About College

Willingdon College, Sangli is established in the year 1919. Ours is a oldest and reputed, institution of higher education in the state of Maharashtra. It is Government recognised, fully aided institute affilaited to Shivaji Unviersity, Kolhapur. It offers Bachelor's Degree programme in the subjects of Physics, Botany, Zoology, Microbiology, Biotechnology, Chemistry, Mathematics, Electronics, Statistics and Computer Science in it's Science wing. College also offers Post-graduate Degree Course in Mathematics. Willingdon College has an Art's wing also. The college has good infrastructural facilities with huge campus of 125 acres and fully qualified and experienced faculty members. The College has been accreditated by NAAC (National Assessment & Accreditation Council, Bangalore, India) with 'A' Grade.

Brief History

DECCAN EDUCATION SOCIETY, PUNE ESTABLISHMENT: YEAR 1884

The great visionaries namely Bal Gangadhar Tilak, the Father of Indian Unrest; Principal Gopal Ganesh Agarkar, the Social Reformist; Mahadeo Ballal Namjoshi and Vishnushastri Chiplunkar, the great Marathi writer; inspired by the spirit of a nation building ideal of education, laid the foundations in Pune, of the New English School in 1880 and the D.E.Society in 1884. The Fergusson college was started in 1885. According to them, 'The salvation of our motherland is to be found in education alone'.

WILLINGDON COLLEGE, SANGLI ESTABLISHMENT: YEAR 1919

In order to meet the growing demand of higher education in the Southern Maratha Country and North Karnataka Region, the Deccan Education Society decided to start a College in the year 1919. His Excellency Lord Willingdon, the then Governor of Bombay, was approached and his support was taken in order to seek the recognition of the scheme from the then British Government. In appreciation of His Excellency Lord Willingdon's interest and timely help, it was decided to name the college after him. The Rulers of Southern Maratha Princely States were approached for financial help, which was sought generously. The Honourable Members of the Society selected the neighbourhood of the Sangli and Miraj as suitable site for the College as it lay on the border of Maharashtra and Karnataka. The college was affiliated to the Bombay University in the beginning.

The College was started on the morning of 22 June 1919 in the Sangli City in the building where Rani Saraswati Kanya Shala stands today. At the beginning only the Arts wing was started with an enrollment of 220 students. Later on Wrangler R.P.Paranjapye and the founder Principal of the College Shri.C.G.Bhatye with great effort, secured an area of 125 acres (0.51 km2) at Vishrambag for the college and the work of construction was immediately taken up.