First in Kerala - Education, Press & Literature
This post discusses the second part of the comprehensive list of First in Kerala. First in Kerala is an important topic for various PSC exams. 

The list includes the visionaries and extraordinary people of Kerala in the field of Education, Press & Literature, and we also tried to include previous year PSC questions related to this topic.

Education, Press & Literature

Education

  • First State to achieve Total Literacy in India – Kerala (April 18, 1991).
  • First Fully Literate Municipal Town in Kerala – Kottayam (June 25, 1989).
  • First District in India to achieve Total Literacy – Ernakulam (Feb. 4, 1990). 
  • First Village to achieve 100% Literacy in India – Pothanikkad village (Ernakulam).
  • First Education Minister – Joseph Mundassery.
  • First English School in Kerala – Mattancherry (1818).
    • First English school in Ernakulam started during the rule of – Gouri Parvathi Bai. 
  • First Girl's High School in South India – Holy Angels Convent (1888).
  • First College in Kerala – CMS College, Kottayam (1817).
  • First University of Kerala – Kerala University (1937).
  • First Deemed University of Kerala – Kerala Kalamandalam Deemed Cultural University.
  • First Medical College in Kerala – Thiruvananthapuram.
    • First Private Medical College in Kerala – T.D. Medical College, Alappuzha.
  • First Homeopathic Medical College in Kerala – Thiruvananthapuram.
  • First Engineering College in Kerala – Thiruvananthapuram.
    • First Private Engineering College in Kerala – T.K.M. Engineering College.
    First in Kerala-Static GK for PSC
  • First Sanskrit College – Thiruvananthapuram.
  • First Person who won D.Lit at Kerala University – Sir C.P. Ramaswami.
  • First Vice-Chancellor of the University of Kerala – John Matthai.
  • First Malayali Member of UPSC of Kerala – Dr. K.G. Adiyodi.
  • First Digital University in India (Kerala as well) – Kerala University of Digital Sciences, Innovation, and Technology (KUDSIT).
    • Location – Technocity, Mangalapuram,  Thonnakkal, Thiruvananthapuram.

Press & Literature

  • First Printing Press in Kerala – C.M.S Press.
  • First Press in India where Malayalam was printed – Courier Printing Office, Bombay.
  • First Printed Book – Tamil translation of Doctrina Christum (authored by Portuguese missionary St. Francis Xavier, 1578 in Ambazhakkad).
  • First Book Printed in Malayalam – Samkshepa Vedartham (സംക്ഷേപവേദാര്‍ത്ഥം, 1772). 
  • First Book Printed in Malayalam in Kerala – Hortus Malabaricus.
  • First Known Malayalam Grammar Book – Lilathilakam (Written in Sanskrit, Author unknown 14th Century).
  • First Malayalam Grammar Book was written by a foreigner – Fr. Anjalose Francis (Hungarian Priest, written in Sanskrit, 1710).
  • First Scientific Book on Malayalam Grammar was written by – Herman Gundert (1851).
  • First Collection of Malayalam Poems – Vellinakshtram (M.P. Appan).
  • First Newspaper – Rajya Samacharam (1847).
  • First Newspaper in Malabar – Kerala Patrika.
  • First Atheist/Rational Newspaper in Kerala – Yuktivadi (1930).  
  • First Malayalam Newspaper published from Cochin – Paschima Tharaka (1864).
  • First Malayalam Newspaper to be banned in Kerala by the Travancore Government – Sandishtavadi (1867, started by W.H.Moor). 
  • First Newspaper in Malayalam to start an Online Edition – Deepika.
  • First Malayalam Daily – Deepika.
  • First Novel – Kundalatha (1887, Appu Nedungadi).
  • First Malayali Novelist – Appu Nedungadi.
  • First Progressive Writer in Malayalam – K. Damodaran.
  • First Detective Novel in Malayalam – Bhaskaramenon (Appan Thampuran, 1924).
  • First Malayalam Audio Novel – Ithanente Peru (ഇതാണെന്റെ പേര് – Paul Zakariya).
  • First Short Story in Malayalam – Vasanavikruti (Vengayil Kunhiraman Nayanar, 1891).
  • First Drama – Manipravala Shakunthalam (Kerala Varma Valiya Koi Thampuran, 1882).
  • First Work on the History of Malayalam literature  ‘Malayala Bhasha Charithram’ was written by – P. Govinda Pillai. 
  • First Library – Thiruvananthapuram (1829, by Swathi Thirunal).
  • First Publishing Company – ST Reddiar & Sons (1886, Kollam).
  • First Autobiographer in Malayalam – Vaikkathu Pachumoothathu.
  • First Malayalam News Magazine – Kavana Kaumudi.
  • First Medical Science Magazine – Dhanwanthiri.
  • First Printed Magazine in the Malayalam language – Njananikshepam (ജ്ഞാനനിക്ഷേപം,1848).
  • First Women’s Magazine in Malayalam – Keraleeya Suguna Bodhini (Trivandrum, 1886).
  • First Women’s Magazine Weekly in Malayalam discussing women's rights – Shrimati.
    • First Women’s magazine weekly in Malayalam was published by – Anna Chandy.  
  • First Sports Magazine – Herald Sports (BP Moideen, Mukkam Kozhikode).
  • First Malayalam Journal from Travancore – Gnana Nikshepam (1848).
  • First Malayalam Book on Journalism – Vrithantha Pathrapravarthanam (വൃത്താന്ത പത്രപ്രവർത്തനം, Swadeshabhimani Ramakrishna Pillai).
    • First Malayalam biography of Karl Marx was written by – Swadeshabhimani K. Ramakrishna Pillai.
  • First Travelogue in Malayalam – Varthamanappusthakam (1785, Paremmakkal Thoma Kathanar).  
  • First President of Kerala Sahitya Academy – Sardar K.M. Panicker.

📝SideNotes:

  • *C.M.S Press – established in 1821 by Rev. Benjamin Baily (British missionary) at Chalukunnu, Kottayam.
  • *CMS College – First Western-style (arts) college in India founded by the Church Missionary Society of England, in 1817, first principal - Rev. Benjamin Bailey, Patron - Col. John Munro (East India Company Resident & Dewan of Travancore).
  • Hortus Malabaricus – 7th Century book published by Dutch on Medicinal Plants. Authors - Hendrik van Rheede & Itti Achuthen.
    • "Hortus Malabaricus” the contribution of – Dutch.  
  • Father of Malayalam Journalism – Chengalathu Kunhirama Menon.
  • Father of the Library Movement in Kerala – P. N. Panicker.
  • Samkshepa Vedartham– Printed in Rome by Clement Pianius.
  • *Rajya Samacharam – established by Dr. Herman Gundert, 1847. Started publishing from Illikkunnu (Illikunnel), in Thalassery. (Previous Year PSC Question – Care Taker-Male, Social Justice, 2018, HSST History( Junior), Higher Secondary Education, 2018)
  • *K. Damodaran – author of Pattabaakki.
  • *Njananikshepam (ജ്ഞാനനിക്ഷേപം) – eight-page magazine, first published in 1848, printed at the C.M.S. Press, Kottayam under the leadership of Arch Deacon Koshy & the Reverend George Mathen. Now published by the Madhya Kerala Diocese of Church of South India.
  • *Keraleeya Suguna Bodhini – Kerala Varma Valiya Koyi Thampuran, N.C. Narayana Pillai and K. Chidambaram Vadhyar.
The post "First in Kerala" is a very vast topic, so we'll be updating it frequently.


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