The newly constructed Student Service Centre at Pondicherry University was inaugurated by Shri R. Venkataramani, Attorney General for India. On the occasion, the Centre was officially named as Tiruppur Kumaran Student Service Centre (TKSSC), in honour of the eminent youth icon and freedom fighter Tiruppur Kumaran.

The inauguration took place in the presence of Prof. Srikrishna Deva Rao, Vice-Chancellor, NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad; Prof. P. Prakash Babu, Vice-Chancellor, Pondicherry University; Prof. Tharaniukkarasu, Director, Directorate of Studies; Prof. Y. Venkata Rao, Dean–Students’ Welfare; Dr. Rajneesh Anupam and Dr. Retu Tyagi, Deputy Deans–Students’ Welfare; Deans, Heads of Departments, Faculty Members, Officers, Students, and Staff of the Engineering Wing.

Tiruppur Kumaran, a freedom fighter from Erode, Tamil Nadu, founded the Desa Bandhu Youth Association and actively participated in protests against British rule. He attained martyrdom at the young age of 28 on January 11, 1932, after sustaining injuries during a police assault on the banks of the Noyyal River in Tiruppur, while taking part in a protest march against the British Government.

At the time of his death, he was holding the Indian national flag, which had been banned by the British. This act of courage earned him the enduring Tamil epithet “Kodi Kaatha Kumaran,” meaning “Kumaran who protected the flag.” In recognition of his contribution to the freedom struggle, India Post issued a commemorative postal stamp in October 2004 on his birth centenary. It is also noteworthy that Tiruppur Kumaran hails from the native place of the Vice-President of India, Thiru C. P. Radhakrishnan.

Located opposite the Rajiv Gandhi Cricket Stadium, the TKSSC is intended to enhance students’ campus life by providing all essential services at a single location. It is an integrated institutional facility established to offer comprehensive academic, administrative, personal, and welfare-related services to students under one roof.

The Centre will serve as a single point of contact for students throughout their academic journey from admission and enrolment to graduation, career placement, and alumni engagement. It is designed to create a supportive, inclusive, safe, and student-friendly environment that promotes academic excellence, mental well-being, employability, leadership, and holistic development. In this regard, the TKSSC represents an important component of student-centric governance at Pondicherry University.

Offices concerned with student services, including the Office of the Chief Warden, Placement Cell, Dean–Students’ Welfare, Proctorial Board, and nearly a dozen other essential student-support cells, are housed in the TKSSC to cater to the diverse needs of students. The concept of bringing all student-related services under one roof was conceived, developed, and purposefully designed by Prof. P. Prakash Babu, Vice-Chancellor, Pondicherry University, keeping in view the welfare and convenience of all students.

The TKSSC features a semi-closed amphitheatre with a stage and seating capacity for approximately 500 persons, which will serve as a venue for student gatherings, meetings, and cultural programmes. Two food outlets have also been provided around the amphitheatre. In addition, the Centre includes a common mini-round-table seminar hall for conducting meetings and academic discussions.

The establishment of the Tiruppur Kumaran Student Service Centre marks a significant step by Pondicherry University towards strengthening student welfare, improving access to institutional services, and fostering an enabling campus environment for holistic student development.

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