamari, Charduar, Khanamukh, Ghoramari and the adjoining villages and tea gardens assemble in meeting and got a college managing body formed with Mr. A. J. Singla as the president and Lt. Mahendra Sarmah as the secretary. The committee worked sincerely and industriously under the leadership of Mr. Singla and preliminaries to start a college were completed in no time. The university of Gauhati deputed Mr. Abdul Jalil to inspect and report about the feasibility of having a college here who did it with utmost urgency. Meanwhile, Mr. Lokeswar Gogoi who had taken over as the join secretary of the college contacted Mr. R. P Telfor, the then manager of Phulbari Tea Estate to donate a track of land for the college campus. Mr. Telfor endeavor earnestly brought a gift land measuring 122 bighas 3 kathas of land from M/S Barelly Tea Company, the proprietor. The college expresses it deep sense of gratitude to the management of the tea company. Mr. Telfor or who worked for it and finally got it translated into reality. But then there came a bolt from the blue. The government of Assam came out with a circular on the 31st may, 1975 forbidding people to start new colleges.

The people’s enthusiasm was greatly dampened no doubt, but they went on working optimistically waiting for a better time to come for realization of that dream. It was in those days of despondency that a god send angle descended in the person of Lt. Hiralal Patowary, an Ex MP. He injected tremendous hopefulness in the people with his address delivered in a meeting organised at Rangapara Namghar. Taking a long stride in future, he donated a sum of Rs 10000 to the college fund, with instruction that the amount be utilized for the college as and when it is borne. His contagious enthusiasm brought forth another donation of Rs 20000 collected from the public at large. The whole amount was kept in fixed deposit in the local branch of UCO Bank, Rangapara and has shaped as the cornered stone of the college. The institution owes its very existence to the departed soul of that great leader and no words can express our gratitude to him.

In 1979 the govt of Assam came forward with another circular allowing the new college to be opened, wherever necessary. The college committee which has been reconstituted after the death of Mahendra Sarmah began working in full swing to get the college started. It was at this time that Mr. Lakhyadhar Choudhury the then Education Minister of Assam was invited to a meeting of starting college with the initiative of Mr. Golak Ch Kakati an ex MLA. In his address Mr. Choudhury assured the people to extend all kind of help towards opening of college and he kept his word by contacting the authorities of Gauhati University and to care personally so that the college was granted a fare deed. The university deputed Mr. Khitish Medhi, the Inspector of Colleges and Dr. H. P. Das to inspect the college. Their report received favorable response from the university and the permission to start the P.U. classes in arts and Semi Commerce was granted in the subjects of English, Assamese, Bengali, Economics, Political Science, History, Education, Book Keeping and Business Methods.

The college started functioning with 8 students on the roll. It was inaugurated by Mr. R Borah, IAS, the then DC of Darrang District on the 16th August 1979 in premises of the union theater club, Rangapara. The college acknowledges a profound sense of gratitude to the management of the club for accommodation.

The college formally shifted to the present site on 16th August, 1983. Our sincere gratitude to Mr. A. J. Singla and other members of the managing committee who took all initiative to construct the present building. The foundation stone laying ceremony was attended by a large number of people from the surrounding area and Makash Bading, a respectable and elderly person from the tea community was the first man to put the concrete mixture in the foundation post. The college authority is indebted to the people of Rangapara, Balipara, Charduar and Missamari , the business community, the tea garden management and employees, tea laborers who paid one day’s wage and TITAN TRUST for their generous financial help to construct the college building and financial assistance that extended during the period of pre deficit to disburse salaries to the teaching and non-teaching staff.

Prof. M. Dutta served as principal in charge up to the 10th August, 1981, after that Dr. K.N Das took over as the principal till his retirement on 31/08/1990.

We are thankful to the Govt. of Assam for bringing the college on the Deficit System of grants- in- aid from 01/01/1987. The Arts stream of the college was provincialized in 2005 and the commerce stream in the year 2013.

As a result of untiring efforts put by Umesh Ch Sarmah as principal of the college was brought under 2f and 12b regulation of UGC in 1996. In 2004 under the abled leadership of Dr. S Behzad as Principal i/c and Dr. Ranendra Mohan Deka as the Co-Ordinator respectively the college was assessed and accredited by NAAC with B+ grade. In 2011 again the college was accredited with B grade by NAAC in the new system of assessment. The coordinator of IQAC Dr. Ranendra Mohan Deka played a vital role to get UGC grants during the 11th and 12th plan period. With the UGC grant two numbers of girls’ hostel, the commerce building, indoor sports complex was constructed in the college. As the college was accredited by NAAC, RUSA sanctioned a grant of Rupees two Crore to the college with which the new RUSA building was constructed. The construction and the renovation of boundary wall, old administrative building, college office, library building and canteen building were done with RUSA grant. Gymnasium equipment, wi-fi, new books for library etc. were purchase by the RUSA grant.

