Established 1950 Address Pandalam, Kerala 689501 Color Orange | Colours Orange Phone 04734 252 221 Founded 1950 | |
Other names എൻ. എസ്. എസ്. കോളേജ്, പന്തളം Motto in English Knowledge indeed is superior to constant practice Type Higher education institution Location Pandalam, Kerala, India Motto Sreyohi Njanam Abhyasath (Knowledge indeed is superior to constant practice, Sanskrit) | ||
N. S. S. College is a higher education institution in Pandalam, affiliated with the University of Kerala. 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, with intermediate course offerings from the University of Travancore. The college is situated near the Pandalam central junction adjacent to several other N. S. S. educational institutions.
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). The college is accredited as a special grade college by the University Grants Commission. It was accredited as B++ in 2007 and later re-accredited to A grade in 2014 by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council. The NAAC team identified the institution as one of the best in the higher education sector and also recommended to be raised as a Centre for Excellence.
The college campus covers 50 acres (20 ha) of land, and houses a study centre of the University of Kerala and the University District Information Office. The Zoology department receives financial assistance from the Sir Ratan Tata Trust. The English department has a theatre called the Pandaleeyan English Theatre, which was formed by N. G. Kurup who was college principal in the 1960s. The theatre has staged William Shakespeare's Hamlet in Thiruvananthapuram and Ernakulam. In 2013, the department staged a Kathakali adaptation of Shakespeare's Othello at its literary fest "Lumina Literati".
The college library has approximately 50,000 books and 1800 reference books. It also has active units of the National Cadet Corps, the National Service Scheme, the Women's Studies Unit, the forestry club, Entrepreneurship Development Club and the Film Club. The college has hosted several national seminars and workshops on various topics such as cinema, Malayalam literature, and water resources management.
Notable alumni of the college include Pandalam Sudhakaran, Adoor Gopalakrishnan, V. N. Rajasekharan Pillai, Narendra Prasad, and Dr Biju. Notable lecturers who worked here include Kadammanitta Vasudevan Pillai and Manoj Kuroor.
Molestation case
In 1997, a female student of the college was gangraped by four male teachers and some outsiders. A lower court awarded imprisonment from 7 years to 11 years for the convicts. During the appeal period, the college authorities reinstated the accused teachers into service. The Kerala high court observed that the teachers committed the most heinous crime and reprimanded the college authorities for taking them back into the service. The court further observed that the college management, staff, and students should be ashamed of the way they reacted to the situation.