Mar Thoma College is an institution of higher education located in
Tiruvalla
Thiruvalla, () also spelled Tiruvalla, is a municipality in Pathanamthitta district, Kerala, India. The town is spread over an area of and has a population of 52,883 people, down from 56,837 in 2001. It is also the Headquarters Of Thiruvalla ...
in the south Indian state of
Kerala
Kerala ( , ) is a States and union territories of India, state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile ...
.
The college is affiliated with
Mahatma Gandhi University and offers 12 undergraduate, 10 post-graduate, and 7 doctoral programmes.
The college is accredited by the
National Assessment and Accreditation Council
The National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) is a public autonomous body of the government of India that assesses and accredits higher education institutions (HEIs) in India. It is funded by the University Grants Commission and hea ...
(NAAC).
Overview
Mar Thoma College was founded by the
Mar Thoma Syrian Church of Malabar
The Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church, often shortened to Mar Thoma Church, and known also as the Reformed Syrian ChurchS. N. Sadasivan. A Social History of India''. APH Publishing; 2000. . p. 442. and the Mar Thoma Syrian Church of Malab ...
in 1952 as a junior college offering two intermediate courses.
Alexander Mar Thoma was the school's founding principal. It has been affiliated with the
University of Kerala
University of Kerala (formerly known as University of Travancore) is a state-run public university in Thiruvananthapuram, the state capital of Kerala, India. It was established in 1937 by a promulgation of the Maharajah of Travancore, Chithi ...
since its inception. When
Mahatma Gandhi University was established in 1983,
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 centers to commence doctoral programs.
In 1998, the
National Assessment and Accreditation Council
The National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) is a public autonomous body of the government of India that assesses and accredits higher education institutions (HEIs) in India. It is funded by the University Grants Commission and hea ...
extended accreditation to the college, making it the first college in Kerala and one of the first colleges in India to receive NAAC accreditation. The college was re-accredited with an A Grade in 2005, and the central government accreditation agency retained the grading at A during its reassessment in 2012. The NAAC extended the period of accreditation to seven years (till 2019) as the college obtained the highest possible grades in two consecutive accreditations.
The college is a member of the United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI) and the All India Association of Christian Higher Education. It hosted the 29th Kerala Science Congress in 2017. Distinguished faculty members of the college include Dr. Alexander Mar Thoma Metropolitan (Rev. MG Chandy), Padma Shri Samuel Paul (an Indian scholar and economist, former visiting professor at Harvard Business School, and advisor to the World Bank and the UN Commission on Transnational Corporations), Dr. A.V. Varghese, and Dr. J.V. Vilanilam, both former Vice Chancellors.
The college campus is located in
Kuttappuzha
Kuttappuzha is a revenue village and postal code in Thiruvalla, Kerala, located approximately 1.3 kilometres north of the town centre. The revenue village was formed by bifurcating the Thiruvalla revenue village in 1985.
Kuttapuzha is the locat ...
,
a small hamlet in
Tiruvalla
Thiruvalla, () also spelled Tiruvalla, is a municipality in Pathanamthitta district, Kerala, India. The town is spread over an area of and has a population of 52,883 people, down from 56,837 in 2001. It is also the Headquarters Of Thiruvalla ...
,
known for the
Sreevallabha Temple
The Sreevallabha Temple is an orthodox''History of Sreevallabha Mahakshethram'', Sreekumar.V (2010). ‘’Nivedyam’’, p. 24-33. Sreevallabheswara Annadaana Samithi, Thiruvalla. Hindu temple dedicated to Sreevallabha (''Vallabha'' meani ...
, one of the oldest temples in Kerala.
Tiruvalla
Thiruvalla, () also spelled Tiruvalla, is a municipality in Pathanamthitta district, Kerala, India. The town is spread over an area of and has a population of 52,883 people, down from 56,837 in 2001. It is also the Headquarters Of Thiruvalla ...
town is 2 km away and the distance to the state capital,
Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram ( ), also known as Trivandrum, is the Capital city, capital city of the Indian state of Kerala. As of 2011, the Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation had a population of 957,730 over an area of 214.86 sq. km, making it the ...
and the commercial city of
Kochi
Kochi ( , ), List of renamed Indian cities and states#Kerala, formerly known as Cochin ( ), is a major port city along the Malabar Coast of India bordering the Laccadive Sea. It is part of the Ernakulam district, district of Ernakulam in the ...
are 120 km
and 89 km respectively. The campus is near to many centres of pilgrimage such as
Niranam Church
St. Mary's Orthodox Syrian Church, Niranam, is a church under the Niranam Diocese of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church. It is historically believed that this is one of the seven churches founded by Thomas the Apostle, one of the twelve Apostl ...
