Urged by the strong feeling of kindling light of learning in the remotest backward area of Midnapore and adjoining Bankura and Hoogly Districts, the people of Garhbeta mostly poor and illiterate, under the able leadership of the freedom fighter late Gobinda Kumar Singha, with their modest means founded the Garhbeta College on the 13th August 1948.
Economically poor and academically backward Garhbeta has a rich heritage of people’s movement and freedom struggle. The place with religious interest, enchanting sight of Gangani and the varied beauty of pleasant green forest and laterite soil attract large number of visitors with diverse interest on different occasions throughout the year.
With the passage of time remarkable change has taken place in this locality. Fertile soil on both sides of the Silabati has earned for it an enviable position in agriculture production. Approached both by Railways and Road Garhbeta is now an important business center.
There is a remarkable change of the Garhbeta College also. From its humble beginning on 13th August 1948 with 50 students in Banerjee Danga High School the College is steadily progressing in its mission of catering higher education to the students of Midnapore and adjoining Bankura and Hoogly. On 12th February 1950 the college was permanently shifted to its own building constructed on its sprawling 22 acres campus on Garhbeta-Hoomgarh Bus Road at a distance of 3 kms from Garhbeta Railway Station and 2 kms from Garhbeta Bus Stop. It was made possible by the generous donation of 12.58 acres of land by a local freedom fighter Late Basanta Kumar Sarkar and 9.56 acres of land by Midnapore Zamindar Company.
Since its inception the college was affiliated to the University of Calcutta with Arts and Commerce stream at Intermediate level. Affiliation up to the B.A (Pass) standard was extended in 1957, followed by B.Sc(Pass) in 1962 and Mathematics (Hons) and History (Hons) in 1964, B.Com (Pass), Zoology (Pass) and Botany (Pass) were granted by the Calcutta University in 1982 and 1983 respectively.
With the establishment of the Vidyasagar University of Midnapore, this college became affiliated to the new university with effect from 1985.Since then the college experienced rapid development and today its offers Honours courses in thirteen subjects in Arts , Science and Commerce and Office Management and Secretarial Practice (OMSP) as a vocational subject. Thus starting with only 50 students it has grown up now as a multi-faculty college with 3283 students in 2006-2007 and is one of the two colleges in the whole West Bengal to start Physical Education as a pass subject in degree courses since 1996.
Further avenues of higher education have been opened . Professional course, B.PED has been taught in College in 2004-2005 and 2005-2006 with the permission of the State Government, extension of affiliation from Vidyasagar University and subsequent approval by the NCTE for the session 2004-2005 with intake capacity of 55 and 75 respectively. College has already applied to the NCTE for approval of B.P.ED course from the current academic session with intake capacity of 75 students. Study Center of Netaji Subhas Open University has been opened from July semester 2004. Hence this college is determined to help the people in their enlightened move for quest for knowledge.