Kerala University
Encyclopedia
The University of Kerala, formerly the University of Travancore, is an affiliating university
located in Thiruvananthapuram
in Kerala
, India
. It was established in 1937, long before the birth of the state of Kerala
in India
. The University of Travancore which eventually became the University of Kerala was established in 1937 by a promulgation of the Maharaja of Travancore, Sri Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma who was also the first Chancellor of the University. Sir C. P Ramaswamy Ayyar, the then Diwan of the State, was the first Vice-Chancellor. It was the sixteenth University to be set up in India and ten Colleges within the State of Travancore which were affiliated to the Madras University became the affiliated colleges of the University of Travancore. It ranks among the top Universities in India.
In 1957, the Kerala University Act, Act 14 of 1957, was brought into force and the University of Travancore was renamed University of Kerala. The University had three campuses located in three different parts of the State viz. Thiruvananthapuram
, Ernakulam
and Kozhikode
. In 1968, the University Centre at Kozhikode became a full-fledged University covering the Colleges and Departments located in Thrissur
, Palakkad
, Kozhikode and Kannur
Districts of Kerala. The Cochin University of Science and Technology and the Kerala Agricultural University were set up in 1971 and in 1983, the Mahatma Gandhi University
was established. With the establishment of these Universities, the area of the jurisdiction of the University of Kerala has been limited to Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam
, Alappuzha
Districts and some parts of Pathanamthitta
District.
: कर्मणि व्यज्यते प्रज्ञा). It is taken from the Panchatantra
. The complete stanza follows:
This stanza also appears in the third story-collection called Vigraha of Hitopadeśaṃ (Sanskrit
: हितोपदेशम्). Hitopadesham, a collection of Sanskrit fables in prose and verse written in the 12 century C.E., is an independent treatment of the Panchatantra
.
The list of former vice chancellor.
campus.
Affiliating university
An affiliating university is one that sets courses of study, conducts examinations, and awards educational credentials, but leaves the chore of undergraduate instruction to an array of colleges; the affiliation, then, is between university and college....
located in Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram , formerly known as Trivandrum, is the capital of the Indian state of Kerala and the headquarters of the Thiruvananthapuram District. It is located on the west coast of India near the extreme south of the mainland...
in 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 established in 1937, long before the birth of the state of 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....
in 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...
. The University of Travancore which eventually became the University of Kerala was established in 1937 by a promulgation of the Maharaja of Travancore, Sri Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma who was also the first Chancellor of the University. Sir C. P Ramaswamy Ayyar, the then Diwan of the State, was the first Vice-Chancellor. It was the sixteenth University to be set up in India and ten Colleges within the State of Travancore which were affiliated to the Madras University became the affiliated colleges of the University of Travancore. It ranks among the top Universities in India.
In 1957, the Kerala University Act, Act 14 of 1957, was brought into force and the University of Travancore was renamed University of Kerala. The University had three campuses located in three different parts of the State viz. Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram , formerly known as Trivandrum, is the capital of the Indian state of Kerala and the headquarters of the Thiruvananthapuram District. It is located on the west coast of India near the extreme south of the mainland...
, Ernakulam
Ernakulam
Ernakulam refers to the downtown area or the western part of the mainland of Kochi city in Kerala, India. The city is the most urban part of Kochi and has lent its name to the Ernakulam district. Ernakulam is called the commercial capital of the state of Kerala and is a main nerve of business in...
and Kozhikode
Kozhikode
Kozhikode During Classical antiquity and the Middle Ages, Kozhikkode was dubbed the "City of Spices" for its role as the major trading point of eastern spices. Kozhikode was once the capital of an independent kingdom of the same name and later of the erstwhile Malabar District...
. In 1968, the University Centre at Kozhikode became a full-fledged University covering the Colleges and Departments located in Thrissur
Thrissur
This article is about the city in India. For the district, see Thrissur district. For the urban agglomeration area of Thrissur see Thrissur Metropolitan Area...
