Centre of Excellence Lecture Series

The Department of English organised a Centre of Excellence Lecture Series that aimed at amalgamating research sensibility and social outlook. The Lecture Series comprised four public lectures where thinkers, academicians, professors and students from various colleges converged and held deliberations on marginalisation, subaltern studies, progress, modernity, secularism, religion, nation and gender. The lectures include “Question of Subaltern Public Sphere” by Dr. P Sanal Mohan, Shool of Social Sciences MG University, “Literary Studies and Dalit Literature: Some Reflections” by Professor K. Satyanaryana, EFLU, “Kerala Modernity” by Ameet Parameswaran Assistant Professor at Theatre and Performance Studies, JNU and “Nation, Gender and Islam” by Dr. B. S. Sherin, EFLU.

Research Forum Talks

As a part of the endeavour to inculcate critical thinking on important social issues among students, a Research Forum talk was organised. Eminent scholars and academicians interacted with students and provided them with alternate world views on their area of expertise. Talks ranging from “Patriarchy in Work Spaces” to “Sixty Years of Dalit Lives in Kerala” were conducted from 08/11/18 to 25/01/19. Altogether six talks were conducted as a part of this programme followed by discussions and debates on critical social issues.

Field Trip

Field Work, sanctioned as part of Centre of Excellence Programme, was conducted from 22-12-2018 to 08-03-2019.  As part of the programme the students and teachers of the PG & Research Department of English, Govt. Victoria College, Palakkad, visited twenty Adivasi Ooru  randomly selected in Attapadi tribal region. A total number of 12 teachers and 59 students participated in the visits. The team made 18 visits to the tribal region. As part of the field work a study was conducted investigating the causes of drop-outs among tribal students from Attapadi, who are studying in various institutions in the state. The team also looked in to various challenges which had hampered the tribal youths from achieving their goals in the field of higher education. At first the team had detailed interaction with the Project Officer and Tribal Extension Officers of Agali, Pudur and Sholayur. The team’s visit had been communicated to the Assistant Superintendent of Police , Agali. Our team visited tribal hamlets situated in Vatlakky, Kukukoor, Kavundikkal, Nakkupathi, Pattanakkal , Chalayur, Sholayur, Nallasinga, Mukkali, Pudur, Elachivazhi, Bootayar Lower, Karara, Boothivazhi, Paloor, Kolappadi, Thoovapathi, Gottiyarakandi, Kurukathikallu and Bootayar Upper. Our team had detailed interactions with the drop-out students, college going students, their parents , tribal chieftains and the local people. The teams’ interactions  with the students and their parents made great impact on them and encouraged them to  pursue their goals in the field of higher education.