Govt Arts College - Autonomous, Kadapa

Government College for Men, Kadapa was established in 1948 is one of the oldest and the most prestigious institution in Rayalaseema area of Southern Andhra Pradesh. The college is popularly known to the people of Kadapa district as Government Arts College and it was renamed later as Govt. College for Men. As the college is about to complete 60 years of its yeoman service to the noble course of education, it is appropriate to look back at its beginning and growth and its contribution to the people of Kadapa district in particular and to the country in general over the period of 6 decades

The district of Kadapa had been without a college for many years. The then government of the composite Madras state announced that it was its policy to start one college in every district headquarters. The citizens of Kadapa promptly co-operated with the Government in making it possible to start the college in 1948 in the locally available District Board Buildings or Zillaparishad Buildings.

A college committee was formed with late Sri. N. Ranga Reddy, a leading advocate of Kadapa town, as President , Sri. Jagirdar Ramachandra Rao., B.A., B.L., as Secretary and Sri. T.M. Seshadri., B.A., B.L., as the Treasurer to raise funds for the construction of the college Hostel Building. Sri. Mohammed Ismail Sahib, District Educational Officer at the time, Sri. R.S. Malayappan, B.A., the then District Collector and late Sri. B. Madhava Rao Naidu, Played an active and vital part in making the District Board building available to the college committee for housinng the proposed college and finding a suitable site of nearly 50 acres near the Railway station for the construction of permanent building for the college.

The Govt. started the college in July 1948, as a second grade college with affiliation in group (iii) of the intermediate course with combination of the following Arts subjects namely Psychology, Indian History, Modern History and Ancient History. Under part (ii) provision for instruction in Telugu and Urdu was made. Sri. M. Mohammed Ghani M.A., L.T. was the first Principal of the college and the student’s strength was 64 at the inception of the college In 1949 and 1950 affiliation was granted for the introduction of two more courses, namely, Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry and Natural Science, Physics, Chemistry respectively. In July 1951 the college was raised to the first Grade with affiliation for the BA Degree courses with Economics and History under part III and Telugu, Hindi and Urdu under part II of the B.A. Degree course.

The College Hostel Building was occupied by the students in September 1953. It was opened by Sri. N. Ranga Reddy, Minister for Public Works in the composite state of Madras. A Hostel committee is constituted to help the Deputy Warden in running the Hostel. Hostel Manager, in co-operation with hostel students and office – bearers manage the provision stores and run the mess of the Hostel.

The College was shifted to the new buildings on the re-opening day in July 1954. The college in its newly constructed building was inaugurated by Dr. A. Lakshmana Swamy Mudaliar. Smt. T. Vasundhara was the first lady principal of the college. When the college was shifted to its new premises, the strength of the college was 750. The strength of the college has grown steadily year by year and by 1956 the strength of the college rose to the astonishing figure of nearly twelve hundred students. Today, the strength of the students is 2,200. The college is affiliated to Sri Venkteswara University, Tirupati.

In 1958 the two year Degree course was abolished and the three year Degree course was introduced with the following combinations- B.A. (Special) – 1. Economics, History and Psychology 2) English, History and Psychology; B.A. (General) – 1. Telugu, Economics, History, 2) Hindi, Economics, History. B.Sc (Special) 1. Mathematics, Statistics, and Economics, 2) Chemistry, Physics and Zoology, 3) Botany, Chemistry and Zoology and B.Sc (General)- Mathematics , Physics and Chemistry . B.Com Course was started in the college in 1967 and in the same year geology group in B.Sc., was started.
The College Library with a collection of over 75000 volumes is one of the biggest libraries in the District. Although the Library occupies nearly half of the right wing of the college in the ground- floor, the space became quite insufficient for the stocks there, another building to the binary was constructed in 1985 with UGC Funds. Today the books available in the library are computerised. The College has a vast play ground with facilities to play all kinds of games viz Hockey, Foot-ball, Cricket, Volleyball, Shuttle –badminton and Tennis.

