Kuntala Kumari Sabat Women’s College, Balasore, a seat of higher education for women in the northern region of Odisha, situated on the heart of the town, on its inception on 1st July 1960, was christened as Women’s College, Balasore and started functioning under a private management. It began with Pre-University courses in Humanities alone, and in course of time grew to be a full-fledged Degree College with Honours teaching facilities. The State Government took over the management of the college on 1st October 1965. The college was rechristened with its present name, Kuntala Kumari Sabat Women’s College, Balasore, on 24.07.1976.
It was affiliated to Utkal University, Bhubaneswar at the time of its beginning and since July 1999 it is affiliated to Fakir Mohan University, Balasore. The college started with 64 students grew over the years and continued with a sanctioned student strength of 631 in Degree classes. Honours teaching in Economics, History, Political Science and Odia were introduced in 1974 and in Home Science, Psychology, Education, Philosophy and Sanskrit in 1982. Honours teaching in English and Sociology opened in 2011. In 2013 Degree Courses in Science were introduced with Honours teaching facilities in Physics, Chemistry, Botany and Zoology.
The college now has expanded remarkably having the distinction to open Mathematics and Computer Science Honours in 2022 and Geography and Geology along with UG Commerce in 2023. The sanctioned strength of students has also increased notably increasing it three-fold. However, the most fulfilling and rewarding achievement came when the Higher Education Department granted the opening of Post Graduation Courses – Sanskrit, Education and Home Science in 2022, and Odia, Psychology, Physics and Zoology in 2023, introducing new vistas of career options and growth.
The college is included in section 2(f) and 12(b) of the UGC Act and listed in the UGC Directory of recognized institutions at Sl. No.15 of page 473. It underwent the process of assessment and accreditation in 2006 and again in 2015. In 2023, it completed the third cycle of NAAC Assessment and Accreditation and was accredited B++, conferring a unique identity to the college meant to promote women education. The process to know if its academic endeavours are addressing the personal, societal and national needs of the stakeholders will continue. IQAC that has grown to be a robust body of the College is entirely committed to assure the internal quality of the institution.
Admission to different programmes in the college is done as per the policy stated by the Government of Odisha. The College pursues a model curriculum designed by the University following the guidelines of UGC to keep pace with the growing standards of other recognized Universities in the country. The college has a well-coordinated monitoring mechanism for efficient and effective management of its affairs. The college takes strong steps to see that students avail financial aid in the form of scholarships offered by the Governnment, the Samaj, Jindal and as well as other sponsored sources. There are scholarships for students of the minority community and children of bidi labourers. The Youth Red Cross and the NSS units of the college have been vibrant all these years and have played significant roles in furthering community sense and community service and thus have tried to foster moral and ethical values in the volunteers.
The college which started functioning in a campus with three classrooms has now reached its present status of a small yet impressive campus with a few lecture halls, a number of small class-rooms, an Administrative Block housing the Principal’s office, two separate blocks with buildings for conducting Degree classes in Science and conducting classes of Humanities Departments having practicals. A new building in the centre of the campus houses the Library that has adequate number of books and refereed journals. The automation process is going on to galvanise library facilities. Computerization of office work, including admission, administration, examination and accounts is an important achievement of the college. There is a conference hall and a multi-storey hostel building on the campus with a capacity to hold more than a hundred students which add to the strength of the college. Modernisation of teaching learning facilities is going on fast. The upgraded laboratories with advanced Lab Equipments are a great attraction for the students. What adds to the splendour is two new Computer Labs with 32 computers in each, set up under RUSA. Infrastructure development work is going on against CM’s special assistance.
With a team of learned and experienced teaching staff, efficient and able non-teaching Staff, growing infrastructure, the college has become a centre of attraction for budding girl students not of the district only but the entire state. Aspiring to rise higher, the college has made its mission to improve in all aspects to ensure holistic growth, and there is still immense scope for development. The need for an all round support and assistance is looked about for.
