N. S. S. College, Pandalam

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 50acres 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".