Our History
The University Department of Sports and Culture, L. N. Mithila University was separated from the Student Welfare Department in September 1987. The process was carried out under the University Amendment Act of 1986. Prof. Shankaranand Palit, Professor, University Department of English, L. N. Mithila University, Darbhanga, took over the charge of first Sports Secretary of the Department on 1st of September, 1987. His technical proficiency, passion, and everlasting interest in the growth of sports among the youths of Mithilanchal, has eventually set the perfect tone for the rise of the Department in the time to come.
In a short span of merely three months, the Department for the first time organized the East Zone Inter-University Table-Tennis Competition in December, 1987. This historical occasion was witnessed by the then Excellency Governor of Bihar-cum-Chancellor, Honorable Shri P. Venkata Subbaiah and the then Sports Minister of Bihar, Shri Arjun Vikram, who were present as Chief Guests at valedictory and inauguration ceremony. The event turn out to be a momentous leap for the department as it established itself in the sports map of Bihar.
Over the time, along with organizing various types of inter-college competitions, East Zone and All-India level competitions were also organized by the University under his able leadership. Given the nature of the sports, where collective efforts matter much more over individual effort, the leadership was equally reciprocated by the University fraternity. Standing shoulder to shoulder with Late Palit Saheb were Prof. Ushakar Jha, Prof. Neelmani Mukherjee, Prof. PK Majumdar, Dr. Sharda Prasad Mishra, Dr. Piyush Nath Jha, Dr. Ratneshwar Mishra, and Dr. Surendra Nath. The contribution of Dr. S.N. Thakur, Dr. Devendra Thakur, Mr. Magand Chaudhary and University players Mr. Ajay Nath Jha and Mr. Chandrakant Jha are also praiseworthy. The tenure of Prof. Palit ended on 31st of January, 1992.
Tenure of Subsequent Sports Secretaries
Prof. Devendra Thakur, Professor, Chandradhari Mithila College, Darbhanga was appointed as Sports Secretary on 1st February, 1992. During his tenure inter-college competitions were held. The All India Inter-University Cricket competition was also organized, in which Lalit Narayan Mithila University stood third at the national level. The valedictory session witnessed the presence of His Excellency the Governor of Bihar-cum-Chancellor, Honorable Shri Jagannath Pahadia. The tenure of Prof. Thakur ended on 18th March, 1997.
Late Prof. Anil Kumar Jha, Department of Sociology, Millat College, Darbhanga was given the charge of Sports Secretary by the University on 19th March, 1997. During his tenure, on the occasion of the Silver Jubilee Year of the University, the East Zone Inter-University Volleyball Competition was organized by the University Sports Department and Rs. 10,000,000 was awarded by the University Grants Commission, New Delhi was given as grant for the development of sports in Mithilanchal region. His tenure ended on 20th June, 2000.
Shri Anil Kumar Singh, Professor, Department of Political Science, K.S. College, Darbhanga was appointed as Sports Secretary on 22nd June, 2000. During his tenure, the Department carried the momentum and organized various inter-college competitions. His tenure ended on 2nd December, 2001.
Dr. Tushar Kant Jha, Professor, University Department of Physics, LNMU, succeeded as Sports Secretary on 04th December, 2001. During his tenure, inter-college competitions were held but, no inter-university competition was organized. His tenure ended on 29th March, 2003.
Dr. Devendra Thakur, Professor, Chandradhari Mithila College, Darbhanga was re-appointed as Sports Secretary on 30th March, 2003. During his period, both inter-college and inter-university competitions were organized by the university. Dr. Thakur's tenure ended on 31st January, 2004.
Dr. Nagendra Kunwar, Professor, Department of Sociology, K.S. College succeeded as the next Sports Secretary on 30th March, 2004. During his tenure, East Zone Inter-University Table-Tennis and East Zone Inter-University Volleyball Competition was organized by the University. It was during his tenure that the grand Bihar State Inter-University Tarang Competition was organized by the University in the year 2010. The tenure of Prof. Kunwar ended on 05th January, 2011.
Prof. Ajay Nath Jha, Professor, Department of Zoology, C. M. Science College, Darbhanga was appointed as ninth Sports Secretary of LNMU on 6th of January, 2011. Being a prolific cricket player and trained under the first sports secretary, Prof. Shankaranand Palit, Dr. Jha infused quality sports mentoring, training, and services to the University players. His visionary ideas backed with grassroots management and proactiveness resulted in University consistently achieving feats in Zonal and All India Inter-University sports, thus carving its own niche in Bihar by being the numero uno University in Sports and Culture. Furthermore, multiple sports and cultural events have been successfully organized year after year under his motivated leadership.
Events Under Prof. Ajay Nath Jha's Tenure
- 2011: A grand three-day Bihar Diwas celebration was organized in which the participants from all the constituent and affiliated colleges under the jurisdiction of Lalit Narayan Mithila University displayed excellent performance in the cultural activities.
- 2012: Based on the successful celebration of Bihar Diwas in 2011, the University again celebrated the Diwas with pomp and show.
- 2013: The AIU East Zone Inter-University Volleyball competition was organized by the University Sports and Culture Department, in which the team of Lalit Narayan Mithila University stood first and ensured its qualification for the All-India Inter University Competition.
- 2011-12, 2012-13, 2013-14: The University V.C. Trophy was successfully organized by the Sports Department.
- 2013: The AIU East Zone Inter-University Youth Festival was organized by the University Sports and Culture Department in which 23 Universities from the East Zone ensured their participation. The participants of Lalit Narayan Mithila University ensured their qualification for the All-India Inter University Youth Festival in total 08 disciplines.
- 2013: The AIU East Zone Inter-University Kabaddi (M) competition was organized by the University Sports Department in which Lalit Narayan Mithila University became the winner and ensured its qualification for the All India Inter-University competition.
- 2014: The AIU East Zone Inter-University Kho-Kho competition was organized by the University Sports Department, in which the team of Lalit Narayan Mithila University stood first among all the Universities of the entire East Zone in the men's category, thus ensuring its qualification for All India Inter-University Competition.