President Droupadi Murmu will be the chief guest at the platinum jubilee ceremony of the Autonomous College of St. Tomáš in Pala, which will be held on Thursday.
The President will unveil the commemorative plaque of the upcoming Platinum Jubilee Block at a function presided over by Mar Joseph Kallarangatt, Bishop of Pala Diocese and Patron of the College. The meeting will be chaired by Vicar General and Headmaster Joseph Thadathil, Headmistress Sibi James, Vice Chancellor Reverend Salvin Thomas Kappiliparambil and Bursar Reverend Mathew Alappattumedayil.
In view of the President’s visit to Kumarakom and Pala on Thursday, the cities of Kottayam and Pala have come under a tight security blanket for the next few days. The district administration and police have deployed nearly 2,000 security personnel, established no-fly zones and imposed traffic control in view of her visit.
The President, who will be staying in Thiruvananthapuram after his darshan at the Sabarimala temple, will arrive at the St Thomas College grounds at 3.50 pm on Thursday to attend the valedictory function of the college’s platinum jubilee celebrations. After the one-hour program at the college, the President will reach Kottayam by helicopter from Pala. From there he will take the road to Kumarakom. The President will arrive at Kumarakom Taj Resort at 6.20 pm, have dinner and rest there. He will take a helicopter to Ernakulam on Friday at 11 am.
According to officials, three levels of security will be in place for the president during his visit. The first layer of security will be provided by the National Security Guard (NSG) commandos, while the second layer will be provided by the Central Armed Police. The state police will form the third layer of security.
As part of the security measures, District Collector Chetan Kumar Meena has imposed a ban on helicopters, drones, micro-light aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles at various centers in the district from 12 noon on Thursday to 12 noon on Friday.
The ban applies in the airspace of Kottayam Police Parade Ground, Pala St. Thomas College, Pala Municipal Stadium, CMS College Ground, Nehru Stadium, Kumarakom Taj Hotel and other helipads in the district and nearby places.
The Deputy Director of Education, Kottayam, informed that due to the security and traffic arrangements being made in various parts of the district on Thursday and Friday, the arrangements will be made during school working hours. On Thursday, all schools in the district are expected to close before 3 p.m. On Friday, all schools in Kottayam taluk should start functioning before 8.30 am
Published – 22 Oct 2025 20:13 IST
