HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

St. Xavier's College is a private,
Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
, autonomous higher education institution run by the Bombay Province of the
Society of Jesus , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...
in
Mumbai Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' fin ...
, Maharashtra, India. It was founded by the Jesuits on January 2, 1869. The college is affiliated with the
University of Mumbai The University of Mumbai is a collegiate, state-owned, public research university in Mumbai. The University of Mumbai is one of the largest universities in the world. , the university had 711 affiliated colleges. Ratan Tata is the appointed h ...
offering undergraduate and postgraduate courses in Arts, Science, Commerce and Management. Xavier's was the first college to be granted autonomy by the University of Mumbai in 2010. In 2006, St. Xavier's was awarded the 'A+' grade by
National Assessment and Accreditation Council The National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) is a government organisation in India that assesses and accredits Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). It is an autonomous body funded by the University Grants Commission and headquarte ...
(NAAC). The college is named after
Francis Xavier Francis Xavier (born Francisco de Jasso y Azpilicueta; Latin: ''Franciscus Xaverius''; Basque: ''Frantzisko Xabierkoa''; French: ''François Xavier''; Spanish: ''Francisco Javier''; Portuguese: ''Francisco Xavier''; 7 April 15063 December ...
, the 16th-century Spanish Jesuit saint. Its campus in South Mumbai is built in the
Indo-Gothic Indo-Saracenic architecture (also known as Indo-Gothic, Mughal-Gothic, Neo-Mughal, or Hindoo style) was a revivalist architectural style mostly used by British architects in India in the later 19th century, especially in public and government ...
style of architecture, and recognized as a heritage structure. Founded by German Jesuits in 1869, Xavier's developed rapidly from 1884 to 1914. The imprisonment of German Jesuit priests during the
First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
(1914–1918) led to a dislocation of the administration, which was mitigated by the appointment of other European Jesuits. While it began as an arts college, by the 1920s science departments were established. The college was greatly expanded in the 1930s. The college is now run by Indian Jesuits, with a distinct focus on affirmative action for minority students. It offers undergraduate and post-graduate courses in Arts, Science, Business, Commerce or Public Policy. It has spawned several research institutions within its campus including the Blatter Herbarium, and is known for its inter-collegiate youth festival 'Malhar'.


