MADURAI: Owner’s Pride, Neighbour’s Envy. This was the popular catchy tagline of Onida television advertisement several years ago.
This description holds good for Madurai Kamaraj University College (MKU College) at Alagarkoil Road in Madurai because it is not only a pride for its owner MKU but also an envy to several other colleges with its sustained strong student admissions year after year. And for the present academic year 2025-26 too, the going looks good and it was clearly visible during a visit to MKU college campus on May 20th 2025 to know the admission trends.
Separate admission counters welcome the students and parents who are coming for admission to first year undergraduate courses while the faculty members starting from Heads of Departments, associate professors and other staff are available to guide the admission process in their respective departments.. At a time when several colleges here are struggling to attract students, this campus has been able to draw students in good numbers.
WHAT IS THE SUCCESS SECRET?
“See, our college has four strong pillars and that foundation is helping us a lot. Last year, the total student strength was 4,032 in two shifts, and this year also we want to retain that figure. Strong alumni connect, right job-oriented courses, campus placements and our committed experienced faculty. These four are our pillars and our branding,” Dr.B.George, Principal in-charge, MKU College, has said while speaking to ‘Lotus Times’ in Madurai on May 20th 2025.
He explains some latest trends observed by him during admissions time and how a few policy decisions are attracting students for higher education.
“There is a marked improvement in college education as students are willing to join thanks to a few high impact schemes of Tamil Nadu State government like ‘Naan Mudhalvan’, ‘Pudhumai Penn’ etc. In our MKU College, 794 students are getting benefit out of government schemes like ‘Naan Mudhalvan’…. and the monthly incentive of Rs.1,000 being given by the government is showing good results through scholarships. I am happy that more girls also are coming forward for higher education due to the government’s scholarship encouragement,” Dr.B.George says and adds that if 294 girls are getting ‘Pudhumai Penn’ benefit, it indicates the real success.
50 PER CENT JOBS PLACEMENT:
The MKU College is putting focus on campus placements for its students and some courses are highlights of this institution.
“Companies and hotels are coming to our campus and 50 per cent of our students are getting placement. Courses like MBA, B.Sc Hotel Management & Catering Science, B.Sc Tourism and Hospitality Management, B.Com and B.Com (CA) along with B.Sc Computer Science are giving us a great edge for this. The support of our alumni is enormous and our old students are sending their children to our college. That shows the popularity and potential,” says Dr.T.Z.Ahamed, Associate Professor, Department of Hotel Management.
Here, the college Principal Dr.B.George is particularly happy with the key role being played by the MKU College Alumni Connect team led by Dr.P.Kabilan for roping in old students in various countries via alumni connect initiatives through FeTNA (Federation of Tamil Sangams-North America) and others to help the present students.
“We must thank FeTNA president Mr.Vijay Manivel who is our alumni and the team of Mrs.Gunasundari Veerapandian who is fine tuning our students now through online sessions,” says Dr.B.George and stresses that the MKU College will continue its student empowerment programs in a big way in this academic year 2025-26 also because this campus is the first destination for a large number of students from socially and economically weaker sections in and around Madurai and it plays a significant role in social justice and improving Gross Enrolment Ratio in higher education in this region.
As a constituent college of Madurai Kamaraj University (MKU) here, the MKU College at Alagarkoil Road in Madurai is certainly on a strong wicket in this admission season also thereby reminding the old tagline ‘Owner’s Pride Neighbour’s Envy’.
