Named after the patron saint of the Aruvithura parish church, the college was established in the year 1965 under the patronage of Rt. Rev.Dr.Sebastian Vayalil, the First Bishop of Pala. Very Rev. Fr. Thomas Manakkatt, the then Vicar of St. George Forane Church, Aruvithura, Rev. Fr. Thomas Araythinal, Mr. T.A. Thomman, and a host of philanthropists in and around Aruvithura have played a very crucial role in the founding and later in the growth and development of this great seat of learning. For more than two decades Mar Joseph Pallickaparampil, the Bishop of Pala, had been the patron of this temple of learning. Rt.Rev.Dr.Joseph Kallarangattu is the present patron of this college.
The college, owned by the Forane Church, Aruvithura, situated on the banks of river Meenachil caters to the academic needs of the children of all communities and gender of Erattupetta and the peripheral areas. It was started as a Junior College in 1965 with five batches of students in the first pre-degree class. Under the stewardship of the Managers Very Rev. Fr. Thomas Manakkat, Very Rev. Fr. Jacob Thazhathel, and first Principal Prof. K.J. Scaria, the college had phenomenal growth even from its very inception. After six years of invaluable service when Prof. Scaria left, Rev. Fr. Joseph Thekkanady came in his place. He served only for a short period of one year.
Then came Prof. P.J.Joseph who had long innings of fifteen years as Principal during whose period the College made great strides and all-round progress in both curricular and extra-curricular fields. It was during his tenure that the college was upgraded (1978). There was a remarkable increase in the number of students and staff members during the period. He got the unstinted support of a dedicated team of staff along with the valuable service of Very. Rev.Fr.Jacob Njavally, Very Rev.Fr. Abraham Paprappuram and very. Rev.Fr.Joseph Nattunilam, the managers.
Prof. M.M.Chacko took over as Principal in 1987. The College continued to maintain scholastic excellence till his retirement in 1993. The then Manager Very Rev.Fr.Enas Ottathengumkal played a key role in maintaining high standards in the College. Rev.Dr.Sebastian Alappattukunnel was appointed Principal of the college in 1993. He was a man of vision and foresight who had the innate desire to make the college a prestigious institution. It was during this period that the college was included under 2 (f) and 12-B of the UGC act of 1956 as a consequence of which the college secured financial assistance from the UGC. He introduced an innovative scheme for building a nexus with the community by establishing a Community Telecasting Centre by coordinating the cable network in the locality. It is the first of its kind in India. Besides the construction of a bridge over river Meenachil with Governmental support, an auditorium and the UGC sponsored Women’s hostel were constructed. During his period, the college was accredited by National Assessment and Accreditation council Bangalore, at the four-star level.
Prof. K.J.Devasia succeeded as the new Principal of the College in June 2001. During his term of office, the community Telecasting centre was able to find wider viewership with the optical cable link and the optical transmitters that were set up at the control room in the College. A well-equipped gymnasium was also set up at the College during his time. He retired from service on 31st March 2003. Very Rev.Fr.George Mulangattil, the then Manager of the College was a motivating force, a pillar of strength behind the growth of the institution. Prof. Lucikutty Jose served as Drawing and Disbursing officer during April-July 2003.Rev.Dr.Joseph K.M.Kollamparampil H.O.D.of Politics, Alphonsa College, Pala, took over as the Principal in July 2003. With the staunch support of the managers Very Rev. Fr. John Potheetel, Very Rev. Fr. Joseph Pampara, and Very Rev. Fr. Thomas Olickal he was able to bring great prestige and glory to the institution. It was during his tenure that an administrative block with a conference hall, seminar hall, and guest room was constructed. He materialised a long-cherished dream of constructing an amenity centre for students. He took the initiative to construct an extension block for the St. Mary’s Hostel with the assistance of the UGC. He secured a strong foundation for the institution when the NAAC team accredited the college at the A level in 2007. He retired from service in 2011 and is presently one of the Vicar Generals of the Diocese of Palai.
Very. Rev.Fr. Thomas Olickal took over as the Manager of the college in 2010 who was a very vibrant and able administrator. Dr. Ignatius Korah, HOD of the Dept. of Physics served as drawing and disbursing officer and Principal -in Charge during April - June 2011. Dr. Baby Sebastian, who was formerly the Principal of Pazhassiraja College, Pulpally was appointed as the new Principal in June 2011. The number of courses as well as the infrastructural facilities received a major fillip during his tenure, the realisation of the Golden Jubilee Block in 2015 being the landmark event in his glittering term. The institution is sure to make unprecedented progress during his tenure. Very Rev. Fr. Thomas Vedikunnel became the new manager of the college in 2015, infusing a fresh lease of conviction and spiritual energy into the life of the institution. The college was re-accredited with an ‘A’, by the NAAC team in 2016.
