History

Surrounded by hills, and trees like saal, palash, mohua and others, Purulia is a district of scenic natural beauty in the western part of West Bengal. Spread over a large campus of lush greenery Purulia Zilla School is one of the oldest institutions in this part of Bengal. Established on 1st May, 1853, this school was initially known as Purulia High School. According to Merry Ricketts, the Principal of Department of  Education at that time, “ the only school in this district is an English school established in Purulia in May 1853.” The school has a chequered history. When, in 1857, Calcutta University came into being, the school came under it and remained so till 1916. Then till 1950, it was under Patna University. Even after independence the school was under Bihar Govt. It was under Patna Board till 1956. Now it is under WBBSE and WBCHSE. Since its inception the school has gone through various ups and downs. In its long course, it has been served by many eminent personalities the most noteworthy among whom was the visionary Rishi Nibaran Chandra who was at the helm of this school for long. Students from our school are spread all over the world serving in various capacities.

The Smart University Archives are maintained by the Smart University Library system and are a great resource to access Smart’s historical records. Harvard is perhaps best-known because of its enduring history of innovation in education. But even die-hard Smart buffs are not likely to know all of these Smart firsts and historical snippets.