MILESTONES
OF THE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE,
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM
KERALA, INDIA
The institution, now called the University College, was founded in the
year 1834 by the Government of Travancore during the reign of His Highness
Sri Swathi Thirunal Rama Varma, one of the most illustrious rulers of
the former State of Travancore, celebrated for his devotion and great
contributions to art and culture. The Maharaja had occasion to visit a
school that was imparting instruction in English at Nagarcoil under the
auspices of the London Mission Society. He was impressed by the school
and the quality of the education given there and was convinced that the
new type of school held out great prospects for the people of the State.
Shortly thereafter he invited Mr. Roberts who was in charge of the school
at Nagarcoil to come to Thiruvananthapuram and start a similar school
there. The educationist who was an Englishman, agreed and a new school
was started in 1834. It was a private institution, but the State Government
contributed the prescribed fees for 80 pupils who thereby got free tuition.
The classes were conducted in an old building located about half a mile
to the south of the University College, on the premises where the Ayurveda
College stands today. In less than a year Government took over the school
and assumed full responsibility for its management. Mr. Roberts was appointed
Headmaster and the school came to be known as “The Raja Free School”.
In the following year the institution was moved to a new building constructed
for the purpose on the premises where the University College is now located.
The school continued as a free institution till 1863-64. Those were days
when education of the Western type was being newly introduced in India
and the Raja’s Free School was one of the earliest institutions in South
India established under the auspices of the Government for imparting instruction
to the children of the State. It attracted pupils from all parts of Travancore
and many of its alumni rose to high positions in the public life of the
State and distinguished themselves in many fields of cultural activity.
In 1866, during the reign of His Highness Sri Ayilyam Thirunal Rama Varma
Maharaja of Travancore, it was decided that facilities for higher education
should also be provided by the Government and the Raja’s School was raised
to the status of a College affiliated to the University of Madras. It
was named H. H. The Maharaja’s College, though it still had the original
school attached to it. Mr. John Ross, an inspiring teacher whom many a
Travancorean of the previous generation still remembers with reverence
and affection, was the first Principal. Courses leading to the first examination
in Arts of the Madras University were started. A spacious building for
housing the college was constructed in 1870. It was a two-storeyed structure
and has lasted to this day, forming the central block of the main building
of the University College which bears the bell tower and the ornamental
G. I. Roofing at the two ends. In laying the foundation stone of the building,
His Highness the Maharaja Ayilyam Thirunal said:
“I consider this a grand occasion. In laying the foundation stone for
a college we are in fact imparting strength and durability to a system
of public education of a high order which cannot fail to exercise a most
important influence on the rising generation and on generations yet unborn.
It is gratifying to me to reflect that English education struck early
root in Travancore, that under favourable auspices, it has attained satisfactory
growth and that already, pressing on the material limits provided for
it by my venerated predecessor, it now calls for enlarged accommodation.
Such a call, it is superfluous for me to say, will at all times be responded
to by the State with the utmost alacrity.
To the numerous pupils I see assembled on this auspicious occasion I will
only say: Pursue your various studies with the utmost devotion and perseverance;
show yourselves worthy of the anxious care bestowed on you by your country,
for cultivated intelligence and, even over flowing into other countries,
prove yourselves formidable yet friendly rivals to those whom other colleges
send abroad. By such a course you will win credit for yourselves and honor
for your country.”
The College was affiliated for the B. A. degree course to the University
of Madras, first in Philosophy, in 1884. Mr. Robert Harvey who succeeded
Mr. John Ross as Principal was the first Professor of Philosophy. B A.
courses in Mathematics, Chemistry, History, Physics and Sanskrit and Dravidian
Languages followed in quick succession. A galaxy of distinguished Principals,
Indian and English, guided the fortunes of the institution during its
early years and the “Old College” as it came to be fondly referred to
by its alumni and the public acquired a pre-eminent position in the affections
of the people of Travancore. It was considered an honour and privilege
to be a student of the College and to be on its staff. The pick of the
intelligentsia of the State was attracted towards it. Among the great
scholars who served the institution and won high credit and great reputation
for it and for themselves by their single minded devotion to the pursuit
of higher learning the name of the late A. R. Raja Raja Varma, Grammarian
and poet deserves special mention. He has left a deep impression on the
language and the culture of the land. He was Professor of Sanskrit and
Dravidian Languages from 1910 to 1918 and also acted as Principal from
1915 to 1916.
