Madras Christian College - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

12.921293°N 80.121971°E
The Madras Christian College, commonly known as MCC, is a liberal arts and sciences college in Madras (Chennai), India. Founded in 1837, MCC is one of Asia

Asia

Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...

's oldest extant colleges. Currently, the college is affiliated to the University of Madras

University of Madras

The University of Madras is a public research university in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. It is one of the three oldest universities in India...

, but functions as an autonomous institution from its campus in Tambaram

Tambaram

Tambaram is a suburb of Chennai situated 27 km south of the city in Tamil Nadu, India. It is an urban node. Tambaram is a hub to all major destinations in south Tamil Nadu as it lies on the busy Chennai–Trichy national highway. The highway and the railway line from Chennai Egmore to...

, Chennai. The ational Assessment and Accreditatit an accreditation grade of A+, the highest grade level for education institutions according to its methodology. The India Today Magazine in its June 2007 survey places MCC among the Top Ten Arts and Science Colleges in India in all the three streams— Arts, Science and Commerce., a position the institution has retained through 2009, as per the magazine's 2009 survey.

Beginnings

MCC has its roots in a small school for boys established in 1835 when two Chaplains of the Church of Scotland in Madras, Rev George James Laurie and Rev Matthew Bowie founded the St. Andrew's School on Randalls Road in Egmore, Madras. At their request, the Church of Scotland sent a missionary to India to govern it. The missionary, the Rev. John Anderson

John Anderson (missionary)

John Anderson was a Scottish missionary and the founder of the mission of the Free Church of Scotland at Madras, India.-Biography:He was the son of a Scottish farmer...

, set up the institution as The General Assembly's School, conducting classes in a rented house on the east side of Armenian Street in Georgetown, Madras, The Headmaster and 59 boys from St Andrew's School moved to this institution. It was named after the supreme governing body of the Church of Scotland, and aimed at attracting students from the Hindu higher castes with the aim of "conveying as great as an amount of truth as possible through the channel of a good education especially of Bible truth". The college grew from the school into a 375 acres (1.5 km²) wooded campus under the leadership of educationalist Dr.William Miller, who created hostels and several academic and cultural associations, which shaped MCC into a premier educational institution in South Asia.

The rapid expansion of the College and the paucity of the space necessitated moving the college campus to a more spacious location. Accordingly, the College under the leadership of Rev. William Skinner (Principal 1909-1921) initiated the Tambaram Project in 1919. Rev Gordon Matthew as the Town Planning secretary negotiated with the Government, which set aside 390 acres (1.6 km²) of the former Selaiyur forest land in Tambaram

Tambaram

. While Mrs and Prof. Edward Barnes meticulously planted rare tress and worked out the physical landscape, the Swiss architect Henry Schaetti, then based in Kodiakanal, India, designed the buildings on the new campus. After 100 years of life in the heart of the city, the college moved to the sprawling, green campus in Tambaram on the outskirts of Madras in 1937.

On 30 January 1937, Governor of Madras, Lord John Erskine

John Erskine, Lord Erskine

John Francis Ashley Erskine, Lord Erskine GCSI, GCIE was a British soldier, Conservative Party politician and administrator who served as Member of Parliament for Weston-super-Mare and Brighton...

declared open the first campus buildings. The Hostel gave way to three Halls of Residence-Selaiyur, Thomas' and Heber, active today as semi-autonomous student communities. Women students were admitted on a regular basis from 1939, and a hostel for them came up in Guindy

Guindy

Guindy is one of the important neighbourhoods of Chennai , Tamil Nadu, India. It is located in the South-Western part of the city. It is the entry point or the gateway to Chennai city from the Southern parts of Tamil Nadu and the South Western suburbs of Chennai...

, Madras in 1950. This too evolved into an on-campus hall of residence for women, Martin Hall, named after Mrs Agnes Martin, in 1968.

Tambaram Conference 1938

In 1938 MCC hosted the Tambaram Conference (also called The Madras Conference or Tambaram 1938), the third World Missionary Conference which eventually created the World Council of Churches

World Council of Churches

The World Council of Churches is a worldwide fellowship of 349 global, regional and sub-regional, national and local churches seeking unity, a common witness and Christian service. It is a Christian ecumenical organization that is based in the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva, Switzerland...