History

St. Xavier's College was founded on 2 January 1869 in
Bombay Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second-m ...
by German Jesuits with only two students in attendance. The two students came from a group of six, who appeared for the university matriculation examination in 1868 from St. Mary's Institution. Swiss Jesuit (or Willy), the first principal of the college from 1869 to 1873, and three other Jesuits began lecturing and teaching at the college on 7 January 1869. The college was granted formal recognition by
Bombay University The University of Mumbai is a collegiate, state-owned, public research university in Mumbai. The University of Mumbai is one of the largest universities in the world. , the university had 711 affiliated colleges. Ratan Tata is the appointed ...
on 30 January 1869. One student joined later in 1870. The first three students graduated in 1871. From 1884 to 1910, under the patronage of Principal Frederick Dreckmann, the college began to develop rapidly. The Blatter Herbarium was established in 1906 by the Swiss Jesuit priest Ethelbert Blatter and his associates. The hostel was completed in 1909, while the east–west science wing, costing Rs. 200,000, was completed in 1912. The Government provided grants of Rs. 70,000 and Rs. 37,000 for the two additional buildings of the college. The college first admitted women in 1912. Being a German institute in
British India The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance on the Indian subcontinent. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one ...
, the college suffered wide repercussions during the
First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
(1914–1918). Following the outbreak of the war, the German Jesuit priests, mainly the older ones, were interned and detained in 1914 at the college villa in
Khandala Khandala is a hill station in the Western Ghats in the state of Maharashtra, India, about from Lonavala, 12 kilometres from Khopoli and from Karjat. Khandala is located at the top end of the Bhor Ghat, a major ''ghat'' (meaning valley i ...
, where many died. However, the younger German Jesuits were repatriated in 1916. The departure of German Jesuits led to a dislocation in the administration of the college, but was mitigated by a few Swiss,
Luxemburger Luxembourgers ( ; lb, Lëtzebuerger ) are a Germanic ethnic group and nation native to their nation state of Luxembourg, where they make up around half of the population. They share the culture of Luxembourg and speak Luxembourgish. Luxembour ...
, and English Jesuits. The number of lay professors increased following the withdrawal of the German Jesuits. In 1920, enrollment of students from outside Bombay, especially
Calcutta Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , List of renamed places in India#West Bengal, the official name until 2001) is the Capital city, capital of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of West Bengal, on the eastern ba ...
,
Yangon Yangon ( my, ရန်ကုန်; ; ), formerly spelled as Rangoon, is the capital of the Yangon Region and the largest city of Myanmar (also known as Burma). Yangon served as the capital of Myanmar until 2006, when the military government ...
,
Mangalore Mangalore (), officially known as Mangaluru, is a major port city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It is located between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghats about west of Bangalore, the state capital, 20 km north of Karnataka–Ke ...
, and Sindh, started increasing. Subsequently, a third floor was added to the hostel to provide accommodation facilities for them. The college started offering six more languages:
Marathi Marathi may refer to: *Marathi people, an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group of Maharashtra, India *Marathi language, the Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people *Palaiosouda, also known as Marathi, a small island in Greece See also * * ...
,
Gujarati Gujarati may refer to: * something of, from, or related to Gujarat, a state of India * Gujarati people, the major ethnic group of Gujarat * Gujarati language, the Indo-Aryan language spoken by them * Gujarati languages, the Western Indo-Aryan sub ...
,
Urdu Urdu (;"Urdu"
'' Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walter ...
,
Hebrew Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...
, and
Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Portu ...
. The Spanish Jesuits arrived in 1922. By the 1920s, the college had expanded its offerings to more than just
liberal arts Liberal arts education (from Latin "free" and "art or principled practice") is the traditional academic course in Western higher education. ''Liberal arts'' takes the term '' art'' in the sense of a learned skill rather than specifically th ...
. Science departments such as Chemistry and Biology came to be established. The Spanish Jesuit
Henry Heras Henry Heras (11 September 1888, Barcelona, Spain – 14 December 1955, Bombay, India) was a Spanish Jesuit priest, archeologist and historian in India. Education Enric Heras de Sicars (later in India he anglicised his Christian name to Henry) ...
founded the "Indian Historical Research Institute" in 1925. The extension of the east–west science wing was completed in 1925 and opened by Leslie Orme Wilson, Governor of Bombay (1923–1926), on 26 January 1926, at an outlay of Rs. 200,000. The following decade, the priest Gonzalo Palacios propelled massive architectural expansions, with the addition of a third floor to the east–west science wing and in April 1935 the demolition of the Chemistry shed. The General Library was shifted to the new central building providing space for over 100,000 books and 6,000 volumes of periodicals. The college took charge of the Abdulla Fazalbhoy Technical Institute for Radio and Cinema (now St. Xavier's Technical Institute) near Mahim Causeway. More rooms were added to the hostel together with a tower. The construction of the college chapel, which had begun in 1937, was completed under the reign of Principal Aloysius Coyne (1940–1949). The college hall was inaugurated in January 1937 by
Lord Brabourne Baron Brabourne, of Brabourne in the County of Kent, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1880 for the Liberal politician Edward Knatchbull-Hugessen, the second son of Sir Edward Knatchbull, 9th Baronet, of Mers ...
, Governor of Bombay (1933–1937). In August 1939, the non-degree course for the Teacher's Diploma was started, while Microbiology was revolutionized. After India's independence in 1947,
Hindi Hindi ( Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been ...
began to be taught in the college from June 1949 and several new departments were instituted, such as the Department of Sociology and Anthropology (1951) and the Department of Psychology (1957). In the later 20th century, St. Xavier's has continued to expand in student body and faculty size, and has seen the establishment of several research centers and programs. Indian Jesuits of the Bombay Province have run the college in close collaboration with the Society of Jesus in Germany and Spain. On 18 July 2009,
United States Secretary of State The United States secretary of state is a member of the executive branch of the federal government of the United States and the head of the U.S. Department of State. The office holder is one of the highest ranking members of the president's Ca ...
Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, diplomat, and former lawyer who served as the 67th United States Secretary of State for President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, as a United States sen ...
visited the college. She conducted an interactive session with its students regarding academics and education. In November 2010
US President The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States ...
Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the ...
visited the college and held a town hall meeting.


