Mar Thoma College

Mar Thoma College is an institution of higher education located in Tiruvalla, a town in Pathanamthitta district, in the south Indian state of Kerala.^[1] The college is affiliated to Mahatma Gandhi University and offers 12 under graduate, 11 post graduate and 7 doctoral programmes.^[2] The college holds an A Grade rating with the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) since 2005.^[1]

Overview

Mar Thoma College was founded by the Mar Thoma Syrian Church of Malabar^[3] in 1952 as a junior college offering two intermediate courses with Alexander Mar Thoma Metropolitan, the then head of the Mar Thoma Syrian Church as its founding principal. It was affiliated to the University of Kerala at its inception. In 1955, the college was upgraded as a regular college when two under graduate courses were introduced and by 1966, the college started offering post graduate courses. When Mahatma Gandhi University was established in 1983,^[4] the college was brought under its affiliation and two years later, two of the departments of the college, English and Zoology, were recognized as research centres to commence doctoral programmes. It was in 1998 that the college started the Comparative Literature Research and Study Centre (CLRSC) for advanced research in language studies. The same year, the National Assessment and Accreditation Council extended accreditation to the college, the first college in Kerala to receive the NAAC accreditation.^[5] The college was reaccredited with A Grade in 2005 and the central government accreditation agency retained the grading at A during its reassessment in 2012.^[5] The Government of Kerala decided to phase off the erstwhile Pre-Degree Courses in 1997 through the Pre-degree Course (Abolition) Act in accordance with the National Education Policy,^[6] and in 2000, all the pre-degree courses at Mar Thoma College were delinked from the college and integrated with the Marthoma Residential School, a higher secondary school run by the Mar Thoma Educational Agency.^[7]

The college campus is located in Kuttappuzha,^[8] a small hamlet in Tiruvalla,^[9] known for the Sreevallabha Temple, one of the oldest temples in Kerala.^[10] Tiruvalla town is 2 km away and the distance to the state capital, Thiruvananthapuram and the commercial city of Kochi are 120 km^[11] and 89 km respectively.^[12] The campus is near to many centres of pilgrimage such as Niranam Church, Kaviyoor Mahadevar Temple and Parumala Church, besides the Sreevallabha Temple.^[13] The college is coeducational^[14] and has a student strength of 1500.^[15] The administration is under a manager deputed by the Mar Thoma Syrian Church and is headed by a principal who is assisted by 80 teaching and 45 non teaching staff.^[1] It offers 12 under graduate, 11 post graduate, seven doctoral and many other non formal programmes.

Departments

The academics is sectioned into independent departments based on subjects of instruction such as English, Malayalam, Hindi, Mathematics, Statistics, Physics, Chemistry, Botany, Zoology, Economics, History, Political Science, Commerce, Physical Education and Bio-Sciences (SF).^[16] Non teaching programmes have a separate department handing them while non formal computer educational programmes are handled by Mar Thoma College Institute of Computer Sciences, a subsidiary functioning under the same management.

Curriculum

Mar Thoma College offers regular, vocational, self-financing and research programmes. It also has short term certificate programmes as add-on courses.^[16]

Three year graduate degree courses (Regular)

Three year graduate degree courses (Vocational)

Two year master's degree courses (Regular)

Two year master's degree courses (Vocational)

Two year master's degree courses (self financing)

Research courses

Add-on programmes

Facilities

Mar Thoma College Institute of Computer Sciences is a subsidiary functioning within the campus which offers post graduate diploma courses in subjectes such as Computer Basics, Computer Operating Systems, Programming languages like Basic, Cobol, FoxPro, Visual Basic, RDBMS, Oracle and C++, Systems and Analysis Design and Web designing. The institute is open to students for preparation of their curricular project work.

A Media Centre functions in the college equipped with slide projector, microfiche reader, overhead projector, 16mm projector, computer and LCD Projector. The college is WiFi enabled and the students have access to unlimited usage within the campus. The Library stocks over 55,000 print titles and subscribes to 88 academic journals. It operates an Online Digital Library, which has been hosted on their web site.^[17] A collection of Microfiche, CD-ROMs and Cassettes are also made available to the students and teachers. A reprographic centre operates on a cost basis and students can avail the service at a nominal charge. An Internal Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC) and a Counselling Centre are open to the students and an Extension and Consultancy Cell is functioning for social services and community development programmes.

The College hosts a cooperative society which runs a canteen and a convenience store stocking text books and general stationery goods. The Indian Bank has opened an extension counter in the college which functions from 1100 hours to 1400 hours every working day. There are two hostels,^[18] both open only to girls and can accommodate 300 students at a time. A fitness club functions under the supervision of the department of Physical Education. A Hobby Workshop has been set up with the assistance of the University Grants Commission, which is managed by a teacher deputed by the college and the services are available to students on a subscription. A number of micro-organizations are functioning in the college for student and community support:^[19]

Football Club

Mar Thoma College Women Football Club participated in Kerala Premier League during 2014-15 season and 2015-16 season. The team receives training under college sports hostel scheme from Kerala State Sports Council and with assistance from college management. Kerala Girls Under-17 Footballer of the Year, Nikhila T is a notable player.^[20]

The club has won the Kerala Premier League in 2016-16 season and finished runners up in 2014-15 season.

See also

References

External links

• "Mar Thoma College, Thiruvalla - Nostalgia". Video. YouTube. 30 October 2012. Retrieved July 6, 2015.