. The same buildings were used again in 1988 (Tambaram 1988) to commemorate this landmark event which focused contemporary thought into ecumenism, Christianity's engagement with world religions and traditions. In the words of Bishop Stephen Neill

Stephen Neill

Stephen Charles Neill was a Anglican missionary, bishop, and scholar from Scotland. He was proficient in a number of languages including Greek, Latin and Tamil. He was educated and later worked in Trinity College, Cambridge...

, this event was "the most international gathering held up to that point in the entire history of the Christian Church." William Miller's vision in creating an educational institution that prepared the largely Hindu students to a Christward direction through education, rather than just conversion of their faith, was lauded. Lesslie Newbiggin

Lesslie Newbigin

Bishop James Edward Lesslie Newbigin was a Church of Scotland missionary serving in the former Madras State , India, who became a Christian theologian and bishop involved in missiology, ecumenism, and the Gospel and Our Culture Movement.-Biography:Born in Newcastle upon Tyne, Newbigin's schooling...

, the famous missionary and theologian who attended the 1938 conference spoke at the 1988 event at MCC as well.

Governance and Leadership

MCC's leadership in governance and education has arguably evolved its familial culture and values-driven education. The Rev. Dr. A.J. Boyd led the college for 18 years (1938–56). General Krishnaswamy Sundarji's autobiography reveals that Dr. Boyd knew each student personally. Sundarji relates in his book that when he expressed his intention to join the army, discontinuing his studies, Dr. Boyd advised him against it as he believed Sundarji would make a good doctor rather than a good soldier.

After Dr. Boyd, Prof MacPhail became Principal, who was then succeeded by the first Indian Principal of the college, Dr.Chandran Devanesan in 1962. A man of Gandhian principles, Dr Devanesen involved the faculty and students in working with the neighbouring community in Tambaram. This decade (1962–72) is affectionately referred to by MCCians as "The Devanesan Decade". Several Principals of MCC have been appointed Vice-Chancellors of Universities across 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...

and have distinguished themselves as successful educationalists and administrators.

Distinction

The college was one of the first in India to be granted Autonomy in 1978 and the first batch of Autonomous graduates passed out in 1981. The year 2006 marks the Silver Jubilee of Autonomy for Madras Christian College.

Academics

The college offers over 30 regular courses within undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in Arts, Sciences, and Commerce, besides Under Graduate programmes in vocational streams of Archaeology, Musicology and Industrial Fish and Fisheries; and Post Graduate programmes in Social Work (MSW) and Computer Applications (MCA). A number of departments at the college also offer M. Phil and PhD programmes.

Besides the regular programmes, MCC offers Under Graduate programmes and Post Graduate programmes in the Self-Financed Stream, including courses in Journalism, Geography, Tourism, Travel Management, Microbiology, Physical Education, Visual Communication, Plant Biology & Plant Biotechnology, Marine studies and Coastal Resource Management,Computer Oriented Business Applications and Social Work (BSW), besides regular course in Arts, Commerce and Sciences.

The college has 38 departments including day and evening streams, with over 5,000 students. Half the student body are women and several faculty members are women teachers. The institution has 220 odd faculty members, over half of whom are Doctorate-holders. The Department of Plant Biology and Plant Biotechnology apart from regular teaching and research is also assisting students through websites like Phycolab and Center for Floristics Research created and managed by their staff. Several new species and new varieties in flowering plants, fossils and algae have been described by the staff of the department. Two newly discovered plants of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Aidia livingstonii Karthig et al. and Liparis livingstonii Jayanthi et al. are named in honour of Prof. Dr. C. Livingstone

C.Livingstone

Dr. Chrispus Livingstone , is a botanist, educator and multifaceted person. Among his varied interests is the taxonomy of tropical plants, especially flora of Chennai, then Madras...

for his contributions to plant taxonomy

Plant taxonomy

Plant taxonomy is the science that finds, describes, classifies, identifies, and names plants. It thus is one of the main branches of taxonomy.Plant taxonomy is closely allied to plant systematics, and there is no sharp boundary between the two...

