The visionary Principal of SPW College completes 100 years
Dr D Premavathi, Dr K Mahadevamma, Dr P Krishna Prasanthi and others at the 100th birthday celebrations of Dr Rajeswari on Friday
The alumni of Sri Padmavathi Women's Degree and PG College (SPW College) were in a state of excitement as they recall the vision of the centenarian teacher Dr K Rajeswari Murthy who nurtured and shaped the college founded by the TTD in Tirupati in 1952. The formal celebrations were started at the College in the presence of her beloved student and former colleague Dr D Premavathi, the College Principal Dr K Mahadevamma and others on Friday and planning to hold a major event in the next week with the active involvement of several of her students who are in various positions.
As the second Principal of the SPW College, Dr Rajeswari made her life inseparable with the college with which it earned the name and fame besides standing as a symbol of women empowerment. After serving as Principal for 21 long years, she moved to New York in 1975 and has been residing there till now.
Her student, an 80-year old Dr Premavathi said that she made a will giving away all his property to various institutions in Tirupati including SV University and SV Arts College with a lion's share going to SPW College.
Her achievements are many and to list a few, the Home Science course was started by her for the first time in the state and the Population Studies course also for the first time in the country.
Dr Rajeswari took meticulous care in giving a shape to each and every department in the College and provided every infrastructure. With her foresightedness, the College got a good hostel facility which provides a safe environment for the girl students to pursue education even today. The College attains the recognition of United States Education Foundation in India (USEFI) which earned it global reputation.
She was born in 1921 at Peddapuram and as a woman faced several hurdles to pursue her education. Being run on the foundations laid by the visionary academician, SPW College becomes the first choice of many girl students to pursue their degree course even today.
The alumni want the TTD to take initiative to recognise the services of Dr Rajeswari in a befitting manner. There was a strong feeling among them that she deserves the 'Padma' award and keeping in view her relentless services
for women education, her birthday should be celebrated as 'Girl education recognition Day'. The alumnus of SPW College Dr Krishna Prasanthi felt that TTD should install her statue in the College and institute a gold medal on her name.