Shining Stars among Non-Chennai Arts and Science Colleges in Tamil Nadu -6
This is the penultimate article in the series of seven articles on the non-Chennai Arts and Science Colleges. In this article, we will discuss the most important salient features of one college each at Coimbatore, Tirupathur and Vellore in some detail.
Introduction
It is not that only city based colleges excel in Tamil Nadu. The colleges situated in the rural areas have begun to make their impact in one way or the other. There are colleges that have produced graduates in Physics or Mathematics with more than 98% in the core subjects. Such good performance in academics enables them to easily crack the MCA entrance examinations of the prestigious National Institute of Technology at Tiruchirapalli. And this institution is well known for global placements of MCA students. The graduates would also do higher education courses of the Indian Institute of Science at Bangalore.
The three colleges discussed in the fourth article in this series, Shining Stars Among the non-Chennai Arts and Science Colleges in Tamil Nadu -4. that is the Amercian College, Fatima College and the Lady DoakCollege. are all based out of Madurai and these are branded colleges that are unique in their own ways.
Similarly, the three other colleges in the fifth article in this series.
Shining Stars Among Non-Chennai Arts and Science Colleges in Tamil Nadu-5, namely, the Jamal Mohamed College Tiruchriapalli, the Shrimati Indira Gandhi Collegefor Women, Tiruchirapalli and the St.Xavier's College at Palayamkottai, have their own competencies and are making a big difference to the lives of thousands of young students. The students belonging to the backward classes have also benefitted.
In this article, we will discuss the salient features of three colleges in three different cities of Coimbatore, Vellore and Tirupattur. In the main, this article will focus on a) What is special about Vellore and Tirupattur
b) What is special about Nirmala College for Women, Coimbatore c) What is special about Voorhees College, Vellore and d) What is special about Sacred Heart College, Tirupathur.What is special about Vellore and Tirupattur
Vellore was a sleepy town around two decades ago. It had only the famous Christian Medical College as its big revenue earner. Then came the famous Vellore Institute of Technology, now called VIT University, a deemed University that is now ranked among the best in India. Vellore has now become a Municipal Corporation and is among the fastest developing cities of Tamil Nadu. The recently formed Thiruvalluvar University with headquartes at Vellore is also developing into a good University.
Tirupattur was recently carved out of Vellore District and is now the district headquarter town of Tirupattur district. This town has now grown into a bigger town with a big agricultural base and no industrial culture. However, the Tamil Nadu Government is now contemplating an industrial estate near this town. This is expected to provide an impetus to the development of the new district headquarters town. What is special about Nirmala College for Women Coimbatore
Readers can know about Coimbatore, the second largest city of Tamil Nadu with a massive industrial base from the first article of this series. Shining Stars Among Non-Chennai Arts and Science Colleges in Tamil Nadu-1.
The Nirmala college for Women, Coimbatore is a famous branded and autonomous college of the city. However, it is a rather conventional college that has not introduced new courses. When the significant others like doctors, engineers and chartered accountants were asked about this strategy of this college, the unform opinion given was that this college is welll known for its doctorate programs in History, English Literature, Mathematics, Chemistry, Botany, Zoology, Geography and Commerce. The reason is simple. Coimbatore is now home to at least twenty five branded engineering colleges that are making waves as self-financing colleges. These colleges are well established colleges. Those with doctorates in Physics, or Chemistry find their way as teachers in these engineering colleges. The scope for employment of such doctorates is very high in Coimbatore and it does sense for one college to go cater to this demand.
As a matter of fact,Nirmala college for Women Coimbatore, has been in existence since 1948 and it has become autonomous in 2007. Nirmala college is also well known for its community development work. The college website talks about the development oriented skills imparted to the local people of the Kangayampalayam village in the Sulur block of Coimbatore district. This village is situated some twenty odd kilometers from the main city. Hence, the involvement of students and teachers in such a noble cause has meant quite a bit to the reputation of the college.
