Tirur: Thunchath Ezhuthachan Malayalam University, which plays a pivotal role in the higher education sector in Kerala, is celebrating its 13th anniversary. The university was inaugurated on November 1, 2012, a Keralapiravi day, by the then chief minister Oommen Chandy.

Former chief secretary K Jayakumar was soon appointed as the first vice chancellor of the university. The university that earned fame by offering multiple courses with Malayalam as the medium of instruction has been upholding the dignity of the state’s mother tongue for the last 13 years.

Here, courses in science, literature, humanities, social science, as well as science and technology are offered in Malayalam. The courses have been designed based on an eclectic mix of ideas. Besides, the university also aims to collect and preserve unique and rare artefacts that denote the cultural heritage of Kerala.

The university boasts of extensive study centres and intellectual hubs, including the Ezhuthachan study centre, language technology centre, Gundert Chair, heritage museum, Arabic Malayalam study centre, centre of women’s literature, Vallathol Chair and a neo-social study centre.

Graduate and post-graduate courses as well as four-year graduate courses are available in linguistics, Malayalam literature, literary writing, cultural and heritage studies, media studies, ecological studies, developmental studies, sociology, history and cinema studies.

However, the university that has upheld the pride and dignity of Kerala still does not have its own building or a head office. The land that was acquired for the university has been mired in controversy. Various allegations were raised, until a few days ago, against acquiring 11 acres of land in Mangattiri.

The main allegation is that only the sale of land has taken place and that no permission has been granted to construct buildings here. A group of people deny these allegations. Meanwhile, the government has not been able to construct even a single building on the land that is reserved for the university.