C. M. S. College
Encyclopedia
The CMS College is the first college in Kottayam
, Kerala
, India
. It was started by the Church Missionary Society, England
, in 1817 when no institution existed in the then-Travancore
state to teach English. The Rev. Benjamin Bailey was the first principal of The College, COTTYM, as it was then called and spelt. The government welcomed the College as "a place of general education whence any demands of the state for officers to fill all departments of public service would be met".
research work is conducted in the departments of Botany, Zoology, Physics, Chemistry, English and Commerce.
, Greek
, Hebrew
, Mathematics
, History
and Geography
besides English
, Malayalam
, Sanskrit
and Syriac
. In 1838, the College was shifted to the wooded hillock — the present site — commanding views of the distant Western Ghat
s. One of the oldest buildings in the campus is Room 52 or "Grammar School" as it was then named. The College magazine in Malayalam
was started in 1864 by Principal Richard Collins, after whom the college library is named.
In 1857 the college was affiliated to Madras University soon after its incorporation and the college presented students for the Matriculation
examination. The college provided free education to all the students until 1855 when the fee of 1 Rupee a month began to be collected from each student. The total number of students in 1870 was only 129. In 1880, the Maharaja of Travancore
who visited the College observed: "Long before the state undertook the humanizing task of educating the subjects, the Christian Missionaries had raised the beacon of knowledge in the land".
In 1890, two-year classes were started and the first batch of students was presented for the F.A Examination in 1892. It was in 1938 that female students were admitted in the College for the first time.
In 1840, the number of students in the College was 220. In 1950, Degree classes were started and by 1960, the number of students in the college rose to 1250. Postgraduate classes were started in 1959. The college is now affiliated to Mahatma Gandhi University
, Kottayam
. In 1981, the Synod
of the Church of South India transferred the management of the college to the C. S. I. Madhya Kerala Diocese.
In 1999 the college was accredited by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council
(NAAC) with five star status. Later in 2004 the University Grants Commission (UGC) accorded the status of college with Potential for Excellence (CPE). In 2009, CMS College English Department which is the oldest department in the oldest college in the state celebrated the golden jubilee of introduction of the postgraduate programme.
, former President of India
; Mr.K. P. S. Menon
; formulator of Indian foreign policy; Sardar K.M. Panikkar, former ambassador to China
; Dr. E.C.G Sudharshan , world famous physicist
; Padma Bhushan Dr. Jacob Chandy, noted neurosurgeon; Justice K. T. Thomas
, former Judge of the Supreme Court of India
; Padma Bhushan Sri. K. M. Mathew
,former chief Editor of Malayala Manorama
; Mr.Oommen Chandy
, Chief Minister of Kerala
; dramatist, poet Kavalam Narayana Panikkar, Mr.Suresh Kurup, Member of Parliament; Olympian Sally (former national football player), Dr. Margarete Nawgiri née Kurian (Ophthalmologist), Dr. Maya S. Kurup (Paediatrician), Dr. Razia Sulaiman, Dr. Sathish Kuruvilla (Obstetrics and Gynaecology), Dr. Philipose John (Cardiologist),Ittoop Kurian and Matthai Kurian(Engineers),Mr.Kurian Simon,Sheela Kuriakose née Thomas who is a free-spirited homemaker.
Kottayam
Kottayam is a city in the Indian state of Kerala, spread over an area of 55.40 km2. It is the administrative capital of the Kottayam district. Kottayam Kottayam (Malayalam: കോട്ടയം) is a city in the Indian state of Kerala, spread over an area of 55.40 km2. It is the administrative...
, Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. It was started by the Church Missionary Society, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, in 1817 when no institution existed in the then-Travancore
Travancore
Kingdom of Travancore was a former Hindu feudal kingdom and Indian Princely State with its capital at Padmanabhapuram or Trivandrum ruled by the Travancore Royal Family. The Kingdom of Travancore comprised most of modern day southern Kerala, Kanyakumari district, and the southernmost parts of...
state to teach English. The Rev. Benjamin Bailey was the first principal of The College, COTTYM, as it was then called and spelt. The government welcomed the College as "a place of general education whence any demands of the state for officers to fill all departments of public service would be met".
