was few and percentage of literacy, very low. The-then Chief Minister of West Bengal,Dr. B.C. Roy,drew up aprogramme for the revitalisation of the newly-created District of Purulia and made an offer to the Ramakrishna Mission for organising an ideal educational institution in the district. The Mission authorities were then undergoing difficulties in getting official recognition of the High School they were already conducting at Deoghar (Behar), where the students had to sit for the Matriculation Examination, as private candidates. In this context, the Mission accepted the offer of Dr. Roy and sent to Purulia a team of Sannyasins and Brahmacharins, headed by Srimat Swami Hiranmayanandaji Maharaj, the-then Secretary, Deoghar Vidyapith. A suitable site was selected in the 'Bongabari' village. Ramakrishna Mission Vidyapith is situated on the Purulia - Barakar Road, about 4 Kms. and 5 Kms. away from Purulia Town and Purulia Railway Station, respectively, covering a huge area of more than 100 acres of land. Isolated from the din and bustle of the urban life, the Vidyapith started its sojourn in 1958, as a purely residential Higher Secondary Multipurpose School with Science, Technology and Humanities Streams, with class IX, its roll-strength being 38 only. However, the Fine Arts and Agricultural Streams were added to it in 1959 and 1961, respectively.

The Vidyapith at Purulia was, thus, an extension of the well-known Ramakrishna Mission Vidyapith, Deoghar. Soon, thereafter, circumstances became so compelling as to persuade the Mission authorities to re-organise a full-fledged residential school, independent of the Mission's branch at Deoghar. It was in 1964 that Classes IV through VIII were added to the existing Classes of IX through XI. This full-fledged institution attracted students from different parts of the country, particularly from the eastern region, to have an all-round education through instruction either in English or in Bengali. Recognised by the Government of India as a 'Model School', it has taken the best possible care of Government of India Merit Scholars, placed here, every year. In order to pay special attention to the backward communities, Vidyapith provides facilities for the education of the boys, belonging to the tribal and scheduled-caste communities and it institutes programmes of financial assistance for them.

With 316 students on its rolls in 1964, Vidyapith successfully led its educands through the (old) Higher Secondary Course in Science, Technical, Agriculture, Humanities and Fine Arts till 1976, when the school was converted into the newly - introduced pattern of Madhyamik Education (10 years'schooling).