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History

In the early part of the 20th century, when the activities of the Nair Service Society (NSS) was limited to running a few schools, students desiring higher education had to depend on just 4 colleges in Travancore. The then Maharajas college (University College),Trivandrum and 3 other colleges belonging to the Christian community at Changanacherry, Kottayam and Aluva. 

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The urgent need experienced by the Nair community at that time therefore happened to be accommodation of their wards particularly in Trivandrum while undertaking University education, as the only hostel of Maharajas College had to accommodate, not only students from that college, but also from Engineering College, Law College, Sanskrit College, Training College and College of Ayurveda. Most of the Nair students were managing to get accommodation in houses of relatives or friends of their parents or in the so-called lodges run by private individuals.

 

This unhealthy environment proved to be detrimental to the education of even young and promising students. Sensing this problem a few well-meaning prominent Nairs organised a Nair Union Society. A site in survey numbers 2717 and 2721/4/AB covering an extent of 1.32 acres by the side of Oorumadam road in Kunnukuzhy, Vanchiyoor village (walking distance from the Maharaja’s College), with an old Bungalow and out-house was partly purchased and partly leased from Narayanan Menon, Retd. Division Peshkar on Malayalam era 1097 Dhanu 20 (1922 January 3) Kandanattuveedu. These premises were utilized to run the hostel with limited number of inmates but exceedingly well. Later this land was converted in the name of Nair Union Society as per patta No.SM 11/90 of the Land Tribunal, Trivandrum. 

The Hostel

A building with 40 rooms was thereafter constructed, as the demand for accommodation increased, by collecting donations from well wishers and friends by 1950. 

 

Though the society begins with the caption 'Nair Union', as the land is in the name of the society, it always used to accommodate students from other communities including Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribes, Christians, Ezhavas. Non-Nair students exceed more than the number of Nair students. With the change in the policy of Government on privatization of Technical Education like Medical Colleges and Engineering Colleges, the demand for hostel accommodation happened to be on the increase. 

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The Nair Union Hostel Mess is managed by the students through elected mess secretaries on a monthly basis, while all facilities for the hostel is provided by the Society. The cost is met on a sharing basis.

 

Besides providing accommodation to students on concessional basis (and not on cost basis), with available funds, the society is engaged in other charitable activities too.

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  • Meeting the entire cost of education of deserving poor girls undergoing nursing course (three year) at KIMS School of Nursing.

  • Contribution to the Cancer Care Service, a private agency headed by Smt. Lalithambika IAS (Rtd) for the welfare of cancer patients at Regional Cancer Centre, Trivandrum

  • An amount of Rs 25000/- donated last year to a graduate girl from scheduled caste towards her marriage expenses

  • An about of Rs.25000/- was donated to a school for the blind.  

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As a gesture to senior citizens, a small organization 'Vishranthi' (majority of whom are retired government servants) are provided the Sathram Hall free of cost, for their meetings every month along with Kitchen facilities for lunch for the day.  

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This institution originally started functioning under the name 'Nair Union Committee', even before the Travancore Cochin Charitable Society Act came into existence. It was registered as a charitable society under the Travancore Cochin Literary Scientific and Charitable Societies Act 1955, with register number 873/88 and was continuing its function without any additional developments except the modernization and expansion of the hostel.

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As one of the oldest institutions in Trivandrum run by a society other than the Nair Service Society, under a governing body elected by the general body, the hostel gained an excellent reputation for disciplined and decent accommodation. Eminent inmates included Changampuzha Krishna Pillai, Prof. S Guptan Nair, political leader N Sreekantan Nair, T M Jacob and judges like Kurian Joseph. As the hostel was run on no-profit no-loss basis, the hostel society was starving for funds for expansion and improvement of facilities.

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As kitchen, dining hall, bathrooms, toilets, washing sheds etc  were located in separate buildings, the entire compound was full of old buildings, the organization desired to integrate all the facilities in to one hostel building.  As adequate funds were not available, Shri. C M Radhakrishnan Nair, Secretary to Government of India (Rtd), volunteered to provide a donation of Rs. 50 lakhs, which enabled the hostel to modernize, build additional rooms and integrate all the facilities to one building, thus gaining land space for further utilisation. In token of gratitude, the society named the new building Padmaja Nair Memorial Hostel.

 

Now, the hostel has 130 students living in reasonable comfort, in single and double rooms. The new construction also has a waste disposal arrangement, converting waste to fuel for the kitchen. This committee known as the governing body, has secured permission from the income tax department for acceptance of donation with no liability of tax and separate exemption and for 50% deduction of the contribution to the society exempted from the donor’s tax liability.

 

Click to view copies of the orders.

 

We are applying for permission to the foreign exchange departments for accepting foreign exchange donations for the envisaged new Project Home Away From Home.

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The land for the project is available. We are presenting a visual concept of the proposed project.  We are obliged to undertake the project as the number of ageing parents staying alone, as their children occupying enviable positions abroad or outside Kerala are not in a position to be with them. A faithful servant is a rare commodity in modern Kerala. The goverment sponsored, supported and owned Old Age Homes do not provide comfortable accommodation, food, and facilities for old people retiring from high positions and who had a luxurious life. To provide top class facilities for entertainment, indoor games, health-care treatments, library, ambulance etc. is our desire.

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The video will provide you an insight into our concept of a Home Away From Home. We hope, on the strength of our nearly 10-decade-old performance, reputation that has been built, reasonable response will be forthcoming to enable us complete this dream project.

 

You are welcome to contact us for further details.

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Expansion

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