‘Enough is never enough’ at the Department of English in Sri Meenakshi Government Arts College, Madurai. The department and its faculty are well aware of the fact that, real learning is not restricted to the pages marked in a class syllabus. It can happen in multitudinous ways in an atmosphere, where young minds are encouraged to foray, probe, reach out and enquire into realms beyond the prescribed.

The Readers’ Forum and Research Forum are two prestigious initiatives of the department, instituted with the aim of contributing towards such an environment. Since their establishment in the year, 2014-15 by the efforts of Dr. P. Kalaichelvi, Head of the Department from June 2014 to October 2017, the two forums have engaged the students’ imagination in novel ways. Now, year after year, they continue to give the satisfaction of watching the burgeoning interest of the students, understandable in the competition for participation, the variety of genres chosen for appreciation and deeper study, the raw originality of the spontaneous responses and the fledgling, sometimes brilliant attempts at application of critical analytical skills.

In the inaugural year, 2014-15, Ms.N.Tirumagal and Ms.N.Nalini were the co-ordinators of the readers’ forum. 30 students made their presentations. In 2015-16, Dr.N.Shanti and Ms. S.Zahirabanu were the co-ordinators and 30 students made their presentations. In 2016-17, Ms.V. Nalini and Ms.A.Rajeswarapushpam were the co-ordinators and 25 students made their presentations. In 2017-18, Ms.V.Nalini and Dr.N.Gnanaselvi were the co-ordinators and 30 students made their presentations. In 2018-19, Dr. N.Shanti and Dr. P. Savithri were the co-ordinators and 49 students made their presentations.

As for the Research Forum,in the inaugural year, 2014-15, Dr.N.Shanti and Dr.E.Prema were the co-ordinators and 30 students made their presentations. In 2015-16, Dr.S.Soumia and Dr.N.Gnanaselvi were the co-ordinators and 30 students made their presentations. In 2016-17, Dr.G.Beulah and Mrs.N.Thenmozhi were the co-ordinators and 20 students made their presentations. In 2017-18, –Dr.D.M.Amala and Dr. N.Shanti were the co-ordinators and 20 students made their presentations. In 2018-19, Dr. S. Soumia and Dr. G.Beulah were the co-ordinators and 29 students made their presentations.