Genesis

The College was established in 1981 as the fullfilment of a long cherished dream of people of Manarcadu in general and the parishioners of the St. Mary’s Jacobit Syrian Cathedral, Manarcadu in particular. The College strives for providing quality education for all particularly for the weaker sections of the society ensuring social equity.

Academic Advancement

The College had its humble beginning on 8th October, 1981 when Sri. Baby John, the then Education Minister formally inaugurated it and the classes commenced on 12 October. In the early years, the College functioned as a Junior College and the classes for Pre-Degree courses in Group III and Group IV where conducted in the four rooms of the Parish Hall and the Kaniyankunnu building of the Church. One batch each for Group I and Group II where initiated on 4th June 1984. The second stage of its growth began in 1991 when it assumed first grade status. The evolution of various departments is another chapter in the history of College.

Establishment of Departments

In 1999 the College became a Post Graduate college when M.Sc. Pure Chemistry was started. Subsequently M.Com (2004), M.Sc. Physics (2005) and M.Sc. Zoology (2005) courses were also initiated. As part of the educational reforms in Kerala, Pre-Degree classes were delinked from the College during 1999-2000. The College now conducts six Under Graduate as well as four Post Graduate courses and contributes substantially to research and extension. In the field of research, Kerala Rodent Research Centre and Leptospirosis Institute of Kerala have been conducting several internationally funded projects.

Infrastructure Development

The foundation stone of the College was laid by H.H. Ignatius Zakka Iwas I, Prince Patriarch of Antioch and All the East in 1982 in the presence of H.B. Basalious Poulose II, the Catholics of Malankara. The building of the College was inaugurated in 1983 by Sri. T.M. Jacob, the then Education Minister. In 1990-91, the administrative block of the College was inaugurated by Sri. T.K. Ramakrishnan, the then Co-operation and Cultural Minister and the Science Block by Sri. Oommen Chandy MLA. Sri. P. J. Joseph, the then Education Minister inaugurated the Computer lab and H.G. Thomas Mar Themothios, the Electronics laboratory in 1999. In 2001 the Leptospirosis Institute of Kerala was inaugurated by Sri. Oommen Chandy MLA. In 2007, UGC Network Resource Centre and the new PG building were inaugurated by the College Manager Rev Fr. Andrews Chiravathara. The College website, www.stmaryscollege.net.in was formally launched on 4th September 2008 by Sri. V.N. Vasavan MLA. During his apostolic visit to St. Marys Cathedral, Manarcad on 24th October 2008, H.H. Ignatius Zakka I was, Prince Patriarch of Antioch and all the east consecreated the foundation stone for UGC Womens Hostel. In 2009, Centre for English Language Hearing and Communication Skills was consecrated by the college manager Rev. Fr. Anfrews Chiravathara and was inaugurated by Dr. P.J. George, Chairman, Board of studies on 17 Nov. A new playground was constructed on the western side of the College in 2009.

Silver Jubilee Celebrations

The Silver Jubilee of the College which was celebrated during 2005-06, was another milestone in its history. The proclamation rally, conducted on 30 November 2005 marked the beginning of the celebrations. Splendid floats, panchavadyam, pancharimelam etc gave a sumptuous feast. Shri. Ommen Chandy, the then Chief Minister of Kerala formally inaugurated the celebrations on 1 December 2005. Several dignitaries graced the occasion and the Jubilee Calendar was formally released by the Manager. The following programmes were conducted during the Silver Jubilee year

Contributions at a glance

As a full-fledged center of higher education, the College provides integral and personalised education to the young ensuring social development of Manarcadu and its adjoining villages. There were no higher education institutions in this area when the College was established in 1981. The College provided an open window for the rural people to higher education and an opportunity to continue professional learning. The increase in number of nurses from this region since the establishment of the College is remarkable, which has tranformed the economic and social fabric of the region. Several doctors, engineers, IT experts, scientists, teachers, journalists, priests and political leaders consider the College as their Alma Matter.