Pachaiyappa's College is one of the oldest educational institutions in Chennai, in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. In addition, it is the first sole Indian college in Madras Presidency.
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History
Pachaiyappa's College, Chennai is the result of an act of philanthropy of its progenitor, Pachaiyappa Mudaliar, who was a financier and merchant by the age of 22. The college had its genesis in the will of Pachaiyappa Mudaliar.
The college was established as Pachaiyappa's Central Institution at Popham's Broadway on 1 January 1842, financially aided by Pachaiyappa Mudaliar's will. It was the first educational institution in South India which was not funded by the British. The architecture of the institution is notable, consisting of Indo-Saracenic and the architecture of South India. It gained college status in 1889, and until 1947 it only admitted Hindu students. Between 1920 and 1921, Charles Leslie Wrenn, a scholar who would later replace J.R.R. Tolkien as Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon, was the Principal and Professor of English.
In addition, Pachaiyappa's College (1842) is the 4th oldest institution in the country, next to Madras Christian College (1837) and Presidency College (1840) as 3 from the top 5 oldest institutions in the country are from South India.
Administration
The Pachaiyappa's College Administration is governed by a board of trustees called Pachaiyappa's trust board. The Board oversees the long-term development and plans of the Institution and manages fundraising efforts. The board also control's various other Institutions in the state.
List of colleges under Pachaiyappa's Trust Board
Chellammal Women's College
C. Kandaswami Naidu College for Men
Kandasamy Naidu College for Women (KNC), Cuddalore.
Pachaiyappa's College for Men, Kanchipuram.
Pachaiyappa's College for Women, Kanchipuram.
Awards
As a remembrance and a devotion, the college awards a prize to the student who stands first among all mathematics students in the name of S.P. Singaravelu Mudaliar, who was a teacher of renowned mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan.
Academic departments
Undergraduate (U.G.)
SHIFT I: Aided
Arts
B.A. (History)
B.A. (Tamil Lit.)
B.A. (English Lit.)
B.A. (Economics)
B.A. (Philosophy)
Commerce
B.Com. (General)
B.Com. (Corporate)
Science
BSc (Mathematics)
BSc (Physics)
BSc (Chemistry)
BSc (Plant Biology & Plant Biotechnology)
BSc (Advanced Zoology & Biotechnology)
SHIFT II: Self-financed
Commerce
B.Com. (General)
BSc (Computer Science)
Co-education
B.Com. (Bank Management)
B.Com. (Accounting & Finance)
B.B.A.
B.C.A
Postgraduate (P.G.)
SHIFT I : Aided
Arts
M.A. (Tamil Lit.)
M.A. (Economics)
M.A. (English Lit.)
M.A. (History)
M.A. (Philosophy)
Commerce
M.Com. (General)
Science and philosophy
MSc Mathematics
MSc Chemistry
MSc Physics
MSc Botany
MSc Zoology
M.Phil. English
M.Phil. Mathematics
M.Phil. Philosophy
M.Phil. History
M.Phil. Economics
M.Phil. Chemistry
M.Phil. Botany
M.Phil. Zoology
M.Phil. Commerce
M.Phil. Tamil
PhD
PhD Tamil
PhD English
PhD Maths
PhD Philosophy
PhD History
PhD Economics
PhD Physics
PhD Chemistry
PhD Botany
PhD Zoology
PhD Commerce
Notable alumni
A listing of notable alumni is published by the college. Some of those named are as follows.
Physicist
Anna Mani
Mathematicians
Srinivasa Ramanujan (did not graduate), mathematician
Politicians
C. N. Annadurai, Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, 1967–69
Kasu Brahmananda Reddy, Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, 1964–71
Murasoli Maran, politician
Prof. K. Anbazhagan, politician
Navalar Nedunchezhiyan, politician, Interim Chief minister, Minister for 25 years
E. V. K. Sampath, politician and one of the founders of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
C. Vijayaraghavachariar, former President of the Indian National Congress
K. C. Reddy, first Chief Minister of old state of Mysore
Boddepalli Rajagopala Rao, parliamentarian
E. Pugazhendi, Cuddalore Legislator thrice
Durai Murugan, Kadpadi, Vellore Legislator and Senior Most Cabinet Minister of TN State in the last 4 decades
P. R. Natarajan, Member of Parliament (Lokha Sabha)
Bureaucrat
C. K. Gandhirajan, IPS Officer
Literary figures
Paravastu Chinnayasuri, Telugu poet and professor of Telugu language
Pammal Sambandha Mudaliar, Tamil playwright
Mamidipudi Venkatarangayya, history writer
Vairamuthu, poet
K. D. Thirunavukkarasu, Tamil scholar and Sahitya Akademi Award winner
Tapi Dharma Rao, Telugu journalist and Sahitya Akademi Award winner
Filmmakers
R. S. Manohar, drama and Tamil cinema actor
A. M. Rajah, singer and music director
D. Imman, music director
Na. Muthukumar, Tamil Lyricist
Other
N. Madhava Rao - Former Diwan of Kingdom of Mysore, Member of Drafting Committee, Mysore Civil Service (ICS Officer)
Robin Singh, former Indian cricketer
Bharath Reddy, former Indian cricketer
M. Ilanchezhian, -Tamil Scholar and Writer, Professor, Rationalist
M. B. Nirmal, environmentalist and founder of Exnora International
Postage stamp
On 31 March 2010, the Indian Postal Service released a commemorative postage stamp on Pachaiyappa Mudaliar. The multi color stamp was designed by India Security Press, Nasik.