The College of Engineering, Trivandrum, commonly known as CET, is situated in Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of Kerala. Founded in 1939, it is the top ranked engineering college in Kerala. The college began on 3 July 1939 as a part of the erstwhile University of Travancore, Kerala, India. The college campus is situated near Sreekariyam, 13 km from Thiruvananthapuram Central (railway station). Extending over 125 acres (500,000 m²) of land, it has one of the most spacious campuses in the country. The main building resembles a spanner from the air, around which are spread the departmental buildings, library block, laboratories, workshops, hostels, a planetarium, staff quarters, and stadiums. The campus is one of the greenest in the country,and has won accolades from environmentalists and nature enthusiasts alike. In 1990, the Department of Science and Technology, government of India, ranked the college as one of the high ranking institutions in comparison with the performance of IITs in the area of training and placement.