Technical education was one of the foremost priorities in the education policy when the country was struggling to stand on its own feet after independence. After the partition of the country, north Bengal witnessed a huge influx of displaced people from across the border. It was felt at that time that technical education might partly address the problem of growing unemployment among the Diaspora.
At the same time, the tea industry- a pivotal economic force at that time in this region- needed technical experts in good numbers. With such a backdrop, His Highness Dr. Kailash Nath Katzu, Governor of West Bengal on The 15th August 1950, inaugurated the Jalpaiguri Polytechnic Institute. Some of the prominent tea-tycoons at that time played active roles in establishing the Polytechnic. Initially students had been admitted to one-year trade courses of branches like Carpentry, Masonry, Blacksmithy, Tailoring, and Fitter etc. The only diploma course started simultaneously with the trade courses was the diploma in Civil Engineering. The institution began its activity at ‘Patgola’ near Kadamtala, Jalpaiguri.It was shifted to its present location at Denguajhar on the 15th June, 1951. The diploma courses in Electrical and Mechanical Engineering were introduced in the year of 1958. Jalpaiguri Polytechnic has been functioning as Government Polytechnic since 15th February 1978 when this polytechnic was taken under the full administrative control of the Government of West Bengal. To keep pace with the rapidly changing scenario of the technical science, Diploma course in Electronics and Telecommunication as well as a Post Diploma Course in Computer Application (PDCA) have been introduced since the year of 1996.
