AN APPEAL FROM FR. PRINCIPAL

Dear Xaverians,

St. Xavier’s is a Jesuit institution with one history but many stories, one fire with many sparks; It forms men and women for others, men and women who display competence, commitment, conscience and compassion.

One of the ten best Colleges in India credited with autonomous status and a College with Potential for Excellence (CPE) status, it is where the mind is without fear and the head is held high.

The work is of God and it shall excel – St. Xavier’s is God’s will and it fosters sacred sentiments “Seemar Majhe Ashim Tume”.

We celebrate a legacy of 152-year and pledge to prosper with our motto, ‘Nihil Ultra (Nothing Beyond)’

We journey with dedication and determination to illuminate the minds of many with enduring wisdom. It is a march towards new directions of expansion, both academic and infrastructure. We are thinking of SXC Vision 2025.

Our plans are:

1. Two hostels at AJC Bose Road campus: - one for boys with 300 seats and the other for girls with 150 seats. The construction work is in progress. The demand for hostels is increasing and we must provide adequate residential facilities to our students.

2. St. Xavier’s Guesthouse in Salt Lake is near completion.

3. EM By pass campus is being developed. The EMMRC, now housed at Park Circus, will be soon moved to this second campus.

We plan to make this campus a communication hub, with MCV, Film Studies, Journalism, Multimedia and Animation courses. As you see in the site plan, there will be hostel facilities. We also plan to start a biological science research center.

4. The Government of Paschimbanga has allotted 16 acres of land to St. Xavier’s College. We have to buy this land. The College needs a huge amount of fund for its expansion/development.

The Hon’ble Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee announced during the fifth convocation on January 22, 2012 that she would be delighted to see St. Xavier’s College as a University. “I want to see St. Xavier’s on the top. To see Bengal in the first position in education, we have to promote educational hubs. A College like St. Xavier’s with quality education must be upgraded.”

We are pleased with her announcement and offer. Now we are preparing ourselves for this new mission.

5. We need your sustained support for SXC Vision 2025. Your support will go a long way to form the future generation of leaders for the country. It is my pleasure to invite you to join in our endeavour to explore and create new horizons in the field of education.

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6. Come Xaverians, participate in the dream of making your alma mater the destiny of the future, the home of us all. Your participation can be in the way of:

1. General donation to the College’s development fund;
2. Sponsorship of bricks (Rs 10,000/- for each brick);
3. Sponsorship of a floor/block/building;
4. Lakshya – Contribution of one lac/more towards the Rajarhat campus project.
5. You are welcome to meet me (preferably between 5.00 and 7.30 pm) to discuss about SXC Vision 2025.

Cheques/DD to be drawn in favour of  “St. Xavier’s College, Kolkata”. Your contributions will not only build Xavier's, but also tax deductible U/S 80G of IT Act.

With my prayers and blessings. Nihil Ultra (Nothing Beyond),

Father J. Felix Raj, SJ

Principal

Dear fellow Xaverians,

The US Chapter of the Alumni Association, our sixth international chapter will be unveiled on the 8th of July, 2012 in Las Vegas. It is my request to all of you to mail us the contact id’s of any Xaverian that you may know in the United States so that we may invite them to be a part of this momentous event.

Please feel free to either post here or mail us the details at sxccaa.cal@gmail.com or, just give me a call +91 9831096308.

With Best Regards,

Firdausul Hasan

Hon. Secretary

SXCCAA   

Beyond Boundaries III

Beyond Boundaries III, the annual global convention of Xaverians was held in the Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel Singapore on the 11^th to the 13^th of May, 2012. Rev. Fr. Dr. J. Felix Raj, SJ, led a delegation of 100 Xaverians from Kolkata. Members from Bangalore, Bangladesh, Dubai, Mumbai apart from Singapore flocked in to make the conference of the most well organised and attended chapters of beyond Boundaries.

Welcomed by the traditional Lion Dancers of Singapore, the conference started with a bang – the morning session being graced by the Hon. Deputy High Commissioner of India in Singapore, where the traditional lamp was lit. Danseuse Jaya Seal Ghosh performed the traditional Ganesh Vandana to invoke the spirits for the success of the event.

The Global Xaverian Awards were conferred upon Mr. Ashoke Mitra, currently settled in Indonesia and Sayeed Manzoor Elahi of Bangladesh, for their outstanding achievements in the true Xaverian spirit of Nihil Ultra (Nothing Beyond).   

“Success Beyond Boundaries” a panel discussion comprising of Sanjeev Sanyal, Sandip Roy and Arvind Agarwal, Moderated by Abhijit Ghosh with inimitable participation of Rev. Fr. Dr. S. Xavier, SJ had the audience enthralled.

