National College, Tiruchirapalli came in to being in June, 1919, thanks to the munificence of the late Diwan Bahadur S. Rm. CT.Pethachi Chettiar, Zamaindar of Andipatti and the collective initiative and zeal of Justice T.V.Seshagiri Iyer, Sir. T.Desikachariar, N.D.Subbarama Iyer and Sri. Sivarama Krishna Iyer and a galaxy of eminent public men. The College has its origin in the National High School founded on 11th June 1886.
The founders conceived the idea of a National Institution to promote among the youth, the loftiest ideals that constitute the essence of Indian culture and nationalism. True to its name, National College continues to impart cultural values and fulfill its role as one of the country’s premiere nation-building institutions. Under the stewardship of eminent scholars and administrators as its principals and secretaries, the college has become a seat for higher education and has earned a reputation for its high educational standards.
The college functioned on the Teppakkulam campus for nearly four decades, starting from 1919. On July 8, 1959, the college started functioning from the present campus, close to the railway junction on the Tiruchirappalli- Dindigul Highway.
The college celebrated its golden jubilee in 1959. The Diamond Jubilee of the College was celebrated in the year 1980-81 under the presidentship of Hon’ble Shri R. Venkataraman, the most distinguished alumnus, the then Minister of Finance, Government of India, who later became the President of India. The Platinum Jubilee was celebrated in 1995 under the presidentship of Dr. V.R. Muthukaruppan, the then Vice-Chancellor of Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli.
The National Evening College emerged in 1978 to cater to the higher educational needs of employed youths. The ‘Evening College’ transitioned into the ‘Unaided Programmes’ in the academic year 2005–06. The ‘aided’ and the ‘unaided’ programs coexist now.
The college introduced a co-education pattern in the year 2007 to fulfill its social commitment to the education of girls in the area of higher education.
The college offers sixteen postgraduates and twenty-eight undergraduate programs, apart from job-oriented programs. Fifteen departments offer research programmes leading to Ph.D degree. The staff members vie with each other to produce quality research publications.
The National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), accredited the college at ‘A’ level in the first and second cycle (2005 & 2011), ‘A+” in the third cycle (2016) and ‘A’ level in the fourth cycle (2025).The University Grants Commission (UGC) conferred “Autonomous” status in 2010 and conferred the status of “College with Potential for Excellence” in 2011.The MHRD, Government of India, has identified the College under the Study in India (SII) Programme to admit foreign students in various academic programs.
The managing agency- National College council - was trifurcated in 2004 and the newly formed society namely “Academy of Higher Education” became the managing agency for the National College and Sesha Iyengar Memorial Higher Secondary School.
A new era of development started in the college from 2010 after Padma Vibhushan Dr. V. Krishnamurthy assumed office as the President of the College Committee. The ubiquitous infrastructure facility that dots the college campus now is the testimony to his selfless contribution. Recognizing his contribution, the name of managing agency was rechristened as “Dr. V. Krishnamurthy Educational Foundation” in 2017. The managing agency also started Rajam Krishnamurthy Public School in the year 2019.
The College celebrated the Centenary Year with all grandeur under the presidentship of Dr. V. Krishnamurthy. The celebration comprised a number of events and spanned the whole academic year 2019–2020.
The Hon’ble Vice President of India Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu inaugurated the Centenary Celebrations on January 10, 2020. It was a momentous occasion for students, staff, alumni and retired staff who gathered there in several thousands.
The college is now being managed by a committee consisting of fourteen members with Sri. Jayakar Krishnamurthy as its president and Sri K. Raghunathan as its secretary. The college has 253 faculty members, 84 supporting staff, and 4090 students.
The management is envisioned to provide a wholesome education from Pre-KG class to Ph.D degree under the auspicious of “Dr. V. Krishnamurthy Educational Foundation”.
