Pachhunga University College

Pachhunga University College (PUC) is a constituent college of Mizoram University, a central university established by an Act of Parliament of India. Founded in 1958, it is the oldest and the most premier college in the entire state of Mizoram, India. It is situated in College Veng, a locality located at the eastern side of Aizawl city. The 136 acre campus covered with a verdant reserve of forest makes a serene environment and a picturesque scenery. It remains the only institute of higher education in Mizoram to manage undergraduate courses in three disciplines, namely arts, science and commerce.

It is also the only institution in Mizoram to be awarded the Indira Priyadarshini Vriksha Mitra (IPVM) in 1995, the national award for pioneering and innovative contribution in the field of afforestation/ management, from the Ministry of Environment and Forests, and the Best College award from the Zoram Research Foundation, twice, consecutively in 2004 and 2006.

The college was inaugurated as Aijal College on the day of the 11th Independence Day of the country on 15 August 1958 at Aizawl Theatre Hall (now Vanapa Hall), by the then Deputy Commissioner of the Lushai Hills District (former name for Mizoram under the Government of Assam), Lawrence Singh Ingty. The start of the college was primarily at the behest of the enthusiastic locals in order to meet the growing need of higher education among the native Mizo youth. The faculty originally comprised a team of Christian missionaries, with a few educated natives, who worked purely on voluntary basis. At the onset, classes were conducted at the Theatre Hall itself, and towards the end of 1961, the college moved to an abandoned warehouse at Children's Park. In 1962 it was renamed Pachhunga Memorial College (PMC) after the philanthropic entrepreneur Mr. Pachhunga, he and his family who were outstanding benefactors of the college since its inception. It was relocated to its permanent campus in June 1965. On July 1, 1965, the Assam Government declared provincialization, and the name was once more changed to Pachhunga Memorial Government College (PMGC). Permanent teachers were appointed only in 1967 under the Assam Public Service Commission. After which UGC granted recognition in 1969. When the Mizoram Union Territory was formed in 1972, the management of the college was handed over to the Government of Mizoram.The college was renamed Pachhunga College in 1977 till 1979. Eventually, the entire administration was taken over by North Eastern Hill University (NEHU) on 19 April 1979. With this transfer of authority, it became the one and only constituent college of the university, and it was again renamed as Pachhunga University College (PUC). With the setting up of Mizoram University on 2 July 2002, the authority was once again signed over to the new university; and remain as such ever since.