University of Calicut-Cedar Herald Index

The University of Calicut, also known as Calicut University, is a state-run public university headquartered at Tenhipalam in Malappuram district of the state of Kerala, India. Established in 1968, it is the first university to be set up in northern Kerala. The university is coordinated by the University Grants Commission (re-accredited by NAAC with 'A+' grade).

Calicut University, created by bifurcating Kerala University, is the second university to be set up in Kerala. M. M. Gani, 1969–75, was the first vice-chancellor of the university. Its primary catchment area is the northern districts of Kerala. Calicut University has nine schools and 34 departments. As of 2018-19 Calicut University had 301 undergraduate students and 1799 post-graduate students. The number of full-time doctoral students was 581. The university was ranked 54th among Indian universities by the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) in 2020 and 76th overall.

University of Calicut

Calicut University manages around 400 independent affiliated colleges spread across northern Kerala. It also conducts examinations for the students of the affiliated colleges. It is also the largest 'affiliating' university in Kerala.

University of Calicut

History

The University came into being as a result of the efforts of the leaders C.H. Mohammed Koya , C. Achutha Menon, and K. P. Kesava Menon. With the encouragement of the then Kerala Chief Minister, E.M.S. Namboodiripad, C.H. Mohammed Koya the then Kerala Education Minister constituted a twenty-two member committee of experts to make a pilot study on establishing new universities in the State.

University of Calicut

The twenty-two member Committee in its report unanimously recommended the immediate establishment of a University in Calicut to organize post-graduate departments of studies and research and to affiliate colleges in the northern districts. Before long C.H. Mohammed Koya appointed K.C. Chacko, Director of Technical Education as the special officer and M. Abdul Rahim, Municipal Commissioner, as administrative officer for the formation of the University at Calicut. On 23 July in 1968 C.H Mohammed Koya obtained an Ordinance on creating the University.

Thus came into being the University of Calicut. K.C. Chacko, Special Officer, was appointed the first Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the University; the University was formally inaugurated at a public function on 12 August in 1968, the Calicut University Bill was passed by the State Legislative Assembly on 29 August in 1968; and statutory bodies such as the Senate, Syndicate, Academic Council, Faculties and Boards of Studies were constituted

The university was established through a Kerala government plan bifurcating the Kerala University. As per the plan, the four post-graduate departments of the Kerala University operating in Calicut were annexed to the new university.

Campus

The main university campus is located at Tenhipalam, south of the city of Calicut and about from city of Malappuram. Most of the teaching and research departments, the Office of the Vice-Chancellor, and the Administration Block are situated on the main campus. The university also has two off-campus centers, one at Thrissur and the other, specially meant for tribal empowerment, located in the Western Ghats area of the state, Wayanad. Besides these, there are self-financing centers located in different parts of the area of jurisdiction.

Central facilities

The following are the central facilities in the University of Calicut.

Pareeksha Bhavan

Calicut University Computer Center

CHMK Library

Botanical Garden

Thaliyola

Madhava Obeservatory

Central Sophisticated Instrumentation Facility

University Museum

University Park

University Science Instrumentation Center

CHMK Library

Calicut University Library was established in 1971. The library was renamed after C.H. Mohammed Koya (former chief Minister, Government of Kerala). It has a collection of about 95,000 books and subscribes to 218 journals and 10 newspapers. The library follows the Anglo American Cataloguing Rules II (with slight modifications) for cataloguing and the Dewey Decimal Scheme of Classification for the classification of books.