Shree Velagapudi Ramakrishna Memorial College - SVRMC - Guntur (Andhra Pradesh)

Shree Velagapudi Rama Krishna Memorial College, one of the prestigious colleges of Acharya Nagarjuna University is located in Nagaram, Andhra Pradesh about 60km from Guntur.44 years ago, a small lamp of knowledge edge was lit, to be exact, on August 21, 1969 to inaugurate the college, named after the memory of late Sri Velagapudi Rama Krishna, the pioneer industrialist of Andhra.  Many people were doubtful about the future of that institution, for it was started in a remote and sleepy village of hardly a thousand thatched houses, in a forgotten corner of Repalle taluk, Guntur District.  The founding of this college was an act of faith.  The impulse behind it is the great principle that every human being has an inalienable right to develop the full faculties of his personality, through education.Today Sri Velagapudi Rama Krishna Memorial College is know as one of the good colleges of the state.  It has a record of good teaching in a disciplined and academic atmosphere.  It stands on a campus of 17 acres, stately avenues of trees, a beautiful library, laboratories and class rooms.  It is not all.  A hostel and residential quarters for staff in a the midst of gardens and green foliage are in the 11 acres opposite to the college.All this was made possible by the princely gift of Sri Rama Krishna in 1968, the last year of his life.  Sri Rama Krishna was rare person with vision and courage of conviction.  To him, Andhra owes, a chain of Industries, Sugar, Cement, Mining and Machine building.  These not only produced wealth but also gave employment to thousands of young man.After his passing away, the burden fell on his daughter Smt. Rajeswari Ramakrishnan, an eminent person in her own right, her family members and Sri V.L. Dutt, the son of Rama Krishna.  They stood by his institution through thick and thin and fostered it with loving care.Sri Rama Krishna and his family gave a magnificent endowment, in the shape of this college to the people of this area.  There was never any though of profit or commercial motive in this gift.  It was a sacred trust.On 7th September, 1970, Sri V.V. Giri, Present of India came to all the way from Delhi to this sleepy village to laying foundation for the main building of the college.  Perhaps this was the first time Rastrapathi came to a village for the foundation stone of a college.  It was a befitting token of the regard and love for Ramakrishna, friend of the President.For 8 years this college was unaided.  They have borne the cost of salaries, roughly a lakhs of rupees per month even in those days.  Altogether by 1980, the gave 60 lakhs in cash which went into buildings and other amenities.  Today the worth of the land and the buildings and equipment is nearly 5 crores.

• Conferred with 'A' grade by NAAC