▁a ▁time - line ▁of ▁the ▁college - history ▁would ▁be ▁very ▁exact ing ▁and ▁vol umin ous ▁a ▁task ▁if ▁undert aken ▁seriously . ▁As ▁one ▁among ▁the ▁first ▁four ▁Indian ▁Edu c ational ▁Institution s ▁started ▁by ▁the ▁British , ▁since ▁ 1 9 th ▁century , ▁the ▁pro - form ▁of ▁that ▁college ▁school ▁was ▁a ▁true ▁prec ursor ▁to ▁University ▁Education ▁in ▁South ▁India . ▁Government ▁Arts ▁College ▁( Aut onom ous ) ▁K umb ak on am ▁of ▁today ▁with ▁an ▁ancest ry ▁d ating ▁back ▁to ▁ 1 8 5 4 ▁is ▁far ▁senior ▁and ▁her ▁ses qu ic ent enn ial ▁is ▁at ▁hand ! ▁She ▁is ▁the ▁proud ▁Al ma ▁M ater ▁of ▁her ▁Al umn i ▁with ▁mer it ▁and ▁genius ▁deser ving ▁world - ren own : ▁Not ▁a ▁few ▁are ▁the ▁names ▁that ▁are ▁on ▁the ▁lips ▁of ▁the ▁learned ▁as ▁and ▁when ▁the ▁college ▁is ▁re called . ▁Mathemat ical ▁w izard ▁S rin iv asa ▁Ram an uj an , ▁Silver - T ong ue ▁S rin iv asa ▁S ast ri , ▁T amil ▁Sav ant ▁Th y agar aja ▁Ch ett iar , ▁Th am iz h - tha ath aa ▁Grand ▁S ire ▁Dr . U . ▁V . ▁Sw amin ath a ▁I yer , ▁em inent ▁Princi p als ▁like ▁Bilder Be ck , ▁G op al ▁R ao , ▁Dr . ▁A . ▁V . ▁G op al ach ari yar , ▁R .