Religious affiliation and ethos

The college is Roman Catholic and the
Society of Jesus , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...
exercises responsibility over it through a Governing Body whose chairman is the Provincial of the Bombay Province of the Society. St. Xavier's College is named after
Francis Xavier Francis Xavier (born Francisco de Jasso y Azpilicueta; Latin: ''Franciscus Xaverius''; Basque: ''Frantzisko Xabierkoa''; French: ''François Xavier''; Spanish: ''Francisco Javier''; Portuguese: ''Francisco Xavier''; 7 April 15063 December ...
, a Spanish Jesuit saint of the 16th century who travelled to India and who is considered as the proponent of the
Goa Inquisition The Goa Inquisition ( pt, Inquisição de Goa) was an extension of the Portuguese Inquisition in Portuguese India. Its objective was to enforce Catholic Orthodoxy and allegiance to the Apostolic See of Rome (Pontifex). The inquisition primaril ...
. The college seeks to give an all-round formation, inculcating both human and spiritual values. It gives special consideration to Roman Catholics (under the minority rights enshrined in the
Constitution of India The Constitution of India ( IAST: ) is the supreme law of India. The document lays down the framework that demarcates fundamental political code, structure, procedures, powers, and duties of government institutions and sets out fundamental ...
) for whose education the college was founded. Currently 50% of the seats are reserved for Catholics.


Invocation


Crest and motto

The crest was designed by Fr. T. Molina in 1929, a student of heraldry and a member of the college staff. It shows an eagle teaching its young to fly. Above it, on the left side is the emblem of the Society of Jesus, which consists of the first three Greek initials for "Jesus" set in a sun; on the right is a chequered moon, taken from the arms of the house of Xavier. The Latin motto ''Provocans Ad Volandum'', "Challenging to Fly", is central to the ethos of the college and comes from the Bible, which mentions how the eagle encourages its young to fly (Dt 32.11). As a whole, the crest symbolizes a college that bears the name of Xavier and is run by the Jesuits, with the ideal of educating young men and women to aim high in life.


Accreditation and assessment

Since 30 January 1869, St. Xavier's College has been affiliated with the
University of Mumbai The University of Mumbai is a collegiate, state-owned, public research university in Mumbai. The University of Mumbai is one of the largest universities in the world. , the university had 711 affiliated colleges. Ratan Tata is the appointed h ...
. It is accredited by the university with the task of preparing students for degrees in arts, Science, and Commerce. It was made a constituent college of the university in 1953 following the Bombay University Act 1953 and received recognition by the University Grants Commission (UGC) since 1956. In 2007, the college was awarded the highest rating A+ (5-Star) in the re-accreditation by the
National Assessment and Accreditation Council The National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) is a government organisation in India that assesses and accredits Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). It is an autonomous body funded by the University Grants Commission and headquarte ...
(NAAC), an autonomous body linked to the University Grants Commission of India. The national ''
India Today ''India Today'' is a weekly Indian English-language news magazine published by Living Media India Limited. It is the most widely circulated magazine in India, with a readership of close to 8 million. In 2014, ''India Today'' launched a new o ...
'' magazine's report on colleges has consistently rated Xavier's in the top 10 in India in recent years. In the June 2000 and June 2006 issues, Xavier's has been rated the best arts college and the second best science and commerce college in the country. The UGC awarded St. Xavier's the "College with a Potential for Excellence" award in 2006. On 31 May 2010, St. Xavier's was granted autonomy by the University Grants Commission, thereby becoming only the second college in
Mumbai Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' fin ...
to be granted such a status.


Administration

The Governing Body consists of the chairman, vice chairman, ex-officio trustees, members, the local managing committee, and an advisory council. The principal functions through the Academic Council of the three vice principals and other important officials, aided by the Internal Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC) which is responsible for planning and evaluation of the college. Various committees of staff and students take responsibility for the different activities of the college. The Local Managing Committee (LMC) has nine members, including the principal as the secretary and rector as the chairperson, and meets twice every year. It prepares the budget and financial statements, recommends creation of new posts, recommends measures for academic and administrative improvement, and undertakes many other vital decision-making activities. The prospective plan for institutional development is done after consecutive meetings with the Academic Council, IQAC, and the heads of the departments. The college takes measures to upgrade the skills of non-teaching staff by conducting workshops and training programmes during vacations, and by conducting sessions on personality enhancement and financial management. An Advisory Council of eminent alumni has also been constituted. The college has 90 permanent teachers (of whom 53 are women) and an additional 3 full-time teachers, 11 part-time, and 2 teachers working as full-time on temporary assignment, raising the number of full-time teachers to 95. The teacher-student ratio is 1:33. Three teachers have been accorded special awards and recognition for their distinguished service.


