Sree Sankara College was founded in the year 1954 by Swami Agamananda, an educationist and foresighted scholar of Sri Ramakrishna Advaita Ashram. The institution has established a niche of its own in the generation and dissemination of knowledge, imparting multiple skill development, and above all, serving the community in and around Kalady, the birth place of Adi Sankara, which stretches to an area of 9 Grama Panchayaths. Though the annual income of the parents of more than 70 per cent of the students ( Socially and Economically Backward Classes – SEBC) is still below Rs.25,000/-, every year the college produces 4-6 University Ranks at the UG level and 6-8 Ranks in the PG programmes. Since women constitute 61 per cent of the total student strength, the college is instrumental in the direction of the upliftment and empowerment of women, especially from the rural and backward areas. Educate a woman and educate the society is the inspiring thought behind this. The institution has always shown self-reflexivity, readiness to be evaluated and fervor for quality enhancement.

Affiliation

The institution became a First Grade college in 1956, and was affiliated to the then Travancore University. Later it became a part of Kerala University. It got UGC recognition in 1957 under 2 ( f ), 12 ( B ). The Sringeri Mutt took over the administration of the college in 1960. At present the college is affiliated to Mahatma Gandhi University. The college volunteered to be assessed and accredited by NAAC in 1999. The Peer Team visited the campus for validation of the Self-Study Report on 31st July, 1st and 2nd August 2000 and accredited the college with a Four Star Status.

Sister Concerns

The Adi Sankara Trust under the patronage of Sringeri Jgadguru expanded the educational activities by starting

	Sree Sarada Vidyalaya (CBSE Higher Secondary School) in the year 1993,
	Adi Shankara Institute of Engineering and Technology in the year 2000,
	and Adi Shankara Training College in 2005

The Founder

Kalady occupies a prominent place in the world map owing to the Sree Rama Krishna Advaita Ashram, the educational institutions, and the orphanages that were established by Sree Agamanada Swamikal. His untiring oratory, his emphatic articles and social commitment paved the way for a platform for the Ritual of Karma, where one could sow the seeds for a cultural and moral environment, and thus was born Sree Sankara College. More than a saint who founded the Sree Rama Krishna Advaita Ashram, a scholar, and a true follower of Sree Narayana Guru, he was a yogi, who tried hard to realize the developmental dreams of Kalady by inviting the attention of the civic authorities and the community at large. Most of the modern symbols of pride of Kalady – be it the Sree Sankara group of educational institutions, Sree Sankara Bridge across the river Purna [Periyar], or the spiritual renaissance promoted by the ashram in the State – are deeply indebted to the promoter Agamananda Swamigal, the great seer of recent times. His prominent works include Brahmanandeeyam, Sree Sankaracharyar, Narayana Guru, Keralathinte Bhavi, Bharatheeya Vidya Bhashyam etc. His lectures, delivered all across the State during his travels to motivate the communities to attain education, have been anthologized as Veeravani. One cardinal contribution of Swamikal was the relentless struggles that he initiated for the upliftment of the Harijans and the other socially and economically backward communities.