Overview
The college has 14 departments and 47 courses. There are six research centres in the college. PhDPHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
research work is conducted in the departments of Botany, Zoology, Physics, Chemistry, English and Commerce.
History
In the early years, the curriculum included the study of LatinLatin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
, Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
, Hebrew
Hebrew language
Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...
, Mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
, History
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
and Geography
Geography
Geography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...
besides English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, Malayalam
Malayalam language
Malayalam , is one of the four major Dravidian languages of southern India. It is one of the 22 scheduled languages of India with official language status in the state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry. It is spoken by 35.9 million people...
, Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
and Syriac
Syriac language
Syriac is a dialect of Middle Aramaic that was once spoken across much of the Fertile Crescent. Having first appeared as a script in the 1st century AD after being spoken as an unwritten language for five centuries, Classical Syriac became a major literary language throughout the Middle East from...
. In 1838, the College was shifted to the wooded hillock — the present site — commanding views of the distant Western Ghat
Ghat
Ghat is the capital of the Ghat District in the Fezzan region of southwestern Libya.-History:In historical times, Ghat was a major terminal point on the Trans-Saharan trade route and a major administrative center in the Fezzan...
s. One of the oldest buildings in the campus is Room 52 or "Grammar School" as it was then named. The College magazine in Malayalam
Malayalam language
Malayalam , is one of the four major Dravidian languages of southern India. It is one of the 22 scheduled languages of India with official language status in the state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry. It is spoken by 35.9 million people...
was started in 1864 by Principal Richard Collins, after whom the college library is named.
In 1857 the college was affiliated to Madras University soon after its incorporation and the college presented students for the Matriculation
Matriculation
Matriculation, in the broadest sense, means to be registered or added to a list, from the Latin matricula – little list. In Scottish heraldry, for instance, a matriculation is a registration of armorial bearings...
examination. The college provided free education to all the students until 1855 when the fee of 1 Rupee a month began to be collected from each student. The total number of students in 1870 was only 129. In 1880, the Maharaja of Travancore
Travancore
Kingdom of Travancore was a former Hindu feudal kingdom and Indian Princely State with its capital at Padmanabhapuram or Trivandrum ruled by the Travancore Royal Family. The Kingdom of Travancore comprised most of modern day southern Kerala, Kanyakumari district, and the southernmost parts of...
who visited the College observed: "Long before the state undertook the humanizing task of educating the subjects, the Christian Missionaries had raised the beacon of knowledge in the land".
In 1890, two-year classes were started and the first batch of students was presented for the F.A Examination in 1892. It was in 1938 that female students were admitted in the College for the first time.
In 1840, the number of students in the College was 220. In 1950, Degree classes were started and by 1960, the number of students in the college rose to 1250. Postgraduate classes were started in 1959. The college is now affiliated to Mahatma Gandhi University
Mahatma Gandhi University
Mahatma Gandhi University, also known as M G University, was established on 2 October 1983 in Kottayam. The University Grants Commission of India does not believe that the names of Indian universities should be unique, so another UGC-recognized government-run Mahatma Gandhi University was...
, Kottayam
Kottayam
Kottayam is a city in the Indian state of Kerala, spread over an area of 55.40 km2. It is the administrative capital of the Kottayam district. Kottayam Kottayam (Malayalam: കോട്ടയം) is a city in the Indian state of Kerala, spread over an area of 55.40 km2. It is the administrative...
. In 1981, the Synod
Synod
A synod historically is a council of a church, usually convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. In modern usage, the word often refers to the governing body of a particular church, whether its members are meeting or not...
of the Church of South India transferred the management of the college to the C. S. I. Madhya Kerala Diocese.
