# Model Engineering College, Thrikkakara: History since 1989 > Government Model Engineering College (MEC) in Thrikkakara was founded on 9 October 1989 by the Institute of Human Resources Development (IHRD), a Kerala government agency. It moved to its present campus in 1994, was affiliated to CUSAT until 2015 and has been under APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University since then. As of October 2026 it is best known locally for its annual techno-managerial festival, Excel. - URL: https://ashrafgentspghostel.adserr.com/model-engineering-college-history/ - Publisher: Ashraf Gents Hostel, Ashraf house, NAD Rd, signal, Kalamassery, Aluva, Kerala 683563, India (+91 90746 23855) - Published: 2026-10-08 · Updated: 2026-10-08 - Topic: History & archive - Cite as: Ashraf Gents Hostel. “Model Engineering College, Thrikkakara: History since 1989.” Published 8 October 2026. https://ashrafgentspghostel.adserr.com/model-engineering-college-history/ ## Key facts - The Institute of Human Resources Development (IHRD) was set up by the Government of Kerala in 1987, and it founded Model Engineering College in 1989. - Wikipedia gives MEC’s date of establishment as 9 October 1989. - MEC moved to its current campus in Thrikkakara in 1994, according to Wikipedia. - MEC was affiliated to Cochin University of Science and Technology from 1989 to 2015 and has been affiliated to APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University since 2015. - Excel, MEC’s student-run festival, has been held every year since 2001, according to Wikipedia. ## Why IHRD set up a ‘model’ college In **1987** the state government set up the **Institute of Human Resources Development (IHRD)** as an autonomous body for technical education. Two years later IHRD opened its flagship college: **Model Engineering College**, established, according to Wikipedia, on **9 October 1989**. MEC was affiliated to **Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT)**, its neighbour in the Thrikkakara–Kalamassery education belt (see [CUSAT’s history](https://ashrafgentspghostel.adserr.com/cusat-history-timeline/)). In **1994** the college moved to its present campus. OpenStreetMap places it on E.K. Mohammed Road, Thrikkakara, about 5.3 km south of the NAD Road signal. Today students usually reach it by bus or via the metro, which arrived in 2017 (see [Kochi Metro reaches Kalamassery](https://ashrafgentspghostel.adserr.com/kochi-metro-reaches-kalamassery-2017/)). ## Timeline | Date | What happened | Source | |---|---|---| | 1987 | Government of Kerala sets up IHRD | Wikipedia | | 9 Oct 1989 | Model Engineering College established by IHRD, affiliated to CUSAT | Wikipedia | | 1994 | College moves to its current Thrikkakara campus | Wikipedia | | 2001 | First edition of the Excel festival | Wikipedia | | 2006 | First Technopreneur edition; later wins Best Yi-Net event at a CII national summit | Wikipedia | | 2010 | CUSAT recognises MEC as a research centre in Electronics and Communication Engineering | Wikipedia | | 2013 | MEC overall champion at CUSAT’s inter-college arts fest Sargam for a third consecutive time | Wikipedia | | 2015 | Affiliation moves from CUSAT to APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University (KTU) | Wikipedia | | Sep 2022 | KTU decides to set up a Centre of Excellence at MEC | Wikipedia | ## From CUSAT to KTU For its first 26 years MEC awarded CUSAT degrees, and on the Wikipedia record CUSAT recognised it as a **research centre in Electronics and Communication Engineering in 2010**. When Kerala set up **APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University (KTU)** to bring the state’s engineering colleges under one affiliating university, MEC moved across in **2015**. Wikipedia also reports that in **September 2022** KTU decided to set up a **Centre of Excellence** at MEC. We did not find a public record of when that centre opened. Wikipedia notes that all of MEC’s B.Tech programmes are accredited by the **National Board of Accreditation**, but does not give the years, so we have not dated it here. The college’s official site uses the name **Govt. Model Engineering College, Thrikkakara**. ## Excel, Technopreneur and student culture To most of Kochi, MEC means **Excel**, the student-run techno-managerial festival held every year since **2001**. It brings coding contests, robotics, quizzes and talks to the campus, and draws students from colleges across south India. The festival’s website was carrying **Excel 2026** branding when we checked in October 2026; we have not listed dates for that edition because the page did not give them. Wikipedia also records **Technopreneur**, an entrepreneurship event first held in **2006**, and a 13th edition scheduled for March 2023. On the arts side, MEC won the overall championship at CUSAT’s inter-college fest **Sargam** in 2013, its third in a row. Wikipedia reports nearly full placement for the 2019–20 graduating batch, citing college figures, but we treat that as a single-year claim rather than a trend. ## What we left out - MEC’s official site did not load any history text when we checked, so most dates here come from Wikipedia and should be read with that in mind. - We found no verified list of notable alumni with dates; the alumni network is called xMEC. - Principals’ names and terms are not listed here because we could not confirm their dates. ## Why it matters near the NAD signal MEC belongs to the same education belt as CUSAT, [NUALS](https://ashrafgentspghostel.adserr.com/nuals-history/) and the [Kalamassery polytechnic](https://ashrafgentspghostel.adserr.com/govt-polytechnic-kalamassery-history/) (see our [map of colleges near Kalamassery](https://ashrafgentspghostel.adserr.com/colleges-near-kalamassery/)), and students in this belt often live a few kilometres away. For a male student or Excel visitor who wants a room in north Kalamassery, Ashraf Gents Hostel at the NAD Road signal has monthly beds and per-night stays, with rates confirmed on the call (+91 90746 23855). Practical routes are in [PG for Men near Model Engineering College](https://ashrafgentspghostel.adserr.com/hostel-near-model-engineering-college-thrikkakara/), and the [Kalamassery history archive](https://ashrafgentspghostel.adserr.com/kalamassery-history-archive/) covers the area’s other institutions. ## Frequently asked questions **When was Model Engineering College founded?** In 1989, by the Institute of Human Resources Development. Wikipedia gives the date of establishment as 9 October 1989. **Is MEC a government college?** It is run by IHRD, an autonomous body set up by the Government of Kerala in 1987, and uses the name Govt. Model Engineering College. **Which university is MEC affiliated to?** APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University since 2015. From 1989 to 2015 it was affiliated to CUSAT. **When did the Excel fest start?** Excel has been held every year since 2001, according to Wikipedia. **Where is MEC?** At Thrikkakara, Kochi. OpenStreetMap places it about 5.3 km south of the NAD Road signal in Kalamassery. ## Sources - [Wikipedia: Model Engineering College](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Model_Engineering_College) - [Govt. Model Engineering College: Official site](https://www.mec.ac.in/) - [Excel MEC: Festival site](https://www.excelmec.org/) - [OpenStreetMap: Government Model Engineering College](https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/1026274468) --- Facts about Ashraf Gents Hostel come from the hostel’s own profile, photos and Google Site; rates are indicative and confirmed on the call. Quoting with a link back to the URL above is welcome.