. A species of whitefly

Whitefly

The whiteflies, comprising only the family Aleyrodidae, are small hemipterans. More than 1550 species have been described. Whiteflies typically feed on the underside of plant leaves.-Agricultural threat:...

namely Aleurocanthus livingstonii is also named after Dr.C.Livingstone

C.Livingstone

Dr. Chrispus Livingstone , is a botanist, educator and multifaceted person. Among his varied interests is the taxonomy of tropical plants, especially flora of Chennai, then Madras...

. Two new species Anoectochilus narasimhanii and Orophea narasimhanii have been discovered by researchers of the department pursuing angiosperm taxonomy. Department of Biotechnology has funded a Multi-Institutional project for species recovery. Associate Professor Dr. D. Narasimhan is the Principal Investigator for this project DBT Species Recovery Project . The Department of political science is rated highly in the country and has notable professors like M. Abel and W. Lawrence S. Prabhakar.

Aided Stream - Humanities

Languages
English
Tamil
History
Economics
Philosophy
Social work
Political Science
Public Administration
Commerce

Aided Stream - Science

Botany
Physics
Chemistry
Zoology
Statistics
Maths
Social work
Political Science
Public Administration

Self-financed Stream - Humanities

Languages
English
Social work
Communication
Visual Communication
Journalism
Commerce
Business Administration
Physical Education
Geography, Tourism and travel management

Self-financed Stream - Science

Mathematics
Physics
Chemistry
Microbiology
Marine studies and Coastal resource management
Computer Science

Campus

The 365 acres (1.5 km²) campus is known for its flora & fauna, its deer and trees. The college is distinguished by a lake encompassed within the campus. It is curator's duty is to maintain the natural resources of the campus by offering protection to flora and fauna. This involves ensuring that no damage is done through unauthorized cutting of plants or grasses. The first curator of the campus was Prof. Edward Barnes. Several people of Botany department served as curators of the campus. among this, notable are Dr. P. Dayanandan, Dr. C. Livingstone

C.Livingstone

Dr. Chrispus Livingstone , is a botanist, educator and multifaceted person. Among his varied interests is the taxonomy of tropical plants, especially flora of Chennai, then Madras...

and the present one is Dr. G. Abraham Immanuel Ebenezer. It is the second largest scrub jungle in Asia, actively used by various departments like Botany and Zoology for their practical work. The Scrub Society at Madras Christian College, along with other departments and units in the campus, strives for the development, preservation and protection of this campus for the future generations. It was headed by Prof. Dr. C. Livingstone

C.Livingstone

Dr. Chrispus Livingstone , is a botanist, educator and multifaceted person. Among his varied interests is the taxonomy of tropical plants, especially flora of Chennai, then Madras...

from inception to his superannuation in the year 2007. The college is well known for encouraging student leadership and governance among students through the College Union Society in which, all students are members.

The most recognizable building is the 'Main Building' to which the main entrance leads. It houses administrative offices and some departments as well as lecture rooms. The Miller Memorial Library is another landmark building on campus, built in anticipation of then Prim Minister Rajiv Gandhi's visit in 1987.

The college has five resident hostels (Halls) called St. Thomas's Hall

St. Thomas's Hall

St. Thomas's Hall is one of five residential halls at Madras Christian College in Tambaram, Chennai.-History:St. Thomas's Hall was built in 1937, named after St. Thomas who brought Christianity into India. Initially, St. Thomas's Hall did not follow any constitution. In the early years, the hall...

, Selaiyur Hall, Bishop Heber Hall

Bishop Heber Hall

Bishop Heber Hall is one of the five halls of Madras Christian College, Tambaram, Chennai. All on campus residences for students are referred to as Halls and not hostels, as life in these halls is an experience of more than just lodging...

, Martin Hall earlier known as Women's Hostel; and Margret Hall (Inaugurated in the year 2009), each with their own activities. Yet the most famous of these traditions is the inter-collegiate cultural programme titled "Deep Woods
Deep Woods
Deep Woods is the inter-collegiate Cultural Festival of Madras Christian College, Chennai, India.It is normally held in the 1st week of December. It is a three day event with various colleges from all over the country participating...

