This institution can rightly claim the status of a pioneer in many academic fields. Being the oldest college in this region and in the Bharathiar University area, it has been the torch-bearer of knowledge for generations of scholars, academicians, entrepreneurs, politicians, jurists and civil servants. Again, it has so many firsts to its credit. It was here that co-education was introduced in 1931– nearly two decades before the establishment of women’s college in this region. It was also the first to realize that students imbibe knowledge easily and rapidly when it is fed to them through their mother tongue, which in turn led to the introduction of Tamil medium classes for both the science and humanity courses from which many other colleges shy away till this day. The Government Arts College, Coimbatore, is the first institution in Bharathiar University area to start the post graduate course in 1964 and it is also the first to open evening college courses in 1967 to cater to the needs of the employed and the workers of this highly industrialized city. The UGC, pleased by the steady and comprehensive growth and development of the institution, granted it autonomy in 1987 which provided yet another feather to its cap making it the only Government institution in Bharathiar University area to acquire such status.