,
Kaviyoor Mahadevar Temple
Kaviyoor Mahadevar Temple is one of the important Siva temples in Kerala, located in Kaviyoor, Tiruvalla Pathanamthitta District, Kerala, India. It is commonly called Thrikkaviyoor Mahadeva Temple. The main deity is Lord Mahadeva (Shi ...
and
Parumala Church
St. Peter's and St. Paul's Orthodox Church (also known as Parumala Pally or Parumala Seminary) in Parumala, Thiruvalla Taluk, Pathanamthitta district, Kerala, India, is a pilgrimage centre and mausoleum of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church. ...
, besides the
Sreevallabha Temple
The Sreevallabha Temple is an orthodox''History of Sreevallabha Mahakshethram'', Sreekumar.V (2010). ‘’Nivedyam’’, p. 24-33. Sreevallabheswara Annadaana Samithi, Thiruvalla. Hindu temple dedicated to Sreevallabha (''Vallabha'' meani ...
.
The college is coeducational and has a student strength of about 1800.
The administration is under a manager deputed by the
Mar Thoma Syrian Church
The Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church, often shortened to Mar Thoma Church, and known also as the Reformed Syrian ChurchS. N. Sadasivan. A Social History of India''. APH Publishing; 2000. . p. 442. and the Mar Thoma Syrian Church of Malab ...
and is headed by a principal who is assisted by 80 teaching and 45 non teaching staff. It offers 12 under graduate, 10 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.
Non teaching programmes have a separate department handling them while non formal computer educational programmes are handled by ''Mar Thoma College Institute of Computer Sciences'', a subsidiary functioning under the same management.
Notable alumni
*
John Abraham
John Abraham (born 17 December 1972) is an Indian actor and film producer who works in Hindi films. Known for his stoic action hero persona, he is a recipient of a National Film Award along with nominations for four Filmfare Awards. Abraham ha ...
, film director, short story writer, and screenwriter
*
Mathew T. Thomas, Minister for Water Resources, Government of Kerala
*
Nayanthara
Nayanthara (born Diana Mariam Kurian; 18 November 1984) is an Indian actress and producer known for her work in Tamil cinema, Tamil, Telugu cinema, Telugu and Malayalam cinema, Malayalam films. One of the highest-paid actresses in India, she ...
, Actress (South India Film industry)
*
Blessy
Blessy Ipe Thomas (born 3 September 1963), best known mononymously as Blessy, is an Indian film director and screenwriter who works in Malayalam cinema. He has won one National Film Awards, three Filmfare Awards South and nine Kerala State Fil ...
, film director and writer
*
Kaviyoor Sivaprasad
Kaviyoor Sivaprasad is a Malayalam film director, screenwriter and visiting faculty of Malayalam University and SJCC. He is the father of actor-director Sidhartha Siva.
Awards
* 2016: ''Chalachithra Prathiba Award'' by the Kerala Film Critics ...
, National Film Award Winner, film director, writer, and actor
*
S Suresh Babu, Screen writer, Malayalam Film Industry
*
Sidhartha Siva
Sidhartha Siva is an Indian film director, producer, actor, screenwriter and lyricist and who works in Malayalam cinema.
Early life
His hometown is Kaviyoor,Pathanamthitta in Kerala. He is the son of filmmaker Kaviyoor Sivaprasad.
Film care ...
, National Film Award Winner, film director, writer, and actor
*
K. C. Joseph, Opposition Deputy leader, Kerala Assembly
*
K. George Thomas, Shanti Swaroop Bhatnagar Awardee
*
Vishnu Vinod
Vishnu Vinod (born 2 December 1993) is an Indian cricketer who plays for Kerala cricket team, Kerala in domestic cricket. He is a right-handed wicket-keeper-batter and occasional Fast bowling, medium pacer.
Early life
Vishnu was born on 2 Dece ...
, Kerala and Royal Challengers Bangalore wicket keeping batsman
*
Prasanth Alexander
Alexander Prasanth is an Indian actor and producer who primarily appears in Malayalam films. He made his debut through the 2002 movie '' Nammal''. Prasanth is known for portraying the lead role of Sebastian in Purusha Pretham - Male Ghost.
C ...
, Actor, Malayalam Film Industry
*
Stanley George, Political Strategist and Consultant
*
Gibu George, Actor, Malayalam Film Industry
*
K.N. Ninan
Karachepone N. Ninan (born 31 August 1950) is an ecological economist. Dr. Ninan was born in Nairobi, Kenya where he had his early school education. Thereafter he relocated to India where he continued his high school and college education.
Ea ...
, Space Scientist, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre
See also
*
List of colleges affiliated with Mahatma Gandhi University
Engineering
Engineering colleges are affiliated to Mahatma Gandhi University, Kerala till 2014-15. From 2015-16 engineering colleges in Kerala state are affiliated to A P J Abdul Kalam Technological University, KTU.
# Adi Shankara Institute ...
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mar Thoma College
Christian universities and colleges in India
Arts and Science colleges in Kerala
Colleges affiliated to Mahatma Gandhi University, Kerala
Universities and colleges in Pathanamthitta district
Universities and colleges established in 1952
Mar Thoma Syrian Church
1952 establishments in India