From 1993-2018, ten principals bore the responsibility either as regular principal or in-charge principal of the college. They are Dr. G C Baruah, Dr. Mrs P Bhattacherjy, U.C Sarmah, Dr. P.K Das, Dr. S, Behzad, Dr. Sailendra Borthakur, Miss L. Nath, Sri R.C. Baishya Dr. H.K Sahu and Dr. B Talukdar.

The present principal Dr Ranjan Kalita joined the college on 09/07/2018. Under the dynamic leadership of Dr. Kalita the college strides ahead with an aim to reach the zenith of excellence in higher education as stated in its vision. The most important event of Dr. Kalita’s tenure is the introduction of the Science Stream in the college by the govt of Assam and introduction of PG classes in Hindi in 2020. The science stream is smoothly going ahead and the 1st batch of BSc (Honours) will appear in the final examination of Gauhati University in 2023. The first batch of Hindi PG students have already appeared in the final examination of 2022. Another notable event of Dr. Kalita’s time is the introduction of NSS in the college in 2018. The NSS team of the college headed by Dr. A.K Deka, Asstt Professor has shown excellent achievement during the 1st year of its inception by winning the Silver Medal for leadership in Tobacco Control and again Gold Medal in the next year i.e. 2019-2020 awarded by Assam Cancer Care foundation, A Govt of Assam and TATA Trust initiative. For his efficiency and leadership in college management Dr. Ranjan Kalita won several awards by different organizations of National level. Two other teachers namely Sri Prasanta Boro and Sri Dipen Sarma were also won the best teachers award respectively. But the most important laurels to the college is that the Ministry of Education, Govt. of India has recognized the college by conferring the District Green Champion Award. It is a matter of pride for the college that Sri Ratan Choudhury, Astt. Professor of the Department of Botany was conferred young scientist award by the IJIEMR, Elsevier SSRN research. Adding another feeder to the cap, Ratan Choudhury was able to get a patent by Intellectual Property, Govt of India for insulin dispensing device with automated blood Glucose monitoring.

In the field of sports also the college has shown tremendous performance. A number of players from the college3 has own award in national and state level sports events. Besides, the college has organised a number of state level sports event like Gauhati University inter college football tournament, GU Weight and power lifting competition, All Assam Karate Competition, Inter District college volleyball competition.

Being a rural college situated in a socially disadvantaged area it has a great responsibility to serve the community for development. Keeping it in mind the college has adopted 5 villages of the area under Unnat Bharat Abhiyan initiated by Ministry of Education Govt of India. The college has also adopted an orphanage and is extending help by providing educational help and other amenities. Besides the college is putting its efforts to mitigate a number of social evils including Witch-hunting and Deforestation in the surrounding areas.

With three Girls’ Hostels, three Boys’ Hostels, a big play ground, an indoor sports’ complex, ten number of digital class rooms, digital seminar halls, auditorium, campus wi-fi and with a digital Library, the college possess very good infrastructure facilities. At present there are 2800 students in the college pursuing study in Arts, Commerce and Science. Moreover, there are a few diploma and certificate courses run by the college. The college has already worked out a road map for the implementation of NEP 2020.

Rangapara College, offering courses from Higher Secondary to Post-graduation, started its journey from Rangapara Town Hall on 16thAugust, 1979. In the following year it was affiliated to Gauhati University (GU).The present campus, to where it was shifted in 1983, is spread over 40.33 acres (122 Bighas) of land. The college was brought under deficit grant-in-aid system from 1st January 1987, and was included under Section 2 (f) & 12 (B) of UGC Act, 1955 from 20th March 1996. On 8th August 1988, Commerce was introduced as a sanctioned department and the faculty was provincialized on 1st January 2013. In the year 2004 the College was accredited with B+ grade and again in 2011, the college was accredited ‘B’ grade by National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC).

Another milestone of the College was the introduction of the Science stream by the Government of Assam, both in Higher Secondary and Undergraduate level, on 2nd November 2020. Since its inception, the expansion of the college has been phenomenal in terms of faculty strength, number of students and infrastructure. The Central College Library owns more than 30,000 books with a significant number of periodicals and journals. The institution is well-equipped with science laboratories, digital class rooms, seminar rooms, and meeting hall among others. Besides, the college has a Computer Centre, well-furnished Hostel Facilities for both Boys & Girls, Canteen, Gymnasium Hall, Indoor Sports Complex, Playground and a Shopping Complex.

1.  Total UGC Academic Post (Sanctioned) : 51

2.  Total Non-Teaching Post (Sanctioned) : 16

3.  Contractual Teacher: 02

4.  Part-time Teacher: 13

5.  Contractual Non-Teaching Staff: 08

6.  Part-time Non-Teaching Staff: 04

7.  Home guard 03

8.  Hostel Manual 06