"organised by the College Union Society which attracts students from around the country for three days and is famous for the Creativity, Rock Shows, Light Music and Fashion Show.

The campus also houses a working farm, many outdoor sports fields and a shooting range, besides faculty residences and an international guest house.

St. Thomas' Hall

St.Thomas's Hall

St. Thomas's Hall

is one of five residential Halls at Madras Christian College in Tambaram, Chennai. St. Thomas's Hall was built in 1937, named after St. Thomas who brought Christianity into India. The first warden of St. Thomas's Hall was Rev. J.R. Macphail, and the first General Secretary was A. Mohammed Nabi. Following the Indian Constitutional and Parliamentary system, the Hall is run by resident students who hold 8 Ministerial positions and the post of Speaker and by the rest of the students who form the General Body. While the functioning and governance is based on the Indian Constitutional and Parliamentary System, the philosophical outlook and governance was influenced and based on the system of Anarchy

Anarchy

Anarchy , has more than one colloquial definition. In the United States, the term "anarchy" typically is meant to refer to a society which lacks publicly recognized government or violently enforced political authority...

St.Thomas's Hall also inculcates equality and equal treatment of each of its resident student and has a culture that helps establish a strong fraternity

Fraternity

A fraternity is a brotherhood, though the term usually connotes a distinct or formal organization. An organization referred to as a fraternity may be a:*Secret society*Chivalric order*Benefit society*Friendly society*Social club*Trade union...

.

Hall Motto - For God and Country

Hall Emblem

The top of the emblem is a lamp signifying enlightenment divided by a cross which signifies the Christian foundation of the college.
Top Left - Crucified palm of Jesus
Top Right - Elephant reaching out to a tree signifying striving for higher ambition
Bottom Left - Maize signifying India's dependence on agriculture
Bottom Right - Dove signifying Peace

Selaiyur Hall

It was founded in the year 1937, and was named after the old Selaiyur forest, part of which was set apart for the hall.

Hall Emblem - Selaiyur Hall reminds us of the Selaiyur reserve Forest, on which the College stands. The emblem shows the Lotus of India, a wreath of victory and the torch of learning above the anchor of the college arms.. The motto "esse quam videri" means "to be, rather than to seem" or "Sincerity not Sham".

The Hall boasts of a prestigious line of alumni including T.N Seshan and K.Mathew. It is the only hall on campus that has organised an alumni meet up namely Selaiyur Hall Old Boys Assosciation.

The Hall has as in house Integrated Knowledge Centre (IKC) , a unique of its kind in the college

Bishop Heber Hall

The history of Bishop Heber Hall could be traced back to a similar school started by a German missionary Christian Frederick Schwartz at Trichy in 1762. The school at Trichy grew and became a college in 1878. It was named Bishop Heber College after Reginald Heber (1783–1826) the hymn writer and Bishop of Calcutta. In 1932 this college was closed and merged with the Madras Christian College. The teachers and students who shifted to Madras formed the Bishop Heber Hostel at Vepery. After a short stay at Vepery and later at Royapettah, the hostel finally moved out with the rest of Madras Christian College to Tambaram in 1937. The beautiful Chapel, the Hall library and the Hall Coat of Arms are reminders of the transformation of the college at Trichy to the Bishop Heber Hall at Tambaram. Heber Hall, as it is known, has several features that are unique to it- the natural pond in its courtyard, the Bishop Heber Chapel and the bridge across the facade of this chapel.

Coat of Arms - The Hall Coat of Arms, originally of the Bishop Heber College, bears the Rock at Trichy, a cross and a Bible, surmounted by a pelican, feeding its young with its own life-blood, symbolizing sacrificial giving.

Motto - The Motto, in Latin, is "Nisi Dominus Frustra". This means, "In vain, without God", This motto is from the first verse of Psalm 127 which reads "If the Lord builds not the house, the builders labour but in vain".