, Palakkad
Palakkad
Palakkad , formerly known as Palghat, is a municipality and a town in the state of Kerala in southern India, spread over an area of 26.60 km2.The city is situated about north of state capital Thiruvananthapuram. It is the administrative headquarters of Palakkad District...
, Kozhikode and Kannur
Kannur
Kannur , also known as Cannanore, is a city in Kannur district in the Indian state of Kerala. It is the administrative headquarters of the District of Kannur and 518km north of state capital Trivandrum. During British rule in India, Kannur was known by its old name Cannanore, which is still in...
Districts of Kerala. The Cochin University of Science and Technology and the Kerala Agricultural University were set up in 1971 and in 1983, the 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...
was established. With the establishment of these Universities, the area of the jurisdiction of the University of Kerala has been limited to Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam
Kollam
Kollam , often anglicized as ', is a city in the Indian state of Kerala. The city lies on the banks of Ashtamudi Lake on the Arabian sea coast and is situated about north of the state capital, Thiruvananthapuram...
, Alappuzha
Alappuzha
Alappuzha , also known as Alleppey, is a town in Alappuzha District of Kerala state of southern India. As per 2001 census Alleppey is the sixth largest city in Kerala with an urban population of 177,029. Alleppey is situated to the south of Kochi and north of Trivandrum...
Districts and some parts of Pathanamthitta
Pathanamthitta
Pathanamthitta is a large town and a municipality situated in the central Travancore region in the state of Kerala, south India, spread over an area of 23.50 km2. It is the administrative capital of Pathanamthitta district. The city has a population of 38,000...
District.
Motto
The Motto of Kerala University is "Karmaṇi Vyajyate Prajña" (SanskritSanskrit
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...
: कर्मणि व्यज्यते प्रज्ञा). It is taken from the Panchatantra
Panchatantra
The Panchatantra is an ancient Indian inter-related collection of animal fables in verse and prose, in a frame story format. The original Sanskrit work, which some scholars believe was composed in the 3rd century BCE, is attributed to Vishnu Sharma...
. The complete stanza follows:
मन्त्रिणां भिन्नसंधाने भिषजां सांनिपातिके ।
कर्मणि व्यज्यते प्रज्ञा स्वस्थे को वा न पण्डितः ॥
-(पञ्चतन्त्रम्, प्रथमम् तन्त्रम् - मित्रभेदः, कथा २ - शृगाल दुंदुभि कथा, पञ्च_१.१३८)
- (Panchatantra, First tantra - The loss of friends, Story - 2, The Jackal and the Drum)
This stanza also appears in the third story-collection called Vigraha of Hitopadeśaṃ (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...
: हितोपदेशम्). Hitopadesham, a collection of Sanskrit fables in prose and verse written in the 12 century C.E., is an independent treatment of the Panchatantra
Panchatantra
The Panchatantra is an ancient Indian inter-related collection of animal fables in verse and prose, in a frame story format. The original Sanskrit work, which some scholars believe was composed in the 3rd century BCE, is attributed to Vishnu Sharma...
.
The list of former vice chancellor.
Faculties
The university has sixteen faculties and forty-one departments of teaching and research. There are eighty-one affiliated colleges. Of these forty, five are aided first grade Arts and Science Colleges, eight are unaided first grade Arts and Science Colleges, two are law Colleges, four Engineering Colleges, two Medical Colleges, seven aided Teachers Training Colleges, six unaided Teachers Training Colleges, one Ayurveda College, on Homeopathy College, two Fine Arts Colleges, one Music College and one College of Physical Education. Besides this, there is an affiliated institute conducting 2-year full time MBA course. The University has recently started an Engineering College in its KariavattomKariavattom
Kariavattom is a town near Trivandrum in Kerala, India.-Geography:Kariavattom is approximately 14 km north of Trivandrum on NH 47, between Pangappara and Kazhakuttam...
campus.