Courses

As of 2007, the college remains mainly an undergraduate college, with 2648 undergraduate students and 99 postgraduate students. The syllabi for undergraduate and postgraduate courses are prepared by the
University of Mumbai The University of Mumbai is a collegiate, state-owned, public research university in Mumbai. The University of Mumbai is one of the largest universities in the world. , the university had 711 affiliated colleges. Ratan Tata is the appointed h ...
, and include mid-term tests and final examinations. The success rate of students is 90 to 100 percent across all departments, and 95 to 100 percent in university examinations. Special considerations are given to Catholics, economically and socially disadvantaged applicants, and students from Scheduled Castes (SC) and
Scheduled Tribe The Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) are officially designated groups of people and among the most disadvantaged socio-economic groups in India. The terms are recognized in the Constitution of India and the groups are designa ...
s (ST). Programs operated by the college include The Learning for Life Programme, Honours Programme, Social Involvement Programme, and Personality and Human Values.


Junior college courses

Junior college courses in science and arts last two years. Applicants are evaluated on their performance in the
Secondary School Certificate The Secondary School Certificate (SSC) or Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC), Matriculation examination, is a public examination in Bangladesh, India and Pakistan conducted by educational boards for the successful completion of the seco ...
(SSC) examination of the Mumbai Divisional Board.


Undergraduate degree courses

Undergraduate degree courses last three years. Applicants are evaluated based on their academic performance in the Higher Secondary School Certificate (HSC) examination of the Mumbai Divisional Board. *Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) *Bachelor of Science (BSc) *Bachelor of Commerce (B.Com.) *Bachelor of Management Studies (B.M.S.) *Bachelor of Mass Media (B.M.M.) *Bachelor of Science in Information Technology (BSc I.T.) *Bachelor of Vocation – Software Development *Bachelor of Vocation – Tourism


Postgraduate courses

*
Master of Science A Master of Science ( la, Magisterii Scientiae; abbreviated MS, M.S., MSc, M.Sc., SM, S.M., ScM or Sc.M.) is a master's degree in the field of science awarded by universities in many countries or a person holding such a degree. In contrast t ...
(MSc) *
Doctor of Philosophy A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields. Because it is ...
(PhD) in Arts & Science * Masters of Public Policy (M.P.P) *Postgraduate Diploma in Data Science (PGDDS)


Diploma courses

*
Clinical Research Clinical research is a branch of healthcare science that determines the safety and effectiveness ( efficacy) of medications, devices, diagnostic products and treatment regimens intended for human use. These may be used for prevention, treatm ...
* Forensic Science *
Gemmology Gemology or gemmology is the science dealing with natural and artificial gemstone materials. It is a geoscience and a branch of mineralogy. Some jewelers (and many non-jewelers) are academically trained gemologists and are qualified to identify ...
*Industrial
Biotechnology Biotechnology is the integration of natural sciences and engineering sciences in order to achieve the application of organisms, cells, parts thereof and molecular analogues for products and services. The term ''biotechnology'' was first used ...
and Enterprise


Certification courses

*Diamond Grading *Jewellery Design


Institutes

Several institutes have been established on St. Xavier's campus, including: Research Institutes * Blatter Herbarium for taxonomic studies *Caius Laboratory for Inter-Disciplinary Research (medical) *Heras Institute of Indian History and Culture *Nadkarni-Sacasa Research Laboratory (chemistry) Non-research Institutes *Xavier Institute of Communications *Xavier Institute of Counselling *Xavier Institute of Social Research *Xavier Institute of Management & Research *Xavier Knowledge Center for computers *Xavier's Resource Centre for the Visually Challenged


Xavier Institute of Management & Research

''Xavier Institute of Management & Research'' (XIMR) is the management school of St. Xavier's College, Mumbai. It is approved by the
All India Council for Technical Education The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) is a statutory body, and a national-level council for technical education, under the Department of Higher Education. Established in November 1945 first as an advisory body and later on in ...
. XIMR was established in 1963 by Professor Pascoal Gisbert as St. Xavier's Social Institute of Industry, when India was striving to achieve self-sufficiency. In 1971 the institute's focus shifted to supervisory and managerial skills and its name was changed to Xavier Institute of Management. In 2006 it became the Xavier Institute of Management and Research. XIMR trains managers with skills in doing business internationally and globally and facilitates entry into African markets. In January 2011, the Centre for Africa Studies was launched in association with
Makerere University Business School Makerere University Business School (MUBS) is the school of business of Makerere University, Uganda's oldest university. MUBS provides business and management education at the certificate, diploma, undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Locatio ...
in
Uganda }), is a landlocked country in East Africa. The country is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the south-west by Rwanda, and to the south by Tanzania. The sou ...
, East Africa.


