By Chief Minister Pinarayi

Copyright thehindu

The autonomous Maharaja’s College, Ernakulam, has submitted a proposal worth about ₹1.5 crore to the Department of Higher Education as part of its 150th-year celebrations.

The plan includes organising programmes on the theme of ‘Education and the Making of a Secular and Inclusive Kerala’, literary and folklore fests, seminars and projects involving the differently abled and transgender persons, according to the proposal prepared by the college authorities.

The inauguration of the sesquicentennial celebrations by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in May 2025 marked the beginning of the events planned to commemorate the legacy of the higher education institution.

Experts will attend programmes being organised as part of the event titled ‘Making of a Secular and Inclusive Kerala’, with an estimated budget of ₹10 lakh. They will speak on the role played by the college in fostering a secular and inclusive space for aspirants over the past several decades.

The proposal includes a series of seminars and workshops to be held over the next two years. Around 21 such events have been planned at a cost of about ₹63 lakh.

A gathering of alumni will be one of the key events to be held as part of the 150th-year celebrations. People from various walks of life will converge on the campus for the ‘Meet Maharaja’s’ alumni meet. The college authorities said that former students who had excelled in fields including literature, politics, bureaucracy, science, and media would take part in the event.

A literary festival will be another highlight of the programme. A budget of about ₹12 lakh has been earmarked for the fest, which will feature wide-ranging discussions with prominent literary figures. A souvenir documenting the college’s achievements over the past several decades will also be brought out as part of the celebrations.