N. S. S. College, Pandalam

N. S. S. College, Pandalam
MottoSreyohi Njanam Abhyasath (Sanskrit)
Motto in English
"Knowledge indeed is superior to constant practice"
TypeGovernment Aided College
Established1950; 74 years ago (1950)
FounderMannathu Padmanabha Pillai
Academic affiliations
University of Kerala, UGC
Location
Pandalam
,
Kerala
,
India

9°13′17″N 76°40′53″E / 9.2215°N 76.6814°E / 9.2215; 76.6814
Websitewww.nsscollegepandalam.ac.in

N. S. S. College, Pandalam is a higher education institution in Kerala, affiliated to the University of Kerala.[1] It is one of the three oldest colleges established and managed by the Nair Service Society. The college was founded by Mannathu Padmanabha Pillai in 1950,[2] with intermediate course offerings from the University of Travancore. The college is situated at the heart of Pandalam town adjacent to several other educational institutions under the same management.

Main building of NSS College Pandalam

The college has 15 departments in science, arts, commerce, and physical education. It offers 14 under-graduate courses, seven post-graduate courses, and one doctoral programme. The college motto (inscribed on the college emblem) is derived from the Bhagavad Gita smriti Sreyohi Njanam Abhyasath (Knowledge indeed is superior to constant practice).[3] The college is accredited as a special grade college by the University Grants Commission.[1] It was accredited as B++ in 2007 and later re-accredited to A grade in 2014 by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council.

The college campus covers 50 acres (20 ha) of land,[1] and houses a study centre of the University of Kerala and the University District Information Office.[1] The Zoology department receives financial assistance from the Sir Ratan Tata Trust.[1] The English department has a theatre called the Pandaleeyan English Theatre,[1] which was formed by N. G. Kurup who was college principal in the 1960s.[1] The theatre has staged William Shakespeare's Hamlet in Thiruvananthapuram and Ernakulam.[1] In 2013, the department staged a Kathakali adaptation of Shakespeare's Othello at its literary fest "Lumina Literati".[4]

The college library has approximately 50,000 books and 1800 reference books.[1] It also has active units of the National Cadet Corps,[5] the National Service Scheme,[6] the Women's Studies Unit,[1] the forestry club,[1] Entrepreneurship Development Club and the Film Club.[7] The college has hosted several national seminars and workshops on various topics such as cinema,[8] Malayalam literature,[9] and water resources management.[7]

Notable alumni of the college include P. S. Sreedharan Pillai , Pandalam Sudhakaran, Adoor Gopalakrishnan, V. N. Rajasekharan Pillai, Narendra Prasad, and Dr Biju.[10] Notable lecturers who worked here include Kadammanitta Vasudevan Pillai and Manoj Kuroor.[11]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "A beacon of higher education in the rural belt". The Hindu. Retrieved 27 December 2013.
  2. ^ "N.S.S. College, Pandalam". N. S. S. College. Archived from the original on 11 January 2014. Retrieved 20 December 2013.
  3. ^ "College Vision and Mission". NSS College, Pandalam.
  4. ^ "Show of literary talent winds up". Retrieved 3 March 2014.
  5. ^ "NCC regional camp under way in Pandalam". The Hindu. 7 July 2005. Archived from the original on 11 August 2005. Retrieved 20 December 2013.
  6. ^ "National Service Scheme awards". The Hindu. Retrieved 20 December 2013.
  7. ^ a b "Workshop on water resources management". The Hindu. 22 March 2004. Archived from the original on 5 June 2004. Retrieved 20 December 2013.
  8. ^ "Academic's pat for strong women characters in films". The Hindu. Retrieved 20 December 2013.
  9. ^ "National seminar on Malayalam literature". The Hindu. 11 October 2004. Archived from the original on 13 January 2005. Retrieved 20 December 2013.
  10. ^ "Alumni". NSS College, Pandalam.
  11. ^ "Manoj Kuroor". Malayala Chalachithram.