Vice President C. P. Radhakrishnan on Saturday hailed the 100-year journey of St. Berchmans College as a “saga of nation-building and character formation” while addressing the valedictory function of its centenary celebrations. Calling the visit special, he noted it was his third trip to the State since assuming office and remarked that “Kerala has become Keralam,” reflecting the region’s strong cultural identity and pride.

Founded in 1922 during the colonial era, the institution emerged as a centre of intellectual awakening, the Vice President said. “A 100-year-old college is not just a campus of classrooms and corridors. For a century, it has silently yet steadily contributed to nation-building,” he observed, underscoring the role of higher education in shaping both individuals and society.

Highlighting the college’s distinguished alumni, he referred to legendary actor Prem Nazir, former Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, and noted writer and former Chief Minister M. T. Vasudevan Nair. Producing two Chief Ministers, he said, stands as one of the institution’s significant contributions to the State’s development.

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Emphasising that education is the most powerful tool for transformation, Radhakrishnan urged students to pursue lifelong learning and mutual respect. He stressed that the era when education merely produced clerks for colonial administration is over, calling instead for a focus on research and technological innovation. “The time of adopting technology is over. We must become creators of technology so that the world adopts what we produce,” he said, linking the message to the vision of a developed India under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Invoking the college motto, Caritas Vera Nobilitas (Charity is True Nobility), he encouraged students to give back to society, noting that charity extends beyond money to include time, guidance and compassion. During the ceremony, he inaugurated the Berchmans Centre for Emerging Technologies and the Dr. K. M. Abraham Centre for Energy and Environment. The event was attended by Kerala Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, Union Minister of State Suresh Gopi, and other dignitaries.

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