Martin Hall

Established in 1968, Martin Hall was the only hall for women on campus until 2009, when Margaret Hall was set up. The halls has facilities like The Agnes Martin Auditorium, a library, an Indoor Games and Recreation Centre and outdoor badminton and throw-ball courts. Martin Hall is home to 210 women students from not only India but from other places like Tibet and Sri Lanka.

Vatika - This inter hall garden competition was first hosted by Martin Hall in 1997-98, to commemorate 30 years of women residency on campus. It has been held every alternate year since then.

Margaret Hall

This is a new hall established in 2009 for women students on campus. The hall has the capacity to house 140 students.

Music

MCC has been known and acclaimed for its tradition in choral and instrumental music in numerous genres. Notable musicians who have been MCC alumni include pianist and composer Prabhu Handel Manuel

Handel Manuel

Handel Manuel was an Indian pianist, organist, conductor, composer and accompanist. He helped to make western classical music popular in Chennai.-Early life:...

, Timmy Madhukar of the erstwhile college rock band Burn, and later Moksha

Moksha (Indian band)

Moksha is a rock group from Chennai, India. Established in November 1995, they have also played a role in establishing the genre itself in India. Unlike most Indian rock groups, Moksha has written some original songs in addition to the covers they perform. Moksha was also the only Asian group to...

, BAFTA and Academy award winning composer A.R. Rahman who attended the MCC School and Dr. Gift Siromoney whose work in composing sacred Christian music in the Carnatic genre is followed today in churches through Southern India. The Bishop Heber Chapel sustains a choir in the Western tradition, comprising students of both sexes, who serve the weekly Sunday services as well as the daily prayers, evening compline, special services such as on Christmas, Good Friday, Easter Sunday as well as College-specific occasions. The college choir, comprising students, serves to support the daily morning worship services at Anderson Hall, as well as numerous other events at the college. MCC has been known for its student rock bands, members of which have gained prominence nationally.

Public Spaces

Anderson Hall

MCC's largest auditorium was built in anticipation of the third World Missionary Conference which was held here in 1938. In the words of Bishop Stephen Neill

Stephen Neill

, this event was "the most international gathering held up to that point in the entire history of the Christian Church." The hall also hosted evangelist Billy Graham's visit to the campus in 1956. He delivered his address in this auditorium. The hall is used for a variety of events and has hosted several notable people- the nation's highest leaders, politicians, theologians, preachers, educators, businesspeople, civil servants et al.; and continues to be the predominant indoor public space on campus.

MCC Quadrangle

The quadrangle or diamond directly in the front of the main building is the largest outdoor public space, used primarily for large student gatherings, such as the shows hosted during the annual Deepwoods intercollegiate cultural festival.

Boxing Ring

The Boxing Ring doubles as an outdoor stage with green space in the front for a sizeable audience, primarily used for student gatherings.

Cafeteria and Gutters

The Cafeteria and Gutters are the spots students congregate during breaks or free hours during the course of the day. The gutters are popular hangouts for intellectual conversation and often the birthplace of several artistic or culturally significant initiatives by students.

Macphail's Arts Centre

Miller Memorial Library

An extensive library that was established in 1863, it is now housed in an elegant building, designed in anticipation of a visit by then Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, in 1987. Ahead of its time, this is an eco-friendly design, housing shrubs within arboriums within its walls, enclosed by glass walls. The library has several thousand of books and periodicals in every course administered by the college and many others. A section of these books and journals are now being digitized for use by the students. The library has facilities for the visually handicapped students to read in Braille. Several volunteer students assist them in this exercise, especially under the 'National Service Scheme' (NSS) program.

Affiliations

The College is associated with the Madras Christian College Higher Secondary School in Chetput, and three others schools in Tambaram - the Oxfam, RSL and the Campus Schools.

Independence Movement Leaders

Bhogaraju Pattabhi Sitaramayya

Dr Bhogaraju Pattabhi Sitaramayya ,was born in a Telugu 6000 Niyogi Brahmin family on November 24, 1880 in Gundugolanu village, Krishna district in Andhra Pradesh, was an Indian independence activist and political leader in the state of Andhra Pradesh.Pattabhi graduated from the prestigious...

