Hamidia Girls’ Degree College is a gradual development of the seed sown by Begum Khursheed Khwaja in 1932 in the form of Hamidia Girls’ Primary School under the aegis of The Association for the Education of Muslim Women at Allahabad. The seed was continuously nourished by the Association and in 1951, the Primary School turned into an Intermediate College. In 1975, the International Year of Women, Hamidia Girls’ Degree College came into existence after the University of Allahabad sanctioned UG courses in the Faculty of Arts in six subjects.
The college authorities worked relentlessly to add more subjects and faculties. Presently there are three faculties –Faculty of Arts, Commerce and Vocations. In the Faculty of Arts fourteen subjects-twelve conventional subjects and two vocational are operative at the UG level. At PG level, in 2016 the college was granted PG courses in six subjects- Urdu, English Literature, Medieval History, Sociology, Education and Arabic. PG classes in Education & Arabic shall start from 2018-19. Recently in 2018, the University has also sanctioned Research Degree Programme(PhD) in Urdu. In 2002,Faculty of Commerce was added when the college received the approval from the University to start B.Com Classes on self-financed basis. Giving impetus to vocational education the college has added one more faculty–Faculty of Vocations under National Skill Qualification Framework (NSQF). In 2014, the University Grants Commission sanctioned B.Voc in two trades – Journalism & Mass Communication and Fashion Designing & Embroidery. In the session 2017-2018, the college was extended one more trade in B.Voc.- Software Technology.
Institutes of Higher Education (IHE’s) must take into account two important objectives- equity and wide access. Keeping this objective in mind, the college is providing skill based quality education to a large section of the under-served section of women. Approximately 1500 girls are enrolled in the college and out of these a sizeable number of students belong to the marginalized section having little or no access to higher education. The college thus considers its primary duty to remain accessible to all. It has maintained an exceptionally nominal fee structure. The motto of the college is – To hear the unheard.
Education is meaningless if it does not uplift communities and provide them viable avenues of sustainable development. The Computer Centre of the College addresses the latest IT demands of the faculty and students. It also runs a Value Hub in collaboration with UPTEC where CCC and Tally courses are fully functional. PGDCA and DCA courses have been sanctioned by the Centre of Computer Education, A.U. The college has a Digitized Library providing a range of services to support teaching and learning. The library provides access to both print and non-print resources through its digitized services. Teachers and students can search the print resources with the help of Online Public Access Catalogue (OPAC). Non-print resources like digitized books and links to open and access eresources are available. The library has also subscribed the N-LIST service to provide a user with a wide variety of e-books and e-journals. The College is well linked with NCPUL and U.P. Urdu Academy and two (02) career enhancement courses have been financially sponsored by U.P. Urdu Academy to the College, viz. – Urdu Coaching and Urdu Calligraphy.
The N.S.S. acts as an important auxiliary unit of the College. Three units of N.S.S. are functional and N.S.S. volunteers extend fruitful services to the society through various activities. With the pious intention of increasing knowledge database, the college regularly holds seminars, workshops, training programmes and special lectures. These academic programmes not only provide intellectual stimulation to staff and students but it has also generated awareness amidst the minority community as visible patterns of change are fast emerging in the adjoining locales. Thus, while serving the minority community the college is also serving the society in full earnestness. We hope in times to come it will enhance its quality and enlarge its horizons.
