Treading the path to modernisation

The governing council has decided to enhance academic activities to engage students and, hence, prevent unruly incidents on the campus
Maharaja’s College, Ernakulam
Maharaja’s College, Ernakulam

KOCHI: The Maharaja’s College, which was in limelight thanks to several controversies, will bear witness to modernisation drive which aims to bring it on a par with the other premier institutes in Kerala. The governing council has decided to enhance academic activities to engage students and hence prevent unruly incidents in the campus.

P K Ravendran, chairman of the Governing Council, Maharaja’s College said, “Unwanted incidents happen when students sit idle. Also, majority of the issues that happened in the college were associated with the hostel.” “So creating an academic atmosphere in the college by providing infrastructure for the students will enable them to spend more time in useful activities. Being an autonomous college, it can introduce several reforms that would make it a center of excellence in academics,” he said.

Even after the college made headlines for all the wrong reasons, large number of students turned out for admission this year. For nearly 600 seats in various graduation courses, more than 13,000 applications have been received.

Around 65 percentage seats have been filled. For BCom, the entire seats have been filled and the cut-off mark was around 95 percent this year.

New College hostel

Last year, a majority of the protests were associated with poor hostel facility and the dilapidated building. The government has allotted Rs 10 crore to construct a new hostel. The fund allotted by the government has been handed over to the PWD which will begin the tender proceedings soon. A three-storeyed building will constructed at the place where the men’s hostel building existed.

Library Complex

An integrated and modern library will be constructed within a year. Around Rs 11.7 crore has been approved for this purpose.The fund has been transferred to KITCO which would carry out the work. At present, only department based libraries exist in the college. These libraries would be integrated with the newly constructed main library.

Renovation buildings

The government has provided Rs 9 crore for the renovation of old buildings. The fund would be transferred to KITCO for this purpose. Similarly, the government has allocated Rs 37 crore for modernisation purposes. The heritage buildings in the college would be maintained with the assistance of architects who have worked for the Muziris project.

Blended BSc

Maharaja College is in discussion with the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research(IISER) Pune to start a BSc(Blended) course, a first of its kind in Kerala.  Students will be taught three basic sciences (Physics, Chemistry, Biology), and Mathematics in the first two years and can opt to specialize in their final year. The discussion in this regard is being held and authorities as optimistic of starting the BSc(blended) course next year.

Add on courses

The departments in the college have been directed to provide add on courses for the students. This would enable students to find a job once they pass out from the college. Some of the departments already have started add on courses.

Autonomous status

Its autonomous status has it given the power to decide the curriculum, conduct admission and examinations. The examinations of the batches which took admission after the college became autonomous are taking place now.

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