Govt Arts College centenary celebrations in July

Anantapur: The grand old Government Arts College in the town with its palatial buildings, all in milk white which resembles the Rippon Buildings in Chennai, built by the British is all set for concluding its yearlong centenary celebrations in July 2017.

Telugu and Kannada languages were once medium of instruction. During the pre-independence era, Anantapur was part of ceded districts of Bellary, Kadapa and Kurnool districts.

The college as part of the year long centenary celebrations had been organising several seminars, workshops and writing and elocution competitions. Its yearlong celebrations will culminate in July with a 3-day valedictory.

Founded in 1916 with just 41 students, the prestigious institution has had over its 100 year journey graduated into a multi-disciplinary courses institution with 8000 students passing out of the college every year and grooming mostly from among the poorer sections.

There are 33 under graduate courses and 15 PG courses being offered by the college. The buildings were built by the British when Governor Petland and Thomas Munroe was the district collector of Anantapur.

Prominent among the Alumni of the college include the former president of India Dr Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy, Y.Venugopala Reddy, governor of Reserve Bank of India, former chief minister of Andhra Pradesh D Sanjeevaiah and Padma Bhushan awardee U R Rao.

Dr.Sarvepalle Radha Krishna, former President of India was the faculty of the college. Hundreds of civil servants were also alumni of the college.

The college has a very big library with over 1 lakh volumes of books on varied subjects and rare literature of the pre-independence era. It also has a basket ball court and lawn tennis court.

It has a health centre which caters to medical examination of students. The college students regularly donate blood. The students of Bio-Chemistry and Micro-Biology undertake blood grouping of students of the college. Several film shootings had also taken place.

The college has 114 teachers, 25 guest lecturers and 3 serving on contract basis. Of the 114 teaching faculty 45 are PhD holders. The college is also providing boarding facilities to 2000 boys and 250 girls mostly from the weaker sections.