A king’s college that evolved as a flagbearer of democratic values.
That is how the alumni of Maharaja’s College, Ernakulam, describe their alma mater.
The institution, which holds the distinction of being the lone autonomous government college in Kerala, has witnessed it all — from the highs, when the very name ‘Maharaja’s College’ elicited awe among the student community, to the lows, when the campus made headlines for wrong reasons, especially political violence.
As this heritage educational institution in Kochi enters its 150th year, TNIE walks through the well-worn cobbled pathways and the hallowed corridors of the majestic college that remains a matter of pride for Kochiites.
Some sepia-tinted notes
As an old student poetically professed, “It is a campus that elicits romance.” Why not? Spread over 25 acres in the heart of Kochi city, the campus, with lush trees, heritage buildings — each holding stories within their brick and mortar — and a liberal atmosphere boasts an environment conducive for personal, creative and academic excellence.
The college, however, had a modest beginning. It started as an elementary English school in 1845 in the former princely state of Cochin. The then maharaja of Cochin wanted his people to converse fluently in English.
From an elementary school, the institution transformed into a high school in 1868 and then into a college in 1875, in response to growing demand for higher education within Cochin and the neighbouring states of Travancore and Malabar.
Originally named ‘The Ernakulam College’, it was affiliated with the University of Madras and initially offered fine arts courses. Like many institutions of that era, the college had British principals in its early days. In its golden jubilee year (1925), the institution was rechristened Maharaja’s College.
Thereon, Maharaja’s rose in stature to its current standing as a ‘Centre of Excellence’ conferred by the state government, and ‘College with Potential for Excellence’ by the University Grants Commission (UGC).
Highs & lows
There was a time when the campus was celebrated for its excellence in every sphere. “It was a campus where healthy socio-political dialogues happened,” recalls Yusuf K A, former registrar of Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit in Kalady.
“Political differences used to be settled through fierce dialogues and discussions. I remember after arriving on the campus as a young student, we felt as if being beckoned by the positive energy left behind by the stalwarts who had walked the soil before us.”
Former Nabard chief general manager C P Mohan, who studied at the college from 1972 to 1975, believes he was “fortunate” to have experienced its “golden era”.
“Those days, it was every student’s dream to study at Maharaja’s. Those were the times when several literary doyens visited the campus for kavi arangus (poetry sessions) and street plays. Academics, literature, arts and culture thrived. It helped build a living society.”
Prasanna K, former principal of Manimalakunnu Government College, who studied at Maharaja’s for 7 years and later taught economics there for 12 years, gushes similar views. “The years that I spent at the college as a student and then as a teacher were the best,” she says.
“I saw raw talents blossom. They got honed and polished. The campus was not all about academic excellence, but making a better person out of the students through positive interaction among the peers.”
However, over time, the campus lost some of its sheen. Instead of headlines celebrating the college’s achievements — including high ranks in the National Institutional Ranking Framework — stories of campus violence and administrative mismanagement began to dominate the media.
“Sad but true,” says Prasanna. To reclaim the glory, she suggests involving former teachers as mentors.
“I am not a big fan of politics. But that being said, it is always good for the students to have political awareness. All political parties should come together for the good of the institution and welfare of students,” she adds.
Today, many students appear more involved in furthering the interests of their political parties. Studies should not take the backseat. This applies to all colleges.” Mohan believes this is all part of a cycle.
“As times change, it brings with it a lot of changes. And when changes happen, we can say that degradation also happens along with,” he says.
“Changes are cyclic. It is just a wave. This one, too, will pass. And the onus for it lies on the government and the authorities concerned.”
According to Yusuf, political strife existed in the past as well. “However, today, with the advent of social media, instead of the positive things happening on the campus, all the negatives are being highlighted,” he says.
“Also, you must note that, earlier, the cream of the crop used to seek admission to Maharaja’s. Now, students have more options to choose from – institutions with much better infrastructure and placement opportunities.”
Filmmaker Amal Neerad, an alumnus, slams the government: “How can an institution not undergo degradation when nothing is being done for its betterment?” he fumes.
He is particularly upset about parts of the campus being “chopped” and allocated for other development projects. Censuring the neglect, he adds: “This is a campus that has the potential to become the Harvard of Kerala or India.”
Achievements
The turn of the millennium saw a growing emphasis on technology-enhanced teaching and learning with the establishment of ICT facilities. Research activity surged, with the number of researchers increasing severalfold.
The state government accorded the status of Centre of Excellence to the college, recognising its achievements across various domains. In 2010, the Centre’s department of science and technology listed all the science departments of the college for special assistance under the FIST programme (Fund for Improvement of Science & Technology Infrastructure).
The UGC designated it a ‘College with Potential for Excellence’. The National Assessment and Accreditation Council re-accredited the college with an ‘A’ grade in 2006, and again in 2013. In 2024, the college was ranked 53rd by the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF).
The college further benefited from its inclusion in the ‘Cluster of Colleges’ — an initiative to share resources among state-aided colleges in and around the city. Notably, it has also actively promoted entrepreneurship by training students in the manufacture of various products.
The college has submitted several major proposals to the state government. According to vice-principal Prakash G N, prime among them is a plan to establish a startup incubation centre on the campus.
“We have also sought permission from the government for a tower that would house the incubation centre and classrooms for new-generation courses,” he says.
In the end, all who spoke to TNIE, are unanimous that it’s the ideal time to reclaim the old glory of the ‘regal’ college.
Some notable alumni
Changampuzha Krishna Pillai, poet
Vyloppilli Sreedhara Menon, poet
Dakshayani Velayudhan, first and only Dalit woman member of the Constituent Assembly (1946)
Annie Thayyil, member of Cochin Legislative Council (1945 - 1948) and writer
Swami Chinmayananda, spiritual guru
O Chandrasekhar Menon, Olympian footballer
Prof. G N Ramachandran, eminent scientist
K R Gouri Amma, former revenue minister of Kerala
A K Antony, former chief minister and defence minister
K G Balakrishnan, former chief justice of India
S Somanath, former Isro chairman
M Leelavathy, writer
Vaisakhan, writer
N S Madhavan, former bureaucrat and writer
Sankaradi, actor
Mammootty, actor
Babu Namboothiri, actor
Salim Kumar, actor
Rajeev Ravi, filmmaker
Dileep, actor
Nadirhsah, filmmaker & actor
Amal Neerad, filmmaker
Ashiq Abu, filmmaker