Har Prasad Das Jain College Ara Bihar

Established on 21st January, 1942, H.D. Jain College, Ara was the first institution of higher learning ever set up in the economically and academically backward region of Shahabad in fact, the first college between Patna and Varansi. 'It owes its foundation to the Late Babu Har Prasad Das Jain, a rich landlord and philanthropist of the town. He himself had little formal education but was a great lover of learning and firmly believed that progress and learning walked arm in arm. He executed a trust deed and donated all his property to charities in 1918.He founded Sri Adinath Trust and set apart sixty thousand rupees for setting up a college at Ara in 1919. Needless to say he was inspired to do so owing to his indomitable love of learning and innate philanthropy. He had the support and co operation of his close friends Sri Suparshwadas Gupta, an educationist and retired magistrate, Sri Chakreshwar Kumar Jain, Sri Nirmal Kumar Jain and Babu Awadh Bihari Sharan, a legal luminary of the town. Unfortunately Babu Harprasad Das Jain passed away untimely in 1920 and the college somehow or the other didn't see the light of the day till 194 1. However, it was founded on the auspicious day of Vasant Panchami (21" January) in 1942. SriAdinath Trust generously donated Rs. 1,55000 for its functioning and management. The college was named after Babu Harprasad Das Jain as a grateful tribute to the blessed soul. Within a few years of its inception the college made great strides; its fame spread far and wide and students from almost all parts of Bihar and the neighbouring state of UP started pouring in. On account of its high standard of quality teaching and academic pursuits it made a mark as one of the leading institutions of Bihar and won recognition even on the national level. In deference to the request of the college Governing Body the erstwhile ruler of Dumraon, Maharaja Bahadur Ram Ran Vijay Prasad Sing , donated 21 bighas and 10 Katthas of land to this college in the heart of the town. A small hostel was initially built on that piece of land, and later on a large hostel was constructed there with the aid of the UGC.