HYDERABAD: Back in the time of the Nizams in erstwhile Hyderabad state, native Telugus who were present in considerable numbers were denied basic education in their mother tongue. For a population comprising Kannada, Marathi, Telugu and Urdu speakers, the official language, however, was Urdu. A few good men, namely, philanthropists like Raja Bahadur Venkatrama Reddy and Suravaram Pratap Reddy, along with Konda Venkata Ranga Reddy, JV Narsing Rao (both former Deputy Chief Ministers), and Madapati Hanumantha Rao, who took part in the freedom struggle, and many simultaneous education movements, decided to take a giant leap against the establishment and founded one of the oldest educational societies in the State.
Inception
The Andhra Vidyalaya (AV) Education Society came into existence in 1944 through establishment of the first Telugu medium school in the State. Years later, the AV College of Arts, Science and Commerce was established in 1968 offering intermediate and undergraduation courses. Spread over a sprawling 7.33 acres campus near the historic Hussain Sagar lake, the college in 2005 was credited with A grade certification by NAAC. Results of re-accreditation are presently awaited. Dr M Bhagavantha Reddy, Principal of the college, explains, “We are committed to providing the best learning experience possible for all our students. We work hard for overall development of a student. We continue to stick closely to our mission even today.”
Courses offered
The college at present is one of the leading aided colleges in the State with nearly 3,000 students and 110 faculty members. At UG level, 11 combinations in the BSc, BCom and BA streams are offered, whereas one batch of BCom general is also offered in Telugu medium.
Postgraduate courses in un-aided categories are offered in MSc, MBA, MCA, MCom and MA (Telugu). Further, add-on courses are offered in Community Skills and Personality Development, Web Designing and Animation, Event Management, Applied Nutrition and Mushroom cultivation and Bonsai Techniques.
Collaborations
To promote collaborative research, many of the departments have MoUs with IGNOU, Osmania University, Institute of Asian Studies, State Horticulture Department, Dr BR Ambedkar Open University, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Institute of Public Enterprises, etc, mentions Krishnaiah Goud, Vice-Principal.
Infrastructure
The campus boasts complete Wi-Fi connectivity. With over a hundred classrooms, the college also houses state-of-the-art science labs, seven computer labs, two seminar halls, a 500-seater auditorium, 11 e-class rooms and a fully computerised library. Other facilities include an English language lab, audio visual hall, research centre, value education centre, career guidance cell, health centre and women’s grievance cell. The college also has a botanical garden with over 62 families of medicinal plants that prove as a source of study.
Extra-curricular activities
The college makes it mandatory for students to join either NCC or NSS. The college has two NCC units, comprising 100 cadets each. Students from the college regularly participate in Republic day parade at the national capital. As part of NSS activities, the college has adopted two villages in Medchal and Shankarpally.
Placements
The placement cell of the college focuses on career guidance and training apart from facilitating campus recruitments. In tandem with prospective employers, placement brochures are prepared in advance. Academic guidance for selecting suitable higher studies opportunities is another characteristic feature. Students are also given guidance for preparing for civil services, PG entrance and various competitive exams. Leading multinationals Cognizant, Wipro, Infosys and Deloitte are regular recruiters on campus.
Alumni
The alumni association includes some of the great luminaries like the late Justice K Madhava Reddy, former Chief Justice of High Courts of Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra, Justice Subhashan Reddy of AP High Court, Olympic medal winner-air rifle shooter Gagan Narang, Badminton guru Pullela Gopichand, Captain K Usha (first lady Army officer). The alumni association is very active and members participate in colleges developmental activities and also interact with the outgoing batch of students.
Sports and games
Apart from offering cash awards and gold medals to top rankers, the college has a vibrant system of identifying talent. Students from the college represent Osmania University in various sports and games every year. The college team were the winners in badminton and power lifting, runners up in chess, korf ball, volleyball, weight lifting and cross country race in inter collegiate tournaments organised by Osmania University last year.
“Sports and games are given due importance, acknowledging that they play a vital role in shaping one’s personality. AV has facilities for indoor and outdoor games,” says Suhaas Rajkumar, a second-year BCom student.
— rahul.v@newindianexpress.com