“Beautiful Bengal” – the Xaverian tribute to the home state was chaired by Hon. Father, Rev. Dr. J. Felix Raj, S. J. The Hon. Minister of Industries, Government of West Bengal who flew all the way from Kolkata to participate, saw a galaxy of industrialists from Bengal and beyond, along with representatives of three trade bodies sharing the dais. The first of its kind, the event was an effort by the alumni of an institution to attract investments for the home state, by highlighting the opportunities that Bengal has to offer. The event was graced by the Indian High Commissioner in Singapore, Hon. Mr. T. C. A. Raghavan and was generated a good amount of interest among the local industrialists.

The evening was rendered memorable by the up and coming Xaverian duo “You & I” who harmonized popular numbers with their raga roots in the most melodious manner.

The All Chapters Meet witnessed the spirit of Nihil Ultra, when within a matter of minutes, Xaverians from around the world pledged INR 42 lakhs for the college. The occasion was the launch of “Lakshya” where Xaverians can personally or collectively pay the College INR one lakh or more.  It is my ardent request to all of you to take part in this movement. Matters concerning the college, the alumni movement and the developmental programmes in hand were discussed threadbare.

Usha Uthup and Xaverian Bikram Ghosh the stage on fire as Xaverians dropped all inhibitions and danced their way to nirvana. Arindam Sil as the master of ceremonies excelled in his inimitable was as Nusrat Jahan added the glamour. The duo auctioned a painting of college alumnus Rabindra Nath Tagore and a cricket bat signed by Sourav Ganguly to raise another INR 9.5 lakhs for the college. 

Beyond Boundaries IV will be held in London in 2013. The Global Xaverian Award will be conferred on Mr. L.N.Mittal and Mr.Sanjeev Goenka.

Press handout issued at the Press Conference of Rev.Fr. Dr. J. Felix Raj. S.J. Principal, St. Xavier’s College, and President St Xavier’s College (Calcutta) Alumni association.

Kolkata 7^th May, 2012.The third annual international convention of Xaveirans, Beyond Boundaries III will be organized in Singapore on 11^th to 13^th of May, 2012. The purpose of this convention is to renew the spirit of Xaverians and to bring as many Xaverians as possible within its fold. The convention also serves as an important platform to seek the support of Xaverians for their alma mater, especially during a time when the college is implementing academic and infrastructural expansion on an unprecedented scale. Around 300 Xaverians from around the world are expected to congregate.

As part of the event, The Global Xaverian Award will be conferred on Mr. Sayed Manzoor Elahi, a Xaverian industrialist settled in Bangladesh. The Global Xaverian Award for 2013 will be given to Mr. L. N. Mittal and Mr. Sanjeev Goenka in London in May 2013.

Beautiful Bengal: a business-industry meet is also being organized to highlight the opportunities of investing in Bengal, to which the Hon. Minister of Industries, Govt. Of West Bengal, Mr. Partha Chatterjee is leading a delegation of industrialists including Mr. Prasun Mukherjee and Mr. Jayanta Roy among others.

The Hon. Chief Minister, Ms. Mamata Banerjee had announced on the College’s Convocation on January 20^th 2012 that St. Xavier’s College, should become a University. The Principal has constituted a “Think Tank” to give shape to this dream consisting of: Mr. Suranjan Das, Vice Chancellor, University of Calcutta; Mr. Sanjeev Goenka, noted industrialist; 2 senior teachers of the college, The Rector of St. Xavier’s College and Mr. Snehasish Sur, noted Media person with the Principal as the Chairperson of the committee which is entrusted with the job of preparing the documents for application for up gradation.

The St. Xavier’s College is grateful to the Government of West Bengal for allotting 16 acres of land for expansion of the college. The college had asked for 25 acres but the Government could only give 16 acres at a price as low as possible.

The NAAC team had visited the college in November 2011 and had accorded the college an “A” grade with 3.53 points out of 4.Now another team will be visiting on Tuesday to assess and accredit the B.Ed department of the college, for which preparations are on in full swing. The B.Ed department is almost 52 years old and admits a hundred students every year. The college is now reading to start a M.Ed. department as an when we get the necessary space in the new campuses.

SXC proposes to honour Gurudev Rabindra Nath Tagore by starting a Bengali (Honours) Course from July 2012. To usher in the course, SXC plans to stage a drama based on Mahashweta Devi’s “Ajir” on the 4^th and 5^th of August, 2012. The Hon. Minister of Education, Govt. of West Bengal, Mr. Bratya Basu will be the chief Guest to flag off the Bengali (H) course.  

For More Information Contact:

Mr. Firdausul Hasan

Hon .Secretary, SXCCAA

9831096308