Kerala: TKM College of Arts and Science earns A++ Grade accreditation by NAAC

The Thangal Kunju Musaliar (TKM) College of Arts and Science in Kollam, Kerala, has become the first aided college under the University of Kerala to earn an A++ Grade from the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC). The college has earned the highest Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.67 out of a total of 4.0.

The college was awarded the overall grade for its consistent good performance over the past five years, stated Principal Chitra Gopinath. The NAAC team completed the online and in-person verification processes of assessment in two months period, as mentioned in a report by The New Indian Express.

The principal explained that the A++ Grade is awarded based on criterion-wise different weightages that are curricular aspects, teaching and learning and evaluation, research, innovations and extension, infrastructure and learning resources, student support and progression, governance, leadership and management, institutional values and best practices. 

''It is a result of the collective efforts by the students, teachers, parents and staff members of the college that we could achieve this feat today. Our students have a vital role in it. Our object is that no student should be left behind in attaining an education due to financial difficulties. Moreover, our students are the real motivating factor to achieve this feat," he said.

Gopinath also said that TKM College is known for its mechanism to identify students from marginalised communities and provide adequate aid to them. In July, the state government accorded the green campus status to the college for its various eco-friendly measures. Waste disposal, groundwater recharge, a waste compositing unit and strict implementation of non-plastic use on the college campus are some of these measures, as reported by The New Indian Express.