Maharajah's college (Autonomous)

Maharajah's College, or M. R. College, is an autonomous institution situated in Vizianagaram, Andhra Pradesh. It began as a middle school in 1857, was upgraded to a high school in 1868, and became a college in 1879 under the University of Madras, under the leadership of Principal C. Chandrasekhara Sastri, Professor of English and Sanskrit. The college was founded by Sir Pusapati Vijayarama Gajapathi Raju, the 9th Maharajah of Vizianagram, and further developed with the aid of the 10th Maharajah, Sir Pusapati Ananda Gajapathi Raju. Today, it operates 21 departments offering 19 undergraduate and postgraduate courses in arts and science, affiliated to Andhra University, with about 150 staff members and an annual intake of around 2,192 students in 2009. The campus spans 18 acres with six buildings covering 115,307 sq ft, including a central library with over 50,000 books, 14 departmental libraries, seminar halls, a health centre, hostels, sports facilities, and a gymnasium. The Union Bank of India once had a branch on campus. The Maharajah's College Old Students' Association (MRCOSA) has functioned since the college's founding, was revived when the college became autonomous in 1987, and was integrated into the college in 1993.