The B. A. Honours courses in English and History were started in 1914.
Provision for the study of Natural Science (Biology) in the Intermediate
course was made in 1922. The school section of the institution continued
to function in the same premise till 1919. In October of that year the
school was shifted to a new building in Vanchiyoor and the whole of the
old building was given over to the College. The strength of the college,
that year, was 561. By 1923 it rose to 837 and there was great pressure
for additional accommodation. Therefore in 1924 the Government decided
to separate the Arts and Science Departments. This step, which is known
as the bifurcation was given effect to at the beginning of the academic
year 1924-25. The new institutions that came into being as a result of
the bifurcation were called H. H. The Maharaja’s College of Science and
H. H. The Maharaja’s College of Arts. The later was housed in a new three
storeyed building about a mile away at Thaikad. After the bifurcation,
the Science College was affiliated for the B. A. pass course in Botany
in 1924, for the B. A. Honours course in Mathematics in 1925, and for
the B. A. pass course in Zoology in 1931. In the Arts College in B. A.
Honours course in Malayalam was started in 1935 and the B. A. Honours
course Sanskrit in 1939. The B. A. course in Philosophy, though it was
the first to be started in the old College, had to be discontinued for
many years as sufficient number of students was not forthcoming. It was
however, restarted in 1925 in the Arts College. The strength of the Arts
College in 1935-36 was 447 and that of the Science College 937.
The two Colleges grew from strength to strength and became the premier
institutions of higher education in the State. Members of the teaching
staff of the language sections used to be transferred from one college
to the other and this alone contributed to the maintenance of some contact
between the two. The bifurcation of the Old College brought about a certain
dichotomy of the spirit between the humanities and sciences and both disciplines
suffered therefrom. “The richness of corporate life springs from the university
of its elements.” This was realized by the authorities and in 1942 the
two institutions were amalgamated. The reunited College was called the
University College. Subsequently the Intermediate section was separated
from it in 1949 and the College became a Post Intermediate Institution.
M. Sc. Courses in Physics and Chemistry were started in June 1941, in
Botany in 1948 and in Zoology in 1950. The B. A. Honours and Post Graduate
courses in Philosophy were started 1949 and Honours courses in Physics,
Chemistry and Economics in June 1953. B. A. courses in Politics and Hindi
were started in June 1951. B. Sc. Course in Geology was started in June
1953. The M. A. course in Hindi was started in 1957. As new courses were
started, facilities for advanced research came to be provided both in
the humanities and the sciences.
In 1957, State Government took over the management of the college, a special
scheme for coaching students for the U. P. S. C. Examinations (I. A. S.)
was in the college in October 1961. With a view to giving opportunities
of higher standard education to employed personnel, an Evening College
was started in the College in June 1965.
The College celebrated its Centenary in a grand manner in July 1969. Dr.
S. Radhakrishnan, the then President of India, inaugurated the celebrations.
The B. Sc. (Special) course was started in 1966 in Mathematics, Physics,
Chemistry, Botany and Zoology. But these courses were discontinued in
1969 when the Kerala University abolished them.
The Government vide G. O. Ms. No. 62/93/H. Edn. Dated 14-5-1993, decided
to shift the Graduate courses to another campus in a phased manner. Accordingly,
the First Year classes of the Eleven B. A. Degree courses were shifted
to the new building for the Graduate Section in Kariavattom during 1993-95.
The final year classes of the B. A. and the second and final year classes
of the B. Sc. Course will ceased to function in the College by the end
of the academic year 1994-95 and 1996-96 respectively.
The Government have decided to reintroduce the degree courses and to shift
Third Year B. Sc. Classes from University College Graduate Section, Kariavatton
to this college from the academic year 1996-97 onwards.
M. Phil course in twelve disciplines have been newly started from the
academic year 1994-95. The University College now comprises 20 Postgraduate
departments and 18 Graduate departments with almost 235 members of staff
(Teaching and Non-teaching) and over 2455 students on its roll.
This College has been recognized by the University as a Research Center
for M. Phil. & Ph. D. Degree in twelve disciplines.