NCC unit was started in the college in 1955 There are two companies in the college. The cadet strength of each company in one hundred. The two companies are attached to 29(A) NCC Bn., Kadapa. National Service scheme was started in the college in 1970. There are three NSS Units in the college consisting of nearly 500 students as volunteers.

The College has been enjoying from the start the good fortune of having eminent persons as its principals. The present structure and strength of the college is indubitably due to the loving dedication of its principals and the staff to the cause of this institution. Tutorial ward systems, poor boy’s library, photographic club, establishment of co-operative stores are some of the facilities introduced during 1960’s by the erstwhile principals of this college. The college proudly celebrated its Silver Jubilee in 1975 when R. Dayanidhi was the Principal. Many silver Jubilee Endowment Prizes and scholarships were introduced on this historic occasion.

The Govt. College for Men, Kadapa was identified as a “Lead College” . Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Open University study Centre was started in 1983 in the college premises with a meager strength of 100 students. The Study centre has grown by leaps and bounds since then and now as many as two thousand five hundred students are pursuing different under graduate and post graduate courses at the study centre. The study centre has been elevated to Regional Centre in 2002.
The Govt. of Andhra Pradesh has launched a prestigious programme called ‘Janmabhomi’, ‘Clean & Green in 1997 the members of staff and students have actively participated in those programmes under the leadership of the then Principal Sri. S.M.H.Basha Recognizing the active participation and quality of the services offered during the above programmes by the students and staff of our college in several parts of Kadapa district the then District Collector V. Nagi Reddy IAS and the then Chief Minister A.P. Sri.N.Chandra Babu Naidu gave away the cheque for Rs.1,00,000/- as prize money. The same amount was spent to construct a Guest House named as ‘Janmabhomi Guest House and it was inaugurated in 1998 by the then Director of Collegiate Education D.S. Murthy, IAS.

In the Mid – nineties when the college had to face a stiff competition from the private institutions in the district, the strength of the students in the college began to dwindle and the number of students opting for conventional courses steadily decreased. Then the Government of Andhra Pradesh, with great foresight, introduced several need-based courses and restructured courses in 1998, which juvenated the academic atmosphere and gave a new lease of life to this as well as to other Govt. Colleges in the state. During this period Mr. N. sumanth the then principal has been instrumental in getting the Sumabala Computer Lab – I constructed with the UGC funds and the donation Offered by Prof. Mr& Mrs Adinarayana Reddy in memory of their daughter , Which facilitated in imparting computer education.

In the beginning of the new millennium i.e 2000 another computer lab namely Sumabala computer lab –II was also constructed Mr.Subbrayudu, the then Principal of the college was instrumental in getting the computer Lab- II. It is under his leadership the members of staff have agreed to contribute Rs20/- every month from their salaries to the development of garden and to improve greenery in and around the college campus. In 2003, ten new rooms were constructed adjacent to the commerce department of the college to provide accommodation to the increased strength of the students due to the introduction of many restructured courses. The college also runs a couple of P.G. Courses.

The NAAC visited this college in 2002 and accredited B++ grade to the college based on the evaluation of the quality being maintained in both academic and non-academic aspects of the college. The Govt. of Andhra Pradesh has started the JKC in this institution in 2005. This center is preparing and training students to seize the employment opportunities available in many of the corporate companies especially in I.T. Sector.

The Distance Education Council (DEC) of Indira Gandhi Nation Open University (IGNOU) has permitted to start its Partner Institution (PI) under Convergence Scheme in this college during June 2008. This IGNOU Partner Institution is offering PG, UG, Diploma and Certificate Courses to the Students.
The college has a vision plan for the development of its infrastructure and the new courses to be introduced for the next ten years in tune with the growing and changing needs of the students and community. The NAAC assessment has provided new directions and new opportunities to the college paving way for achieving excellence.