The Lady Amritbai Daga College for Women of Arts, Commerce & Science and Smt. Ratnidevi Purohit College of Home Science and Home Science Technology is a premier Women’s College in Central India in existence for the last 92 years with its goal centered around women’s progress in educational, social and cultural fields. It was established at a time when a women’s college was considered a path breaking venture. The beginnings were humble.

On April 21,1932 a citizens meeting was convened in which Women’s Education Society’ was formed with Rao Bahadur M.B. Kinkhede as its Founder President, Shri Y.M. Pathak as Founder Secretary and Smt. Ramabai Tambe as the first Principal of the college. The Constitution of the Society was drawn up by Justice W.R. Puranik and Shri T.J. Kedar. Sir Sorabji Mehta was the founder Chairman of the Executive Committee of the society.

The College was formally inaugurated by Honourable Justice Dr. M.B. Niyogi, C.I.E., the then Vice Chancellor of Nagpur University and later the President of Women’s Education Society on 11th July 1932. The college was affiliated to the Nagpur University on 1st July 1935 as “Central College for Women” with Miss Shanti Rangarao as the Principal and Lady Gowan (Wife of His Excellency, the then Governor of Central Provinces and Berar Sir Hyde Clarendon Gowan) as President. The institution owes its present status to the illustrious and equally commendable dedication of luminaries who left their mark in the annals of the college. They were besides Rao Bahadur M.B. Kinkhede and Lady Gowan, Lady Kalhum Wylie (wife of His Excellency, Govemor of Central Provinces & Berar, Sir Francis Verner Wylie), Lady Muriel Twynam, (wife of His Excellency, Governor of Central Provinces & Berar, Sir Henry Twynam), and Smt. A. Pakwasa (wife of His Excellency, Governor of Central Provinces & Berar, Sir Mangaldas Mancharam Pakwasa).

Among the earliest to be associated with the college were Khan Bahadur M.E.R. Malak, Mrs. Stent, the then Vice Chancellors of Nagpur University viz : Justice Dr. M.B. Niyogi (1932 to 1936) Dr. Sir Hari Singh Gaur (1936 to 1938), Mr. T.J. Kedar (1938 to 1941) and Hon Justice W.R. Puranik (1944 to 1947), Justice M. Hidayatullah, Justice Kaushalendra Rao, Justice S.P. Kotwal, Justice Y.S. Tambe, Shri S.H. Battliwala, Hon. Sir M.B. DadabhoY, Mrs. Macfadyen, Shri S.D. Saklatwala, Nawab Mir Mehdi Ali Khan,Lady Kusum Trivedi, Shri A.D. Mani (M.P.) At a later date Justice N.L. Abhyankar and Justice B.A. Masodkar to name a few were among the many other distinguished personalities.

Presently, the society has as its President a legal luminary and former Advocate General of Maharashtra, Adv. Sunil Manohar.

At the establishment stage the College was given financial support by the trustees of Late Sir Dorabji Tata of Bombay. His Excellency Sir Hyde C. Gowan, the then Governor of Central Provinces also gave financial help to the college and Lady Gowan donated books to the college Library. The college continued to be patronized by philanthropists. Among them His Exalted Excellency the Nizam of Hyderabad rendered generous support to the college in the form of endowments.lt also received donations from Mr. Bhulabhai Desai for the development of the library.

The college known as “College of Arts for Women” from 1932 to 1935 and as “Central College for Women” from 1935, moved to its own building in 1942 on a sprawling campus of 26 acres of land donated by the Governor Central Provinces and Berar in 1940 at Seminary Hills.