In 1999 the college was accredited by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council
National Assessment and Accreditation Council
The National Assessment and Accreditation Council is an organization that assesses and accredits institutions of higher education in India. It is an autonomous body funded by University Grants Commission of Government of India headquartered in Bangalore.-History:NAAC was established in 1994 in...
(NAAC) with five star status. Later in 2004 the University Grants Commission (UGC) accorded the status of college with Potential for Excellence (CPE). In 2009, CMS College English Department which is the oldest department in the oldest college in the state celebrated the golden jubilee of introduction of the postgraduate programme.
Notable alumni
The alumni of the college include Dr. K. R. NarayananK. R. Narayanan
Kocheril Raman Narayanan , also known as K. R. Narayanan, was the tenth President of India. He was the first Dalit, and the first Malayali, to have been President....
, former President of India
President of India
The President of India is the head of state and first citizen of India, as well as the Supreme Commander of the Indian Armed Forces. President of India is also the formal head of all the three branches of Indian Democracy - Legislature, Executive and Judiciary...
; Mr.K. P. S. Menon
K. P. S. Menon
Kumara Padmanabha Sivasankara Menon, CIE, ICS was a career diplomat in the Indian Civil Service, .-Early life:...
; formulator of Indian foreign policy; Sardar K.M. Panikkar, former ambassador to China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
; Dr. E.C.G Sudharshan , world famous physicist
Physicist
A physicist is a scientist who studies or practices physics. Physicists study a wide range of physical phenomena in many branches of physics spanning all length scales: from sub-atomic particles of which all ordinary matter is made to the behavior of the material Universe as a whole...
; Padma Bhushan Dr. Jacob Chandy, noted neurosurgeon; Justice K. T. Thomas
K. T. Thomas
Pastor K. T. Thomas was born on June 18, 1927 to Idichandy Thomas and Dinamma at Kalliserry, Kerala, India. He was a Brethren Believer and had a close relation with the great Malayalam Christian poet K. V. Simon. He worked for the Indian Army prior to his evangelical mission. On May 8, 1952, he...
, former Judge of the Supreme Court of India
Supreme Court of India
The Supreme Court of India is the highest judicial forum and final court of appeal as established by Part V, Chapter IV of the Constitution of India...
; Padma Bhushan Sri. K. M. Mathew
K. M. Mathew
K. M. Mathew was a former Editor-in-chief of leading Malayalam daily Malayala Manorama.He joined the newspaper as Managing Editor in 1954 and went on to become Editor in chief in 1973....
,former chief Editor of Malayala Manorama
Malayala Manorama
Malayala Manorama is a daily news paper, in Malayalam language, published in the state of Kerala, India. It was first published as a weekly on 14 March 1890, and currently has a readership of over 16 million . The Malayalam word "manorama" roughly translates to "entertainer"...
; Mr.Oommen Chandy
Oommen Chandy
Oommen Chandy is an Indian politician and the current Chief Minister of Kerala. He has held the Chief Minister of Kerala position earlier from 2004 to 2006, and was the Leader of the Opposition in the Kerala Legislative Assembly from 2006 to 2011.-Early life:Oommen Chandy or 'Kunjoonju' was born...
, Chief Minister of Kerala
Chief Minister of Kerala
The Chief Minister of Kerala is the elected head of government of the state of Kerala, India. By the Constitution of India, the Chief minister is appointed by the Governor of the state....
; dramatist, poet Kavalam Narayana Panikkar, Mr.Suresh Kurup, Member of Parliament; Olympian Sally (former national football player), Dr. Margarete Nawgiri née Kurian (Ophthalmologist), Dr. Maya S. Kurup (Paediatrician), Dr. Razia Sulaiman, Dr. Sathish Kuruvilla (Obstetrics and Gynaecology), Dr. Philipose John (Cardiologist),Ittoop Kurian and Matthai Kurian(Engineers),Mr.Kurian Simon,Sheela Kuriakose née Thomas who is a free-spirited homemaker.