Campus and facilities

St. Xavier's stands on a campus in the
Fort A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...
locality of
South Mumbai South Mumbai, colloquially SoBo from South Bombay in Anglo-Indian English, administratively the Mumbai City District, is the city centre and the southernmost precinct of Greater Bombay. It extends from Colaba to Mahim and Sion neighbour ...
. It is located near the
Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (officially Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, Bombay station code: CSMT ( mainline)/ST (suburban)), is a historic railway terminus and UNESCO World Heritage Site in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. The terminus wa ...
(CST) railway station, which serves as the headquarters of the
Central Railways Central Railway (abbreviated CR) is one of the 19 zones of Indian Railways. Its headquarters is in Mumbai at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus. It has the distinction of operating the first passenger railway line in India, which opened from M ...
, and Churchgate station, which serves as the headquarters of the
Western Railways The Western Railway (abbreviated WR) is one of the 19 zones of Indian Railways and is among the busiest railway networks in India, headquartered at Mumbai, Maharashtra. The major railway routes of Indian Railways which come under Western Rail ...
. The college is built in the
Indo-Gothic Indo-Saracenic architecture (also known as Indo-Gothic, Mughal-Gothic, Neo-Mughal, or Hindoo style) was a revivalist architectural style mostly used by British architects in India in the later 19th century, especially in public and government ...
style of architecture, and has been recognized as a heritage structure by the Mumbai Heritage Conservation Committee. The main college library is central and common to all the academic activities of the college. It has a collection of 133,489 books, of which more than 50% are reference books, with some dating back to the 16th century. It also receives 76 journals, of which 14 are foreign journals. The library has a carved cabinet, card index of books, and a computerized database of books. Students have access to a
lending library A lending library is a library from which books and other media are lent out. The major classifications are endowed libraries, institutional libraries (the most diverse), public libraries, and subscription libraries. It may also refer to a library ...
,
reference library A library is a collection of materials, books or media that are accessible for use and not just for display purposes. A library provides physical (hard copies) or digital access (soft copies) materials, and may be a physical location or a vi ...
, paperback library, non-print media library, and a vast collection of journals, current and back volumes. Books are lent out at the lending library, which also houses the
online public access catalog The online public access catalog (OPAC), now frequently synonymous with ''library catalog'', is an online database of materials held by a library or group of libraries. Online catalogs have largely replaced the analog card catalogs previously u ...
(OPAC) for information search. The
reference library A library is a collection of materials, books or media that are accessible for use and not just for display purposes. A library provides physical (hard copies) or digital access (soft copies) materials, and may be a physical location or a vi ...
includes reserve counters, overnight loans, photo-copying services, reference services, inter-library loans, journals, reference books, and a special multi-media facility for accessing compact disks (CDs) on computers. Students also have access to a paperback library and a non-print media library where audio cassettes, television, and
video cassette recorder A videocassette recorder (VCR) or video recorder is an electromechanical device that records analog audio and analog video from broadcast television or other source on a removable, magnetic tape videocassette, and can play back the recordin ...
(VCR) facilities are available for group and individual use. The campus also has a leisure space known as "The Woods" which includes a couple of large trees. The college runs a small hostel on campus for male students of the senior college. The hostel has a capacity of 60 students, two to three occupants to a room. The college also has a chapel cum prayer hall with green, stained-glass exteriors, arching vaults, and intricate marble work, behind the façade facing the college quadrangle. It has two fully equipped audio-visual centres, the Smith Centre for Audio-Visual Instruction (SCAVI), with a seating capacity of 100, and the Multi-Media Room (MMR) which seats 110. Classrooms have partially Information technology (IT) enabled accessories,
fiberglass Fiberglass (American English) or fibreglass ( Commonwealth English) is a common type of fiber-reinforced plastic using glass fiber. The fibers may be randomly arranged, flattened into a sheet called a chopped strand mat, or woven into glass clo ...
boards, and pull-down screens. A full-fledged language laboratory has also been set up to cater to students from non-English medium schools and to promote multi-language skills. There is also an auditorium, a spacious
canteen {{Primary sources, date=February 2007 Canteen is an Australian national support organisation for young people (aged 12–25) living with cancer; including cancer patients, their brothers and sisters, and young people with parents or primary carers ...
, and full-size basketball and volleyball courts. The Fell Gymkhana, built in 1954, provides bodybuilding, badminton,
table-tennis Table tennis, also known as ping-pong and whiff-whaff, is a sport in which two or four players hit a lightweight ball, also known as the ping-pong ball, back and forth across a table using small solid rackets. It takes place on a hard table div ...
,
carrom Carrom is a tabletop game of Indian origin in which players flick discs, attempting to knock them to the corners of the board. The game is very popular in the Indian subcontinent, and is known by various names in different languages. In Sou ...
,
chess Chess is a board game for two players, called White and Black, each controlling an army of chess pieces in their color, with the objective to checkmate the opponent's king. It is sometimes called international chess or Western chess to dist ...
, and other recreational facilities for staff and students. The St. Xavier's Villa in
Khandala Khandala is a hill station in the Western Ghats in the state of Maharashtra, India, about from Lonavala, 12 kilometres from Khopoli and from Karjat. Khandala is located at the top end of the Bhor Ghat, a major ''ghat'' (meaning valley i ...
is a property of the college nestled in the hills of the Western Ghats mountain range, about two hours from Mumbai. It provides facilities for retreats, seminars, and educational conferences. The college also has a
cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by str ...
pitch leased by the
Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC; IAST: ), also known as the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM), is the governing civic body of Mumbai, the capital city of Maharashtra. It is India's richest municipal corporation. The ...
(BMC) on the
Azad Maidan Azad Maidan (formerly known as ''Bombay Gymkhana Maidan'') is a triangular-shaped maidan (sports ground) in the city of Mumbai, India. It is located on of land near the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus station. It is a regular venue for inter-schoo ...
sports ground, near the college. The college counselling centre, founded in 1954, provides personal counselling, personality-evaluation tests, testing programmes for vocational purposes, information on careers, professions, and specialized studies in India and abroad, information on scholarships and financial assistance schemes, and admission guidance to students; it also organizes orientation programmes. The college placement centre exposes students to reputed employers, trains them in writing resumes, and acquaints them with the selection process of corporations. There are separate common rooms for male and female students and for teaching and non-teaching staff. The Xavier's Women's Development Cell was formed in 2006 to coordinate programmes for awareness and action on women's issues, since girls constitute more than 60% of the student body. It also serves as a grievance redressal cell for complaints of sexual harassment. First aid centres are also available in the college general office and the counselling centre. The college undertakes a number of welfare measures for students and staff including provision of insurance coverage. The college has also set up a Grievance Redressal Cell with a representative from a Non-governmental Organization (NGO).