Contact Information:-
Nirmala College For Women ( Autonomous)
Red Fields
Coimbatore 641018
Phone:- 0422-2223469, 2220888
Email:-nirmalacollege@rediffmail.com
Website:- nirmalacollege.online.ac.inWhat is special about Voorhees College, Vellore
Started in the year 1898, Voorhees College, is among the country's oldest colleges. The college has started courses like the Master's Degree in Social Work,. Those students who had chosen community development specialization are reportedly in good demand. This is largely due to the good number of Non-government organizations active in Vellore and other neighboring districts of Tamil Nadu.
However, like the Nirmala College for Women, Coimbatore, this college has also been keen on developing itself through its conventional courses and the autonomous status gives it a big advantage. The BA(Defense and Strategic Studies) and the MA( Defense and Strategic Studies) are mentioned by locals as having a good demand. The college operates in two shifts and the good number of conventional courses run at the undergraduate level are equally divided in the two shifts. It should be noted that the college has some hostel facilities. However, it is reported that a number of outstation students prefer to live in rented accommodation facilities that are available in the town. Quality food at reasonable rates are available at many places in Vellore town.
The biggest advantage of Voorhees CollegeVellore, is that it is the "college of choice" of thousands of students who would not dare to live and study in Chennai. The main reason is that they always find the transition to the English medium a daunting task. Interviews with the old students of this college revealed that the upto a radius of forty kilometers from Vellore no parent or student would think of any other college even if the college does not offer the innovative courses. It is also reported that the local farmer families want to educate their sons or daughters in the best college; the Voorhees College fits the bill in an ideal manner.
Contact Information:-
Voorhees College
Co-operative Campus
1/A, Anna Salai, Kosapet,
Vellore 632 001
Phone:-0416- 2220317
Email:- voorhees1898@gmail.com
Website:- voorheescollege.eduWhat is special about Sacred Heart College, Tirupathur
This college started in the year 1951 and affiliated to the Tiruvalluvar University, Vellore, is on a league of its own. It is an autonomus college. It is the sold branded and autonomous college that caters to students of all villages and small towns that dot the landscape throughout the newly formed Tirupattur district and the neighboring Krishnagiri district.
The college runs the famous Master's degree in Social Work (MSW) that is among the oldest in India. It has also now introduced the MBA course. The M.Sc( Counselling Psychology) and the doctorate degrees in the same subject are quite famous according to the old students of the college. It also offers the doctorate degree in social work, affiliated to the Tiruvalluvar University, Vellore.
When the enquires were made about why the new job-oriented courses have not been introduced in this college the reply given was that the conventional courses were themselves in great demand. The farmer families were proud of their sons or daughters acquiring the basic degrees from this college.
Those interviewed for the purposes of this article were of the uniform opnion that those from the economically backward classes deliberately chose to do the conventional courses like B.Com with the traditional accounting specialization, and then migrate to either Chennai or Bangalore. These two cities have plenty of BPO jobs. They then go on to acquire better qualitifications to enter the IT sector.
The same strategy has been followed by those who want to first survive and become bread winners for their families from among the students from Palayamkottai and Vellore as well. Hence, the Sacred Heat College, Tirupattur ideally fits the bill for those with such aspirations in life.
Contact Information:-
Sacred Hearty College (Autonomous)
Tirupattur 635 001
Tirupattur District
Tamil Nadu, India.
Phone:- 04179 -220553
Email:- office@shctpt.edu
Website:- www.shctpt.eduConclusion
Different strokes for different folks. This seems to be strategy of the three colleges discussed above. Nirmala College for Women concentrates on the basics and is the perfect research center with the facilities to acquire the doctorate degree in so many conventional fields of study. The Voorhees College and the Sacred Heart College are colleges that cater to the rural masses. The students have specific aims in life and it does seem that the two colleges ideally cater to such aims of life.