University College, Thiruvananthapuram Completes 150 Years

University College, Thiruvananthapuram recently celebrated the completion of 150 years of its existence with a wonderful event.This oldest alma mater in Kerala was established in 1866. The University College celebrated the occasion with a cultural week full of seminars, debates and cultural shows. The event was named ‘Guruvandanam’.

The programme has been postponed to June as the Governor, P Sathasivam, who was to inaugurate the celebrations, informed the organisers of his inability to attend because of the elections. However, the organising committee took out a proclamation march on Monday, which started from the college.

General convenor Sreekala from the organising committee said that a year-long celebration, that includes seminars, debates, exhibitions and ‘guruvandanam’, has been planned. She said that the inauguration has been postponed to June because of the inability expressed by the Governor.

As part of the celebration, a book on the history of the college written by Gopakumar, head of the department of history at the college, will be released by historian K N Panikkar on March 30.

With each department asked to conducted at least one programme each, Sreekala said that various seminars have been planned. The dates have been finalised and each department has been asked to choose a topic of relevance, she added.

Furthermore, a science exhibition is planned in November. ‘We plan to have a ‘guruvandanam’, where former teachers and also former students would participate,’’ she said.