Films shot on the campus

*''
Kucch To Hai ''Kucch To Hai'' () is a 2003 Indian Hindi-language slasher film written by Rajeev Jhaveri and directed by Anurag Basu and Anil V. Kumar. The film stars Tusshar Kapoor, Esha Deol, Anita Hassanandani, Yash Tonk, Rishi Kapoor, Jeetendra and Moo ...
'' (2003) *''
Main Hoon Na ''Main Hoon Na'' () is a 2004 Indian Hindi-language masala film written and directed by Farah Khan in her directorial debut. The film stars Shah Rukh Khan, Sushmita Sen, Sunil Shetty, Amrita Rao and Zayed Khan, and follows Major Ram Sharma, ...
'' (2004), in college library *'' Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na'' (2008), for song "Kabhi Kabhi Aditi" *'' Paa'' (2009) *'' Hichki'' (2018) *''
Mehboob Ki Mehndi ''Mehboob Ki Mehndi'' is a 1971 Indian Hindi-language romantic musical film produced and directed by H. S. Rawail. The film stars Rajesh Khanna and Leena Chandavarkar. The music is by Laxmikant Pyarelal with lyrics by Anand Bakshi. It was base ...
'' (1971) *'' Lust Stories'' (2018) Netflix *'' Satyameva Jayate'' (2018) *''
Helicopter Eela ''Helicopter Eela'' is a 2018 Indian Hindi-language comedy-drama film directed by Pradeep Sarkar. It features Kajol in the lead role as an aspiring singer and single mother Helicopter parent and is written by Mitesh Shah and Anand Gandhi. It i ...
'' (2018) *''
Hotel Mumbai ''Hotel Mumbai'' is a 2018 action thriller film directed by Anthony Maras and co-written by Maras and John Collee. An Indian-Australian-American co-production, it is inspired by the 2009 documentary ''Surviving Mumbai'' about the 2008 Mumbai ...
'' (2018) *''
Kabir Singh ''Kabir Singh'' is a 2019 Indian Hindi-language romantic drama film written and directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga and jointly produced by Bhushan Kumar and Krishan Kumar under T-Series Films and Murad Khetani and Ashwin Varde under Cine1 Studi ...
'' (2019) *''
Student of the Year 2 ''Student of the Year 2'' is a 2019 Indian Hindi-language teen romantic action comedy film directed by Punit Malhotra and produced by Karan Johar's Dharma Productions. A standalone sequel to the 2012 film ''Student of the Year'', it stars Ti ...
'' (2019) *''Sacred Games 2'' (2019) *'' 99 Songs'' (2019)


