Kanoi Commerce College: A Saga of Heritage

Dr. Nabajyoti Dutta

(The writer is the HoD, Department of Assamese

at DHSK Commerce College, Dibrugarh. He can be reached

at nabajyotidutta21@rediffmail.com.)

D.H.S.K. Commerce College (famed as Kanoi Commerce) – recognised as the first full-fledged higher educational institution of Commerce in the entire North-Eastern region, whose golden jubilee was belatedly celebrated last year, has completed 65 years of its glorious services to the society on June 15, 2025. On the occasion, a daylong programme including the ‘Dr. Lakhi Prasad Dutt Memorial First National Lecture’ in memory of its founder principal and one of the architects of modern Dibrugarh in the field of education has been organised. The institution belatedly celebrated its diamond jubilee last year. The bud of the institution sprouted as the ‘Department of Commerce’ as a shift of D.H.S.K. College, which was continued as a morning or Evening shift alternately in the respective years. It would be noteworthy that prior to it, J.B. College in Jorhat started the ‘Department of Commerce’ in the region.

Late Dr. Lakhi Prasad Dutt, Late Dr. Nirmal Kumar Basu, former principals of the college, and many other pioneers of educational enrichment in Dibrugarh were instrumental in the setting up of DHSK Commerce College. On June 23, 1962, the late Morarji Desai – the then Finance Minister of India – laid the foundation stone of the college.

On July 1, 1965, Justice Late Sarat Kumar Dutta inaugurated Dibrugarh University at the newly built building of the college. From this building, the university performed its official and administrative functions – till its shifting to the Rajabheta location way back in 1967. Besides, DHSK Law College too started its functions from this building.

Presently, the college functions from the four-storeyed ‘original college building’ along with its extended building blocks constructed with the financial grants obtained from Rastriya Ucchatar Siksha Abhiyan (RUSA). A new RCC building too, with the provision of a maximum of six stories in place of the old hall, has already been constructed with the RUSA grant, the ground floor of which has been arranged to be used as an auditorium. The college has built a three-storeyed women’s hostel with all the basic facilities with basically a UGC grant in place of the erstwhile boys’ hostel in the Khalihamari area of the city of Dibrugarh. On the other hand, in its second campus in the Banipur area of the city, the institution has already built a new boys’ hostel. With the cooperation of Prasanta Phukan, now a cabinet minister, some renovation works with the ‘Untied Fund’ grant of Rs five lacs were also undertaken in the college under the District Rural Development Agency (DRDA).

There is a statue of the late Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India, in front of the college building, which was inaugurated by the late Lakhyadhar Choudhury, former Education Minister of Assam – in the early seventies of the last century. The library building of the college, named after its founder principal, the late Dr Lakhi Prasad Dutt, also has a bust of the departed academician set up in front of the building.

Some alumni, as well as other family members of the college, have excelled in the arena of music, literature, trade, journalism, sports, politics, etc., along with financial institutions even at the national and international levels. Prasanta Phukan, an alumnus of this college, has presently been serving as the cabinet minister (power, skill, entrepreneurship, medical education & research, etc. departments) under the Govt. of Assam. Hanumanbux Kanoi, founder president of the college, as well as Dr. Surjya Kanta Hazarika, an alumnus of this college and former president of Asam Sahitya Sabha, have been honoured with the ‘Padma Shri’ by the Govt. of India for their contributions to society.

The college has built its new women’s hostel with a financial grant received from the UGC, where some of its own funds were also utilised. With the financial assistance from Rishiraj Borkotoky, alumnus of the college, and Gopal Ch. Sarmah, president of the governing body, the gymnasium and library of the hostel, respectively, were made functional. Noted philanthropist and alumnus of the college Jyotiprasad Kanoi, under the banner of the NGO ‘Jyoti Lalita Kanoi Foundation’, has also donated a sum of Rs two lacs recently for development works of the college. Many other individuals, besides the ‘DHSKCC Alumni Association’ (DHSKCCAA), have also been assisting the college financially for various development works.

The college presently has 23 full-fledged assistants as well as associated professors. Besides the librarian, a total of 12 office employees are rendering services to the students. A few contractual as well as temporary staff, both teaching and non-teaching, have significantly been contributing to day-to-day services offered by the institution.

Presently, the college offers a ‘Four Years Undergraduate Programme’ (FYUGP) in both day and morning shifts under Dibrugarh University as per the ‘New Education Policy-2020’ (NEP-2020), besides offering an M. Com. self-financed course under the same university.     The ‘National Assessment & Accreditation Council’ (NAAC) has accredited the college three times so far. The college has produced many position holders in the results of the final examinations held under the state council during the erstwhile pre-university/pre-degree and H.S. curriculum. The college has also been continuously shining in the results of the B.Com. Final Examinations held under the Dibrugarh University in the yesteryears.

The college library, as per data of the financial year 2023-24, consists of more than 30,416 books as well as reference books on different subjects, i.e., commerce, literature, philosophy, science, etc. (besides providing a facility for 199,500-odd e-books under N-List), which has given it an extraordinary pride. Besides, presently it subscribes to 14 journals, 7 periodicals, and a total of 5 English and vernacular languages newspapers regularly. The library has also preserved 340 back volumes of journals and magazines, etc., besides storing a total of 64 CDs/DVDs of vivid educational interest.

Of late, the college family led by Dr. Joydev Gogoi, a principal with enthusiasm, is observed working with a new spirit to render services to about 2000 students, both regular and distance learners, to step up with the new lease of time. The present governing body with Gopal Ch. Sarmah in the chair has also been instrumental in the overall development of the institution, maintaining its six decades-long heritage and the legacy of continuous enrichment. We hope the institution with a reputation of six decades will be able to draw the attention of the educational fraternity in the future too – through the dedication and selfless services in the years to come.