,
S. Satyamurti

S. Satyamurti

S. Satyamurti was an Indian politician and patriot. A protege of S. Srinivasa Iyengar, Satyamurti was the political mentor of Kumaraswami Kamaraj....

,
Nyapathi Subba Rao,
K.P.Kesava Menon,
K. Kelappan

K. Kelappan

K. Kelappan was born in the small village Muchukunnu in Calicut in Kerala. He studied in Calicut and Madras and graduated from the University of Madras. He began his career as a teacher at in St. Berchmans High School, Changanassery and was the founder President of the Nair Service Society. Later...

,
M. C. Rajah

M. C. Rajah

Rao Bahadur Mylai Chinna Thambi Pillai Rajah was a Dalit politician, social and political activist from the Indian state of Tamil Nadu....

,
Konda Venkatappaiah

Konda Venkatappaiah

Desha Bhakta Konda Venkatappaiah or Konda Venkatappayya B.L. was a noted lawyer, Indian freedom fighter and politician from Andhra Pradesh., He is one of the founders and first editor of "Krishna Patrika", leading weekly Telugu magazine during the early 20th century.-Brief Biography:He was the...

,
Quaid-e-Millat Muhammad Ismail Sahib

Services

Krishnaswamy Sundarji - former Chief of Army Staff, INDIA

Puchimada Kuttappa P.I. - Bench magistrate of Coorg State

Union Ministers, Politicians

Sir R. K. Shanmukham Chetty

R. K. Shanmukham Chetty

Sir Ramasamy Chetty Kandasamy Shanmukham Chetty KCIE was an Indian lawyer, economist and politician who served as independent India's first finance minister from 1947 to 1949...

John Mathai

John Matthai was an economist who served as India's first Railway Minister and subsequently as India's Finance Minister, taking office shortly after the presentation of India's first Budget, in 1948. Mathai graduated in economics from Madras Christian College. He served as a part-time professor in...

T.T. Krishnamachari
(the above three are also three of the first four Finance Ministers of India)

Kishore Chandra Deo, Union Cabinet Minister of Tribal Affairs and Panchayati Raj

Prakash Karat

Prakash Karat

Prakash Karat , born on February 7, 1948 in Letpadan, Burma is a communist politician in India and the current General Secretary of the Communist Party of India since 2005.-Education and early career:...

, General Secretary, CPI(M)
M. Thambi Durai

M. Thambi Durai

M. Thambi Durai is a former union minister of India. He was a cabinet minister in Second Vajpayee Ministry. He was minister of Law, Justice and Company Affairs from 1998 to 1999. He is a leader of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam . He was first elected to Lok Sabha in 1984 from Dharmapuri....

MP, Karur (Former Deputy Speaker, Lok Sabha & Former Union Cabinet Minister)

R.Velu

R. Velu

Rangasamy Velu was a member of the 14th Lok Sabha of India. Velu was educated in the Madras Christian College and was a resident of Bishop Heber Hall. He represented the Arakkonam Lok Sabha constituency of Tamil Nadu and is a member of the Pattali Makkal Katchi political party...

(former Minister of State for Railways)

S Rajendran (MP, South Chennai)

State Governors

B.Gopal Reddy (Madhya Pradesh)

Sir Mohammed Usman (Madras)

K. C. Abraham (Andhra Pradesh)

M.M. Rajendran (Orissa)

State Chief Ministers

P. Subbarayan

Paramasiva Subbarayan was an Indian politician, freedom fighter and diplomat and was the Chief Minister of Madras Presidency, India's ambassador to Indonesia and Union Minister of Transport and Communications in Jawaharlal Nehru's government. He is the father of General P. P...

(Madras Presidency 1926-30)

B. Munuswamy Naidu (Madras Presidency 1930-32)

Diplomats and Civil Servants

K.Vijay Kumar ips- Director General- Head - Central Reserve Protection Force of India

Sardar KM. Panikkar

K.P.S. Menon - former Foreign Secretary

A.P. Venkateswaran - former Foreign Secretary

K. Raghunath

K. Raghunath

K. Raghunath is an Indian diplomat who served as the Foreign Secretary of India in the late 1990s. He previously served as the Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh as well as Ambassador to Russia, Nigeria and the Philippines.-Biography:...

