51 Special Features of Calicut REC Campus

Calicut REC campus  has  several geographical  peculiarities. Because of these, the residents had  several  difficulties. REC  campus  is located at a distance  of 22 KMs  from city. This  makes it almost impossible for someone to reach the campus  from the city after  930PM  and before 5AM by public conveyances. Taxi and auto charges are very high and there is no fixed charges as they charge as they please depending on the person travelling. Even when the bus fare was Rs.1.40, taxis   demanded something like Rs.300/ for the trip. Very few persons ventured to travel by auto-rikshaw  for this distance. Therefore, those who reach the city after 10PM  had no other way other than spend the time  in the railway station, bus stand  or take a room in a hotel to spend the night. 

Calicut  Medical College  is located at a distance of 8KMs and even the Centre for Water Resources Development and Management (CWRDM)  is located at 13KMs from the city. If REC was located at a reasonable distance like these  two, lot of difficulties must have  been  avoided. It seems originally, the site   now used by CWRDM  was being considered for REC. It is heard that this  400 acre stretch of land was chosen on the special  interests of the local MLA Smt.Leela Damodara Menon . Anyway, now the campus development   has reached  a saturation level as no  further  area is available for acquirement.

Another  major  problem is the  Calicut Mukkam road running right through  the cent centre  of  the  campus . This  makes it possible  for those  living  near the campus  to freely roam around the campus. There were a  few  cases  of attempts  to snatch gold  chains from ladies  while getting down  from the bus.   In order to   divert public vehicles from the campus road to the road on the side of the campus, quite an area of the campus land was  surrendered to widen the side road but  due to opposition  from the public this  could not be done.  Again, about 10 acres of land was given for starting the Centre for Electronics and Development (CEDT) which has been renamed as  National Institute  of Electronics and Information Technology – NIELIT. When  this area was  acquired and  given to  REC , the campus  became further divided  because  of another road  from Kattangal  to Koduvally  on the East side of the campus. Now  the campus is in three  segments because of the two  public roads running through the  campus. The  REC/ NIT  Campus  is thus an open campus with  very poor campus security. There  is no entry point  to the campus  or exit point from the campus. Calicut Mukkam road divides the residential area from the academic area. Even building a compound wall surrounding the  campus was opposed to by the public. Part of the area allotted to the college was lost by encroachment from those staying nearby. Significant areas of land were given to the  REC Campus School, Post Office and State  Bank of India which has  open access to the public. 

Chathamangalam panchayat  is one of the  richest  ones because of the professional tax collected from the large number of employees in the college. In spite of this, the local people are not ready to sacrifice  even small things  for the  campus residents. Even catching the stray dogs when they are too many and menacing  is  not being done  by the panchayat. REC provides employment to large number of local people directly and indirectly, but the attitude  of the  local people to the campus residents are  far from being sympathetic.  There are occasions when the same item is sold to a campus resident at a much higher price than that  collected from a local  person. It is unfortunate that the public wants every benefit from the college  but they are ready to give nothing in return. Even the attitude of the locals to the campus residents is one of contempt or jealousy than one of coexistence or sympathy.

As the  REC  Govt High school did  not have any English medium  wing in the beginning and the  standard  of the school left  much to be desired, many  campus children were studying in the schools in Calicut city like  Providence  Girls High School, Silver Hills Public School  or St. Josephs  Boys  or Girls’ High  Schools.  College bus  is plying   in the morning and evening for  taking the children to schools in the city and back.  Of late, as the campus shopping complex has been updated , most of the essential things are  available there so that   travel to the city  is required only  occasionally for  seeing some specialist doctors  or seeing  newly released movies. Nowadays most  of the residents  have their own vehicles but  in the 70s and 80s very few  had vehicles of their own except Prof  Sankaran Nair, K P Sam, Sri.K V K Sir etc. Even among these, only Prof Sankaran Nair was the person  making a trip to Calicut  every Saturday with family  for purchase and  movies. Now,  Kunnamangalam and Mukkam  have developed as  mini-towns,   many items  can be  purchased  from  these places and there is no need to go to  the city. 

Students hostel for men students are  on the academic area   but the ladies hostels are  located  inside the residential area where  the teachers  live. Nowadays, as the campus have spread, college  bus is being run for the girl students  to be taken to the institute  and back  in the morning, lunch break and evening. A college canteen is available for those who are interested in taking   something extra if they are not satisfied by the food from the hostel mess. Unfortunately, even this canteen is open to the public and recently N.I.T  is in the news due to a chain killer lady regularly visiting this canteen for taking food. A mini -canteen is available for those  in the men’s hostel  for some extra  nourishment  in odd hours .

 In the shopping complex, there is an Employees Coop Stores supplying almost everything required for the staff and students. There are shops selling cool drinks and bakery items and a ration shop. During the  time of new admission, a branch of the Coop Stores  is set up in the A hostel where essential things for the freshers like  mattresses, buckets and other stationery  items are  made available. In general, the campus has become more or less self-sufficient in all aspects.