Victorian botany alumni display petals of pride

The Government Victoria College’s Botany department is celebrating a milestone - 75 years of nurturing green thumbs and scientific minds. The platinum jubilee bash was the perfect excuse for a reunion of the alumni who studied botany at Victoria over the past seven and a half decades.

On Saturday, the Victorian Botany Alumni Association (VIBA) brought together a vibrant community of former students.

As a testament to their dedication, VIBA has become an integral part of Victoria College’s legacy, fostering a spirit of giving back and staying connected to the campus that shaped their academic journeys.

“Beyond just reconnecting and reliving old times, our true joy lies in giving back to the community, especially since we benefited from a government education funded by the people,” said K.K. Seethalakshmi, VIBA secretary.

Dr. Seethalakshmi, a bamboo expert and an ex-Kerala Forest Research Institute (KFRI) scientist, has propelled VIBA to new heights. She currently works at the Integrated Rural Technology Centre (IRTC), Mundur.

VIBA’s vibrancy is evident in its numerous initiatives, including six annual endowment lectures, industrial visits and skill training programmes being offered to botany students.

According to educationist Mohandas B. Menon, a VIBA patron, “the skill training programmes are a rare advantage; our students are fortunate to have such a supportive alumni network, setting them apart from students on other campuses.”

Besides, VIBA has set up a reception counter and seminar hall at the college with facility to stay for guest speakers. It has also installed QR-coded signages at Vatika, a botanical garden in Palakkad town maintained by the District Tourism Promotion Council.

“We have been regularly felicitating toppers and rank winners of our department,” said Jayakrishnan G. Menon, VIBA executive committee member.

A souvenir featuring scholarly papers in tribute to former professor and plant taxonomist R. Vasudevan Nair has elevated VIBA’s stature. “There’s no dearth of expert guests for the Botany department,” said Mr. Menon.

The reunion drew several veteran alumni who studied and taught botany at Victoria College in the 1960s and 1970s. Susheela Haridas, a pioneering member of the 1970 first MSc batch, was among them.

Film director Lal Jose was a guest in the afternoon. Ottapalam Subcollector Anjeet Singh inaugurated the reunion. Ravi Kumar K., Principal in charge, presided. Botany department head Rasmi A.R., and Government College, Tholanur, Principal Maya C. Menon were among those who spoke.