- former Foreign Secretary

FV Arul - former Chief Officer, Interpol

K Lal Nghinglova - Secretary to Government of Mizoram

T.N.Seshan - former Chief Election Commissioner

Vijaya Rama Rao - former Director, CBI

T.P. Seetharam - former Press Secretary

S. Narayanan - Finance Secretary, Government of India

R.J.B.Frederic - former Joint-Director of Municipal Administration, TN Govt

R. Subrahmanyam - Principal Secretary to Government of AP

M.K. Narayanan - former National Security Adviser.

H.V. Lalringa - former Chief Secretary, Mizoram.

Wilfred Davidar - Principal Secretary to Government of TN - Energy & IT

Parliament and State Assembly Speakers

P.T.R. Palanivel Rajan - former speaker, Tamil Nadu Assembly

A.Easwara Reddy - former Speaker, Andrha Pradesh Assembly

N.Gopala Menon - former Speaker, Madras Legislative Assembly

Tambi Durai - former Deputy Speaker, Lok Sabha

Scientists

Raja Ramanna - Nuclear Science

George Sudarshan - Physicist and Winner, Third World Prize

R. Y. George - first Indian Scientist to land on Antarctica

S. Umesh Kumar (Food Microbiology)

B. Nagarajan (Plant Biotechnology Division)

Nicodemus Abel (Forest Genetics & Tree Breeding)

T. N. Ananthakrishnan - Entomologist

Dr. A. Carmalin Sophia - Environmental Scientist at National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) Government of India

Athletes

Eric Prabhakar - represented India in the 1948 Olympics and a Rhodes Scholar

C.D.Gopinath - Captain, Indian Cricket Team

K.E.Kaliah - Indian Hockey team

T.Sunder Raj - represented India in Athletics

P.Sankar - the only Indian to officiate at the FIFA 2002 World Cup in Football

Puchimada Lala Poonacha-Cricketer and Cricket promoter in the district of Kodagu

M.Ramakrishnan - Beach Volleyball Coach , Tech.Committee in FIVB Chennai Challangers , Chennai

Business Leaders

D.C.Kothari - Kothari Ltd.

Mammen Mappilai - MRF Limited

Suresh Krishna - TVS

Vikram Reddy - Nutrine

Jagadish Chandran - Premier Mills

Prakash Kuruvilla - HSBC

Ashok Narasimhan - LT

Indra Nooyi

Indra Nooyi

Indra Krishnamurthy Nooyi is an Indian-born American business executive. She is the current Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of PepsiCo, the second largest food & beverage business in the world ....

- Chairperson, PepsiCo World

Gopal Vittal - Exec Director , Hindustan unilever ltd

Sai Giri Bopanna K - CEO, Maday Holidays

Vice Chancellors and Academicians

John Mathai (Bombay)

R.Venkataratnam Naidu (Madras University)

Mahomed Usman (Madras University)

A.Lakshmanasami Mudaliar (VC, Madras University for 26 years)

C.Ramalinga Reddy (Andhra University)

Justice Basheer Ahmed Sayeed (Kashmir, and founder of New College and SIET, Chennai)

Govidarajulu (Sri Venkateswara University)

D.Sadasiva Reddy (Osmania University)

S.P.Adinarayana (Annamalai University)

Chandran Devanesen (North Eastern Hill University, Shillong)

Micheal Abel (Sri Krishnadevaraya University)

Legal Professionals

Mohammed Shahabuddin - former Chief Justice of Pakistan.
Alladi Krishna Swami Iyer - Member, Constituent Assembly
PV Rajamannar - former Chief Justice, Madras High Court.
Bopanna - former Chief Justice, Karnataka High Court
V. Balakrishna Eradi - former Judge, Supreme Court
N. Santosh Hegde Justice

Media and Entertainment

M.S.Kamat - Journalist

K.Nageswara Rao - founder Andhra Patrika

Gemini Ganesan

Gemini Ganesan

Ramaswami Ganesan , popularly known as Gemini Ganesan , was an Indian actor. He was nicknamed "Kadhal Mannan" of Tamil cinema for the romantic roles he played in movies....

