University of Kerala

The University of Travancore, which later became the University of Kerala, was formed in 1937 by a promulgation of the Maharaja of Travancore, Sri Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma who was also the first Chancellor of the University. 
Sir C. P. Ramaswamy Aiyar, the then Diwan of the State, was the first Vice-Chancellor.  It is the sixteenth University to be set up in India which then had ten colleges under Madras University, located within the State of Travancore.

  The Kerala University Act (Act 14 of 1957) came into force in 1957 and the University of Travancore was renamed as University of Kerala.

The University has 188 affiliated colleges, which include Arts and Science colleges and institutions in the discipline of Law, Management, Education, Physical Education and Hotel Management and Catering Technology, operational as Government Colleges as well as private aided and unaided colleges. Post Graduate courses in affiliated colleges follow the semester system while the under graduate stream have adopted the Choice Based Credit and Semester System. University of Kerala is accredited with ‘A++ ’ grade by NAAC and has consistently been ranked among the 40 best Universities of India under National Institution Ranking Framework (NIRF) since 2017.   In the year 2022 we were ranked 40 among universities in India.

University of Kerala has won the first ever Chancellor’s Award for the best University in the state instituted by the Hon’ble Governor Justice P. Sathasivam in the year 2015. In 2017 University of Kerala was placed in the 801-1000 band in the ranking by Times Higher Education Network among the Universities across the globe. In the QS World Ranking 2019, University of Kerala was ranked 49^th among universities in India. The Kerala University Library, established in 1942, has over 3.5 lakh books and over 1000 bound volumes of journals. It is a depository of UN and World Bank publications and provides access to over 9000 on-line journals. The Campus Library at Kariavattom also offers similar services. The Oriental Research Institute and Manuscripts Library, which has an invaluable collection of rare and precious manuscripts, has been made the State Nodal Agency for the preservation and documentation of manuscripts. Digitizing of rare manuscripts is being undertaken by this Centre.

University of Kerala has a state of the art centralized instrumentation facility supporting high end research in Sciences called Centralized Laboratory for Instrumentation and Facilitation (CLIF). The University has its own Astronomical Observatory facilitating learning in physical and space sciences.  The Department of Physical Education has gifted outstanding sportspersons to the country. The University was the first in the State, to have a synthetic track. The establishment of the Lakshmibai National College of Physical Education at Kariavattom, managed by the Government of India, is another landmark in the history of the University. The centre for Adult Continuing Education and Extension (CACEE) is an important Centre under University of Kerala, which offers many short term courses like TV News reading, Functional English, Yoga etc. The CACEE received the UNESCO - NLM award for Literacy in 2005. The Department of Student Services encages in student support and welfare activities.  Separate Health Centres in both the campuses is the unique feature of the University, health issues of teachers, students and staff are administered through issue of health cards. University of Kerala is known for its social commitment and national integrity.   We have initiated a scheme to promote care and affection for the elderly deprived through a Palliative care initiative.   University of Kerala observed Kargil Vijay Diwas in association with Southern Navel Command, Thiruvananthapuram. Our commitment to social self-reliance is well manifested through the Harithalayam Project for cultivation of paddy and vegetables as well as Karshika Fellowship for students.

In the year 2022 University has enhanced its startup presence and created an Incubation Eco System through Kerala University Business Innovation and Incubation Centre (KUBIIC) and could attract more foreign Students through the Centre for Global Academics .