Catholicate College, Pathanamthitta

The Catholicate College is based in the town of Pathanamthitta in Kerala. It was founded in the year 1952, and is affiliated to the Mahatma Gandhi University, from the town of Kottayam, in the same state. It has been accredited by the NAAC (National Assessments and Accreditation Council) with an A grade rating. A separate IQAC (Internal Quality Assurance Cell) has been created to this end, to ensure that all the terms of the NAAC are complied with. An AQAR (Annual Quality Assurance Report) gets generated to quantify the results. The Catholicate College is run by the Malankara Orthodox Church. A St. Basil Chapel is attached along with the main campus. 

Courses are available here at the Catholicate College right from the UG till the doctoral levels. At the undergrad level, there are courses from across the streams of Arts, Commerce and Science. The only course at this level within Commerce is the B. Com. In the sciences, there are options for BSc. in- Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Zoology and Botany. The Arts programmes on offer here include- English, Malayalam, Hindi, History and Economics. At the PG level, the M. Com is available on a self- finance mode. An MA can be pursued in all the areas identified in the BA besides for Economics. An MSc. of course can be pursued in broader areas. Besides the conventional ones like Zoology and Mathematics, it is also possible in- Electronics, Material Science, Polymer Science, Biotechnology and in Analytical Chemistry. M. Phil and PhD. programmes may also be pursued in here. 

The entire academics here at the Catholicate College is run by a cohort of departments, each possessing expertise in its own area. These departments are for the areas of- English, Malayalam, Syriac, Hindi, Commerce, History, Economics, Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics, Zoology, Physical Education and in Botany. The college is a nodal centre for several IGNOU (Indira Gandhi National Open University) courses. These courses are the conventional areas like B. Com, BA and MA, besides some innovative areas. The BA and MA programmes are available for – Sociology, Public Administration, Economics and Political Science. Another is the BTS or Bachelors in Tourism Studies. Diplomas and certificate programmes may also be pursued in the area of tourism, computers, environmental studies and English. Another is the BPP, which enables students to join a degree course without necessarily having the pre- degree or plus two. 

The Catholicate College is also a nodal centre for four UGC (University Grants Commission) sponsored career oriented add- on courses. These are in the areas of- Computer Technology, Lab Technology Medical, Yoga & Stress Management and for Video Production & Science Communication. These are handled by the departments of Physics, Zoology, Physical Education and by Chemistry respectively. Besides the Physics department also organizes local chapters for two student chapters, originally based in the USA. These are the SPIE (Society of Photo optical Instrumentation Engineers) and OSA (Optical Society of America). 

The Catholicate College has always believed in providing benefits to the broader society. The students here have likewise been instilled with such value. And that is why the students of the Catholicate College have been active participants in government schemes such as the NSS (National Service Scheme) and the NCC (National Cadet Corps). The student clubs and committees are also well- distributed across interest areas for students. To start with, there is the Bhoomitrasena Club which looks into earth and nature care. There are also clubs for – Biodiversity, Film, Drama, Health, Quiz and Music. There is also a Cultural Committee to oversee all cultural activities and a Speakers Forum to organize guest sessions on campus. 

Another interesting initiative here is the NET Coaching Committee. Here, students are trained on topics which will help them crack the NET (National Eligibility Test) exam. So, subjects such as General Knowledge, Current Affairs, Data Interpretation, Research Aptitude, Reasoning and ICT are coached here. The task of the Vaayanakoottam is to hone a reading habit among the students here. The MGOSCM meanwhile has the singular purpose of providing spiritual solace to the students. All this has contributed favourably to the rankings across platforms. The Catholicate College in Kerala has been placed within the 151-200 band in the NIRF (National Institutional Rankings Framework) 2018 rankings for colleges. 

The campus has much to offer. There are hostel facilities for both boys and girls. There is a sports field where cricket and football may be played. Facilities are also there for indoor sports. The gymnasium may also be used by all. A large auditorium is there to facilitate major events, at both intra and inter college level. The campus is Wi- Fi enabled. Science laboratories have the latest of equipment. A health centre is also there to cater to medical emergencies. Hygienic food is prepared at the college cafeteria. The college even has its own transport to ferry students to and from the campus. A convenience store is also located within campus. The library here is one of the best stocked within the region. Besides the physical books on display, it also provides digital access to en number of international academic journals for research and academic purposes.