- Cinema Actor

Prathap Pothan

Prathap K. Pothan

Prathap K. Pothan , popularly known by his first name , is an Indian actor, director, writer, producer who has acted in about 95 films. He has acted in Malayalam, Tamil, Kannada, Telugu as well as Hindi films...

- Cinema Actor

Handel Manuel

Handel Manuel

Handel Manuel was an Indian pianist, organist, conductor, composer and accompanist. He helped to make western classical music popular in Chennai.-Early life:...

- Musician

Ajit Ninan - Political Cartoonist

T.N.Ninan - Chief Editor, Business Standard

Sashi Kumar Menon - Asia Media Foundation

David Davidar

David Davidar

David Davidar is an Indian novelist and publisher. He is the author of two published novels, The House of Blue Mangoes and The Solitude of Emperors . His third novel, Ithaca will be published in September 2011. In parallel to his writing career, Davidar has been a publisher for a quarter century...

- CEO, Penguin India

Benny dayal

Benny Dayal

Benny Dayal is an Indian singer. He is a member of the band S5 launched by the channel SS Music. Originally from Kerala, he has worked as a playback singer with many noted composers to produce successful soundtracks.-Biography:Benny Dayal's parents hail from Kollam district, Kerala...

-playback singer

Healthcare

Sudarshan Devanesen - Member of the Order of Canada for Community Health

Dayalan Devanesen - Member of the Order of Australia for work among the Aborigines

K.Mani - Nephrologist

Pratap C.Reddy - Chairman, Apollo Hospitals

Ravi Santosham - Pulmonologist

Theologians

Vedanayagam Samuel (VS) Azariah - the first Indian Bishop of the Church of South India

KT Paul - former president, Y.M.C.A.

P Chenchiah, V.Chakkarai, D.G.Moses, A.J.Appasamy - Well-known Indian theologians

DT Niles, Wesley Ariarajah - former officers at World Council of Churches. Geneva

Canon Ivor Smith Cameron - One of the Chaplains to her Majesty, the Queen of England

K Rajaratnam - former President, N.C.C.I.

Paul Sabapathy, Lord Lieutenant to her Majesty, the Queen of England

V. C. Samuel

V. C. Samuel

Father V.C. Samuel Great Servant of Lord , called Samuel Achen was an Indian Christian philosopher, theologian, historian and ecumenical leader. He was a scholar, a university professor and a priest of the Indian Orthodox Church...

- Rev.Fr. World renowned theologian and Church historian

Recent news

The 170th year (2006–07) was celebrated by the college, with His Excellency The President of India, Dr.A.P.J Abdul Kalam

Abdul Kalam

Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam usually referred to as A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, is a renowned aerospace engineer, professor , and first Chancellor of the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology Thiruvananthapuram , who served as the 11th President of India from 2002 to 2007...

participating in the concluding function on 23 February 2007. As a renowned scientist, Dr.Kalam paid an eloquent tribute to the history of the college starting his speech with, "MCC is 170 years old, which means that it has gone around the Sun 170 times."

In the year 2012 Madras Christian College will be celebrating 175 years of glorious existence. The College has lined up a variety of events for the celebration including setting up a full time MBA Programme. This prestigious organisation is a heavenly destination for the academic aspirations of any student

Beginnings

Tambaram Conference 1938

Governance and Leadership

Distinction

Academics

Aided Stream - Humanities

Aided Stream - Science

Self-financed Stream - Humanities

Self-financed Stream - Science

Campus

St. Thomas' Hall

Selaiyur Hall

Bishop Heber Hall

Martin Hall

Margaret Hall

Music

Public Spaces

Miller Memorial Library

Affiliations

Independence Movement Leaders

Services

Union Ministers, Politicians

State Governors

State Chief Ministers

Diplomats and Civil Servants

Parliament and State Assembly Speakers

Scientists

Athletes

Business Leaders

Vice Chancellors and Academicians

Legal Professionals

Media and Entertainment

Healthcare

Theologians

Recent news

External links

Other links