By H.K. Shivananda, IAS (Retd.)

After studying in Bangalore until my Intermediate, I moved to Maharaja’s College in Mysore from 1954 to 1958 for my B.A. (Hons.) and M.A. in Economics. During my first year, I resided at the JSS free hostel on Vani Vilas Road, open to all communities.

Hostel life significantly improved my physical health and instilled positive qualities that have benefited me later in life. I am grateful to the institution and Pontiff Jagadguru Sri Shivarathri Rajendra Mahaswamiji for this enriching experience.

My father, H.K. Rajashekaraiya, working as Superintendent of Police, was transferred as the                      Principal of Police Training College, Mysore in 1955. This allowed me to live with my parents for the next three years. After his retirement, we stayed in Nazarbad until 1966.

Then, Karnataka had only two Universities: Karnatak University in Dharwad and the University of Mysore. The establishment of Mysore University in 1916, under the visionary guidance of Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar and Dewan Sir M. Visvesvaraya, marked a significant milestone. It was India’s sixth University, and great care was taken to appoint VCs to ensure its strong foundation.

Following the initial four-year term of H.V. Nanjundaiya as the first VC, subsequent leaders included Brajendra Nath Seal, a renowned figure in Philosophy and Indology from Bengal; Metcalfe, an Englishman; and N.S. Subba Rao, a student of Alfred Marshall in Cambridge and a contemporary of Keynes in Economics. During my college days, Prof. V.L. D’Souza and Kuvempu (Kuppalli Venkatappa Puttappa) served as VCs.

In the sixties, two distinguished individuals from outside Karnataka were appointed as VCs. In 1963, Sardar K.M. Pannikar, a statesman, diplomat, and historian, known for his service as Indian Ambassador to China, Egypt and France, was appointed VC.

Unfortunately, he passed away in December 1963. Later, K.L. Shrimali from Rajasthan, who had served as Union Minister of Education from 1955 to 1963, was appointed VC. He served a full term of five years (1964-69) and introduced the practice of appointing IAS Officers as Registrar and Controller of Examinations. Shrimali then moved to Banaras Hindu University and served as VC for another eight years (1969-77).

Maharaja’s College, Mysore

Central College of Bangalore, housing all PG Science degrees and Maharaja’s College in Mysore offering all PG humanities degrees, were the key institutions under Mysore University.

Central College also accommodated a PG English Department alongside its Science courses, while Maharaja’s College included a PG Statistics Department alongside Humanities. In the old Mysore area, Maharaja’s College served as the hub for higher education in the Humanities, until the Vice-Chancellor’s Office shifted to Crawford Hall in 1947.

Over 26 years, Maharaja’s College saw distinguished leadership from two Principals: N.S. Subba Rao (1917-28) and Prof. J.C. Rollo (1928-1943). During my tenure, notable Principals included T.A. Purushottam (1954-55), Kuvempu (1955-56) and C.D. Narasimhaiah (1956-62). However, after the PG courses moved to the new campus at Manasagangothri in 1960, Maharaja’s College experienced a decline in prominence.

The illustrious reputation of these colleges is underscored by the fact that three Bharat Ratnas — C. Rajagopalachari, Sir M. Visvesvaraya and Prof. C.N.R. Rao — were alumni of Central College, while another Bharat Ratna and former President of India S. Radhakrishnan served as a faculty at Maharaja’s College from 1918-21.   The Philosophy Department flourished during this period, with notable faculty like A.R. Wadia as HoD, S. Radhakrishnan and Hiriyanna.

During the fifties at Maharaja’s College, where I studied, all departments boasted exceptional faculty members. Kuvempu and D.L. Narasimhachar in Kannada, C.D. Narasimhaiah and Bharat Raj Singh in English,  N.A. Nikam and Yamunacharya in Philosophy, Kuppuswamy in Psychology, Srikanta Shastry in History, M.H. Gopal and G.T. Huchappa in Economics, K.B.Y. Thotappa in Political Science, Venkatarayappa in Sociology and Ekambaram in Statistics, among others, were   renowned HoDs.

I vividly recall Kuvempu driving his car from his residence, ‘Udaya Ravi’, to the side entrance of Maharaja’s College, where he would park and walk up to his office daily.

Economics Department

The Economics Department was conveniently located near the side entrance of Maharaja’s College, with classes held in Room No. 18 on the Ground Floor. M.H. Gopal, renowned in the field of Public Finance and author of several books, served as our Professor and HoD. His brother, M.H. Krishna, a distinguished historian and archaeologist, had also previously taught at Mysore University.

In 1956-57, M.H. Gopal moved to Madras University as the Ford Foundation Professor. G.T. Hutchappa, who returned to Mysore after completing advanced studies at New York University, assumed the role of  Professor and had a lengthy tenure as HoD. He had been honoured as the best outgoing student of the year at New York University. Despite not being prolific in his written output, he mentored numerous young scholars and steered them towards success.

[To be continued]