Shri C.N. Jayadevan, Member of Parliament,
Smt. Sumathi Ravichandran, Post Master General,
Reverent Fr. Walter Theleppilly, Provincial and Chairman,
Reverent Fr. Jose Payyappilly, Manager,
Reverent Dr. Fr. Babu Paul, Principal,
Dr. Thomas John, General Convenor, Golden Jubilee Celebration Committee,
Priyappetta Adhyapakare, Vidyaarthikale,
Madhyama Suhruthukkale,
Sahodaree Sahodaranmare,
Ellaavarkkum Ente Namaskaaram.
It gives me great joy to address you all after inaugurating the Research Block constructed as part of the Golden Jubilee Celebrations of the St Aloysius College, Elthuruth in Thrissur district.
As we all know, the St. Aloysius Collegewas established in 1968 by the Carmelites of Mary Immaculate(CMI), which is the first indigenous religious congregation in India. This college is also a testament to the enduring vision of
St. Chavara Kuriakose Elias, the founder of the Congregation.
Let me therefore, begin by paying my respects to the sacred memory of St. Chavara Kuriakose Elias, who was a pioneer in areas as varied as the shaping of Christian monastic life in India, promotion of the print media, popularization of Christian literature and above all, Education, especially for girls and the underprivileged.
St. Chavara's arrival at Elthuruth or ‘God’s land’ and the starting of his educational mission in 1858 are well known. This compound later grew into an 80 acre campus that now houses various institutions including this College. The light that St. Chavara had kindled now spreads to over 4000 students in various institutions offering education from Kindergarten to research level.
St. Aloysius College which began as a junior college with a few hundred students has always been on the path of growth, with post graduate courses coming its way in 1984. Along with its development into a co-educational institution, it has grown into a college with 16 undergraduate courses, 8 post graduate courses and a Doctoral Program, imparting education to 2100 students and supported by 110 qualified and committed faculty.
While partaking in the joy and pride of the College community as the institution crosses the golden landmark,
I also bow before the selfless service rendered by the illustrious teachers and other staff in improving the intellectual stature of this institution, ever since its inception.
The Golden Jubilee, marking 50 years, is certainly a milestone in the history of any institution and therefore a valid reason to celebrate. But the celebration of the jubilee of an educational institution becomes truly meaningful only when it adds a developmental dimension to it. Today, I am very happy to see St. Aloysius College stepping into a new phase of growth by adding to its infrastructure, a spacious Research block.
However, I would remind the management of this college that adequate infrastructure is only one of the preconditions in the maintenance of quality. Today, the major concern is about the quality of research being undertaken in our universities and colleges. I understand that your college has one Research department, but your aim must be both to ensure quality and to increase the number of research departments. There has to be a strict benchmarking in terms of the level of quality that we intend to bring into our research output.
It is heartening to note that this college, which aims to equip the students with the tools of learning and to enable them to reach their full potential as individuals who will understand their social responsibilities, has given great importance to quality. That it is going into the next cycle of NAAC accreditation with quite a few recognitions including that of the Best College in Kerala for Anti-tobacco and anti-drug activities, speaks of its commitment to quality as well as concern for social issues.
I am informed that this management has over 250 educational institutions including 10 aided arts and science colleges, Engineering colleges, Medical colleges and even the Christ University of Bangalore. Some of the colleges run by this management are known to be among the best in Kerala. I would remind the management of their responsibility to adhere to the norms of affiliation and to ensure that the graduates who come out of these institutions are made truly employable by imparting the 21st century skills required to succeed in life.
The skills imparted in this college through the Additional Skill Acquisition Programme may be helping our students, but we should step up our activities to ensure that students of arts and science colleges also rise to the level of entrepreneurs through start up ventures. You may be aware that Kerala has one of the best Start up ecosystems in the country. However, this ecosystem is utilized mostly by students of technical institutions and almost ignored by arts and science colleges. This situation must change and I hope St. Aloysius College would take the lead in this matter, at least in Thrissur district.
I must also call your attention to the role of our campuses as cradles of democratic participation for students. While there is a great deal of emphasis on political activity in our campuses, I find very little importance being given to the duties and responsibilities mentioned in our Constitution. Students are the leaders of tomorrow and so, they must be aware of the role of a citizen in a democracy. Teachers must empower our students with such knowledge so that they will never allow political violence in any campus.
In conclusion, I would recall the story of Saint Aloysius of Gonzaga, the Patron Saint in whose name this college functions. Leaving his life as an aristocrat, he had served society through priesthood and died while caring for the victims of a serious epidemic. Students of this college should let their minds be guided by such spirit of social service.
I hope the Golden Jubilee, which is now coming to a close, would inspire the college community to serve society with greater responsibility and kindness.
I once again greet all the people present here and wish them all the best. I also compliment the organizers for conducting this function in a befitting manner.
Ellavarkkum Ente Aashamsakal
Nanni / Jai Hind