Extra-curricular activities

Xavier's students, "Xavierites", maintain relationships with peers from other colleges by participating in inter-college competitions and college festivals. The Extra Curricular Credits Committee (ECC) monitors the performance of students and sends contingents to other colleges. ''Mosaic'' is an inter-disciplinary, interdepartmental series of exhibitions and poster presentations.


Student associations

The Alumni Association, established in 1902, is actively involved in fundraising, providing scholarships, career counseling, and felicitation of the retiring staff. The Indian Music Group (IMG) was founded in 1973 to promote Indian Classical Music in the city, especially among its young people. It organises concerts, lecture-demonstrations and music appreciation courses. Its annual Indian classical music festival, ''Janfest'', is well known. Students organize several hobby clubs such as the Philately Club and the Star Gazers Club.


Festivals

Malhar "Malhar" is a Hindustani classical raga. Malhar is associated with torrential rains. Besides the basic Shuddha Malhar, which was the original Malhar, several Malhar-related ragas use the Malhar signature phrase m (m)R (m)R P, including "Miyan ...
, one of the most popular college festivals in the city, is hosted by the students of St. Xavier's College. It is an inter-collegiate youth festival held since 1979. It is usually in August during the rains and involves teams from about 60 other colleges in Mumbai and elsewhere, with around 30 cultural contests in the Literary, Performing Arts, and Fine Arts categories, along with a number of Workshops on different themes. It draws about 20,000 student participants and audience to the college Campus. Janfest is a well-known Indian classical music festival in India, held in January and hosted by the Indian Music Group (IMG). Inaugurated in 1974, it promotes classical music among the youth and offers a platform for young people to showcase their talent. It has played host to maestros of Indian classical music like
Hariprasad Chaurasia Hariprasad Chaurasia (born 1 July 1938) is an Indian music director and classical flautist, who plays the bansuri, in the Hindustani classical tradition. Early life Chaurasia was born in Allahabad (1938) (officially called Prayagraj) in the I ...
,
Zakir Hussain Zakir Hussain ( ur, , link=no) is the name of: * Zakir Husain (politician), an Indian politician and former president of India * Zakir Hussain (actor), Bollywood actor * Zakir Hussain (field hockey) (1934–2019), Pakistani field hockey player * ...
, and
Ravi Shankar Ravi Shankar (; born Robindro Shaunkor Chowdhury, sometimes spelled as Rabindra Shankar Chowdhury; 7 April 1920 – 11 December 2012) was an Indian sitarist and composer. A sitar virtuoso, he became the world's best-known export of North In ...
. The Zephyrus conference is organised by the Bachelor of Management Studies (BMS) department and features renowned speakers from the business world. Additionally, the college hosts Ithaka, the annual English literature and theatre festival organised by the English Literature department since 1990. It is a platform for students to demonstrate their theatrical talents. Theatre personalities such as Qasar Padamsee started their careers in Ithaka. The college also holds Aamod, a festival organised by Marathi Vangmay Mandal which is the first and the oldest Marathi Association registered with Mumbai University. In 2011–12, the Mass Media department organised Zeitgeist – The Media Conference for the first time. It has welcomed panellists like
Shekhar Kapoor Shekhar Kulbhushan Kapur (born 6 December 1945) is an Indian filmmaker and actor. Born into the Anand-Sahni family, Kapur is the recipient of several accolades, including a BAFTA Award, a National Film Award, a National Board of Review Award a ...
and
Madhu Trehan Madhu Purie Trehan (born 1940s) is an Indian journalist. She is also the co-founder and editor-in-chief of a digital media portal called ''Newslaundry''. Education Trehan studied at Welham Girls' School in Dehradun, graduating in 1962. In 196 ...
. It also organised a screening of the film The Untitled Kartik Krishnan Project. Then in 2012 Xavier hosted its first science fest "Paradigm", an all-Inclusive, pan-departmental, inter-collegiate science festival. Paradigm '12 hosted Vice Admiral Shekhar Sinha along with Sunjoy Monga,
Ajoy Ghatak Ajoy Ghatak is an Indian physicist and author of physics textbooks. Ghatak has written over 170 research papers and more than 20 books. His undergraduate textbook on ''Optics'' has been translated to Chinese and Persian and his monograph on '' ...
, and Raghavendra Gadagkar who delivered talks on a wide variety of topics.


