About

Profile of the College

N.S.S. Training College, Ottapalam, is one of the many educational institutions, ranging from elementary schools to Grade I colleges, owned and managed by the Nair Service Society. The Nair Service Society, a registered charitable society, was founded in 1914 by the late Mannath Padmanabhan, a legendary social reformer, educationist, and visionary. Today, its organs or units extend across the state and beyond its boundaries, playing a pivotal role in the social transformation of the state through widespread education.

Most of the N.S.S. educational institutions are located in remote villages that would have remained obscure and unawakened had it not been for the educational establishments the N.S.S. chose to establish in these areas. Chroniclers have consistently acknowledged the significant role these institutions have played as agents of rapid progress and change, with their motto, "Education for All".

The urgent need for a college of teacher education in Palakkad District was recognised by Mannath Padmanabhan as early as 1960, a time when such a college was absent in the entire area. Aspiring students of education had to travel far from their homes, resulting in a scarcity of trained teachers. Consequently, schools often had to recruit untrained teachers, adversely affecting the standards of teaching and learning.

Women were particularly disadvantaged by the lack of teacher education facilities near their homes. Despite the presence of many girls' schools in the area, there were few available female teachers. The establishment of this institution was a boon for women aspiring to the teaching profession, paving the way for their empowerment through greater educational attainments. Thus, this institution has played a vital and pioneering role in the development and empowerment of women in the state.

Ottapalam is located on the banks of the Nila River, which meanders through the Malabar districts of Thrissur, Palakkad, and Malappuram. It epitomises the rich, age-old culture of Valluvanad, a geographical area that remains untouched by the negative consequences of industrial growth and commercial exploitation. A paradise marked by pure, serene, idyllic charm, Ottapalam is also known for producing top diplomats like Mr. K.P.S. Menon, scientists like Dr. M.G.K. Menon, and legal luminaries and statesmen like Mr. Chettur Sankaran Nair and Mr. V.P. Menon. The high standards of education maintained in the area justified the founder’s plan to establish a teacher training institution here.

The college was established in 1960 and is affiliated with the University of Calicut. Initially, it offered a one-year B.Ed. degree course to eighty students. Over thirty-five years, the student strength rose to three hundred, making it the largest college of teacher education in the state. Another milestone in the college's growth was the commencement of the M.Ed. course in 1995, which elevated the college to a full-fledged institution of teacher education. Following the introduction of the two-year B.Ed. and M.Ed. programmes in 2015, the institution now offers B.Ed. courses in six subjects: English, Malayalam, Mathematics, Natural Science, Physical Science, and Social Science to 100 students, and an M.Ed. programme to 50 students.

The college has 22 faculty members, including the principal, and 11 administrative staff. It operates in five multi-storey blocks: the administrative block, library block, auditorium block, P.G. block, and annex. The college was reaccredited by NAAC with an A grade (CGPA of 3.36) due to its outstanding performance in curricular, co-curricular, research, and extension activities, and its contributions to students and the community. In 2017, the college became an approved Research Centre in Education under the University of Calicut, with seven of its teaching faculty serving as approved research guides in education.

The college is established with the broad objective of providing education for prospective teachers. We aim to develop socially committed, intellectually competent, secular-minded, truthful, just, and humane teachers of tomorrow. Excellence is our motto. The institution nurtures each student to actualise their potential, becoming efficient, skilful, competent, responsible, and dedicated to the teaching profession and the community. The college offers ample opportunities for curricular and co-curricular activities for the mental and spiritual development of the students.

In the development of infrastructure, in 1976-77, utilising UGC grant a two storied building was constructed housing the administrative block. In 1995 the Management constructed another three storied block to accommodate the increasing number of students. An open air auditorium cum lecture hall complex in two storey was also constructed which was fully funded by the Management. In 2014 a new block was constructed utilizing UGC grant and management fund.