Dr. M. V. Georgekutty, the Head of the Department of Politics and a former student of the college, took over as Principal in 2016. In February 2017, Very Rev. Fr. George Pullukalayil assumed office as the Bursar of the college and the course coordinator of the Self-Financing wing. The academic year witnessed the smooth completion of the first cycle of Student Peer Teaching Platform (SPTP), the publication of the 17 volumes of The Companion, and the inauguration of the Faculty Research Development Programme (FRDP) and Departmental Research Development Programme (DRDP). The time was also marked by the introduction of the B.Voc course in Food Technology and Analysis in 2018. The college also received the Best NSS unit and the Best Programme officer awards at State Level. At the university level, the NSS unit also secured Moses Award for the Best unit. Moreover, the college also bagged the Best Principal and the Best Programme officer award and Certificate of Appreciation for volunteers at the University Level. Under the vigilant and prayerful care of the Manager, the academic vision and innovative spirit of the Principal, and the youthful energy, enthusiasm, and selfless devotion of the Bursar, the college forges ahead in its quest for greatness.
Dr. Reji Varghese Mekkaden assumed office as the Principal in 2019. Very. Rev. Dr. Augustine Palackaparambil took over as the Manager in the same year. The sheer perseverance and guidance of the Manager, Principal, and Bursar helped the college to sail through the roaring waves of the Covid-19 pandemic overcoming the spanner in the works. It was during this year of their guidance that the college bagged II prize in the Model Parliament Competition organized by the Institute of Parliamentary Affairs, Kerala. The college also received a grant from DST FIST in 2019. The year 2020 began with the inauguration of High tension electricity supply unit in the college. With the widespread outbreak of the pandemic, the College Hostel was offered as Covid First-Line Treatment Centre. The Foundation stone of the Library block and RUSA-funded Science Block was laid by His Excellency Mar. Joseph Kallarangattu in 2020. Mumtas S, a third-year student of BA English represented the youth of Kerala in the National Youth Parliament and bagged the admiration of Sri. Narendra Modi in 2021. The year was also marked by the inauguration of the Integrated MA Programme in languages.
In the beginning of 2020, when the Covid-19 pandemic brought the whole world to a halt placing the education system in bewilderment, the college, with the right kind of leadership, used the wide possibilities of various online platforms extensively for the smooth and effective conduct of classes. Ensuring the technological accessibility to all the students, the college conducted more than 100 National and International webinars on stress management, ecological conservation, skill and career development, and workshops. Many cultural and academic programmes, as well as Onam and Christmas celebrations, were conducted digitally despite the complexities of the times. Pandemime, the academic calendar which scripted the Georgian saga of resilience was released by Honourable Minister for Higher Education Prof. R Bindu in 2021. The college also assured a welcoming environment when the students returned to the campus for the offline classes in the same year. With his able stewardship SGC became a centre of excellence and Prof. Dr. Siby Joseph, a Senior faculty of the Department of Chemistry took over as Principal in 2022. Another milestone in the history of St. George’s College Aruvithura is the enriching presence of a Vice Principal and for the current academic year, Dr. Jilu Ani John, IQAC Coordinator and Head of the Department of English is appointed as the Vice Principal of the College.
Now the College offers instruction in Arts, Science, and Commerce. As of now, we have 15 undergraduate courses namely, Chemistry, Mathematics, Physics, Botany, Economics, Political Science, Commerce, English and Food Science and Quality Control (Self Financing) B.Com [Co-operation (SF)], BCA (SF), BA Mass Communication and Journalism and Five Post Graduate courses in Chemistry and Physics, Mathematics (SF), M.Com (SF), and M.Sc. Food Science and Technology (SF). An Integrated M.A. Programme in Languages English is also conducted here. The parents of students and the local population have been extending unconditional support for the onward progress of the College.
The College aims at the overall development of the students which would enable them to become ideal citizens of our country. The management, the faculty, and all the members of the non - teaching staff spare no pains to give all possible help for the spiritual, intellectual, moral, and academic excellence of the students put under the care of St. George, the Heavenly Patron.