Magazines and publications

The college launched its commemorative Coffee Table Book ''St. Xavier's College – Celebrating Diversity since 1869,'' as a part of its 140 years celebration. It covers all aspects of the college's mighty tradition, to the present. Each March and September Heras Institute of Indian History and Culture, within the college campus, publishes the research journal ''Indica''. It began publication in 1964 and emphasizes the research work of staff and students at Heras Institute. Then there are the ''St. Xavier's College magazine'' and the online newsletter ''The Xavierite'', covering stories, events, and reports related to the college and its alumni. Student magazines include ''Ithaka'' (Literature), ''Elemental'' (Chemistry), ''Aithihasik'' (History), ''Vox Populi'' (Political Science), ''Eidos'' (Sociology), ''Imprint (Zoology),'' "Lignum vitae (Life Science) ''The Catchphrase'' (Mass Media),''The Michronicle'' (Microbiology), ''Pakharan'' (Marathi Vangmay Mandal), B.I.T.M.A.P (Information Technology) and ''Arthniti'' (Economics). A monthly newspaper ''The Xavier's Press'' was inaugurated in December 2008 by the Student Council and is run entirely by undergraduates. It covers events and issues of interest to the general student body.


Notable alumni

The alumni of St. Xavier's College include some of the most illustrious contributors to Indian society for the past century. Alumni of the college include members of the London Round Table conferences, governors of Indian states, ambassadors, union and state ministers, justices of the Supreme Court of India, and of the Bombay High Court, high-profile jurists and attorneys at law,
Mayors of Mumbai In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well as ...
(Bombay),
maharaja Mahārāja (; also spelled Maharajah, Maharaj) is a Sanskrit title for a "great ruler", "great king" or " high king". A few ruled states informally called empires, including ruler raja Sri Gupta, founder of the ancient Indian Gupta Empire, a ...
s, senior national and state-level
bureaucrat A bureaucrat is a member of a bureaucracy and can compose the administration of any organization of any size, although the term usually connotes someone within an institution of government. The term ''bureaucrat'' derives from "bureaucracy", w ...
s, captains of Indian industry, financiers, philanthropists, educationists, scientists, leaders in the
Indian armed forces The Indian Armed Forces are the military forces of the Republic of India. It consists of three professional uniformed services: the Indian Army, Indian Navy, and Indian Air Force.—— Additionally, the Indian Armed Forces are supported by th ...
, some of India's best-known journalists, leaders in the medical field, cricketers, luminaries in art and culture including several major film actors and musicians.


See also

*
List of Jesuit sites This list includes past and present buildings, facilities and institutions associated with the Society of Jesus. In each country, sites are listed in chronological order of start of Jesuit association. Nearly all these sites have bee ...
*
List of Jesuit educational institutions The Jesuits (Society of Jesus) in the Catholic Church have founded and managed a number of educational institutions, including the notable secondary schools, colleges and universities listed here. Some of these universities are in the United Sta ...


References


Cited sources

* *


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Xavier's College, Mumbai Universities and colleges in Mumbai Colleges in India Jesuit universities and colleges in India Educational institutions established in 1869 Schools in Colonial India Affiliates of the University of Mumbai 1869 establishments in British India British colonial architecture in India