Fazl Ali College, which is the oldest college in Nagaland, has been accredited with Grade A by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC).
Established in 1959, the oldest college in Nagaland – the Fazl Ali College is located in Mokukchung district of the state.
“Your institution has been Accredited with a CGPA of 3.1 on a seven point scale at A Grade valid for a period of 5 years from 12-04-2022,” an email from NAAC to the Principal of Fazl Ali College read.
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The Fazl Ali College was first set up as a private college through the initiative of people such as SC Jamir, RC Chiten, T Aonok, Dr Longri, Imlong Chang, Khelhoshe, Mayangnokcha and few other citizens of Mokokchung.
The college made its beginning by sharing the building of Government School, now known as Mayangnokcha Government School and later moved to what is now known as the old Town Hall of Mokokchung.
In 1969 it was shifted to its present campus which is about 5 km from the heart of the Mokukchung town in Nagaland.
Since its modest start with just 2 rooms, 43 students and 3 lecturers, the college has continued to grow in strength.
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The government took over the college in 1962. The science stream was introduced in 1983 with up-gradation to BSc in 1999.
There are altogether 13 departments in the college with Honours offered in 12 subjects.
A special feature is the introduction of Functional English, with assistance from the UGC since the year 2001.
This is a vocational subject and is so far offered only in this college in the entire Northeast India.
The motto of the college is Academic Nulli Secundus (Second to None).
Who was Fazl Ali?
Khan Bahadur Sir Syed Fazl Ali (19 September 1886 – 22 August 1959) was an Indian judge, governor of two Indian states (Assam and Odisha), and the head of the States Reorganisation Commission which determined the boundaries of several Indian states in the December 1953.
Fazl Ali belonged to an aristocratic Zamindar (landlord) family of Bihar state.
He studied law and began practicing. Eventually he was raised to the judiciary.
Sir Fazl Ali was successively given the title of Khan Sahib first and of Khan Bahadur later.
In 1918, he was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE).
He was knighted in the New Year’s Honours list of 1941 and invested with his knighthood on May 1, 1942 by Viceroy Lord Linlithgow.
India became independent in 1947. Under the new dispensation, Fazl Ali was made the governor of Odisha from 1952 to 1956 and of Assam from 1956 to 1959.
He died while serving as governor of Assam.
Whilst in Assam, he made strenuous efforts to bring the disgruntled Naga tribals into the mainstream of society.
He opened the first college in the Naga heartland in Mokokchung, which is today known as Fazl Ali College in his honour.
The College celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2010.
For his services to India, he was bestowed with the country’s second-highest civilian honour, the Padma Vibhushan, by the government of India.