THE XAVERIAN 2021 St. Xavier’s College (Autonomous), Kolkata St. Xavier’s College (Autonomous), Kolkata THE XAVERIAN 2021 St. Xavier’s College (Autonomous), Kolkata 30, Mother Teresa Sarani (Park Street) Kolkata - 700 016 CONTENTS 1. Principal’s Report --- 6 2. Best Practices --- 15 2. College Profile --- 18 3. Departments --- 19 4. Facilities --- 85 5. Societies --- 109 6. Special Reports --- 149 7. Articles & Artworks --- 169 8. Obituaries --- 175 THE XAVERIAN 2021 Editorial Board Rev. Dr. Dominic Savio, S.J. Principal and Chairperson ADVISORY BOARD Rev. Joseph Kulandai, S.J., Vice Principal (Commerce Morning) Fr. Peter Arockiam, S.J., Vice Principal (Commerce Evening) Fr. Johnson Padiyara, S.J., Vice Principal (Raghabpur Campus) Prof. Bertram Da Silva, Vice Principal (Arts & Science) Dr. Charlotte Simpson-Veigas, Vice Principal (Department of Education) MANAGING EDITORS Prof. Zaid Al Baset (Convener), Dr. Panchali Sen (Co-Convener) MAGAZINE COMMITTEE MEMBERS Rev. Dr. Sacaria Joseph, S.J., Prof. Shalabh Agarwal, Dr. Samrat Roy, Prof. Romit Beed Dr. Tapas Saha, Prof. Sougata Banerjee, Prof. Sankha Banerjee, Prof. Sucharita Roy Prof. Ananya Hazra, Prof. Ruby Mary Notts, Dr. Shivaji Banerjee, Prof. Souvik Roy STUDENT EDITORS Diya Adak, Jayosmita Ganguly, Sohinee Basu, Zoya Amreen SPECIAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Monica Chetri, Sujit Chandra, Bijoy Kumar Nair, Rishi Basu (General Secretary) DESIGN TEAM POSTER: Simran Sachdeva COVER: Nilanjana Mitra Editorial 2020 has been the most challenging year of the 21st century. The unfolding of the Covid-19 pandemic has compelled us to encounter our worst fears, from losing our loved ones to loss of livelihoods, to being deprived of an entire way of life. The mandate of physical distancing has been most corrosive to our systems of education. Centres of learning are founded on the principle of intermingling of people to nurture the finer qualities of what it means to be a human being. The pandemic ruthlessly marred such a possibility. While the pandemic laid bare the fragility of our lifeworlds, it also forced us to think and act in creative ways to cope with the unprecedented situation. It has been a heart wrenching journey of loss but also a tale of resilience and the triumph of the indomitable human spirit to survive and flourish. At St. Xavier’s College, the setback of the 3-month long lockdown was countered by frenetic online activity to restore a semblance of normalcy. The College smoothly transitioned to the online mode since early August, 2020. Classes began in full swing on Microsoft Teams. The College administration, under the able guidance of our Principal, Rev. Dr. Dominic Savio S.J., made the shift possible. The Vice Principals, Deans and a core team of supportive faculty members prepared us thoroughly to operate in the digital space. The College conducted its admissions and the final semester examinations successfully in the online mode. While not a replacement for offline teaching, the digital mode has provided a valuable opportunity for students and teachers to continue the teaching-learning process during such difficult times. It is commendable that students showed great enthusiasm and adopted well to the virtual pedagogy. The Xaverian 2021 is a chronicle of our collective struggles and triumphs in making quality education possible during the pandemic at St. Xavier’s College, Kolkata. It represents the promise of the Xaverian mission to overcome limitations and offer a helping hand to those in need while remaining loyal to its pedagogical core. The efforts of the College in reaching out to those adversely affected by the twin crises of the Amphan Cyclone and the Covid-19 pandemic is noteworthy. Even when the world stood still, the Xaverian spirit launched forth and remains an exemplar of quality higher education in the country. I extend my deepest gratitude to Father Principal Dominic Savio S.J., the Advisory Board, my Co-convenor, Dr. Panchali Sen, Magazine Committee members and the student editorial team without whose unstinting efforts putting together this magazine would have been a daunting task. I sincerely hope that Xaverian 2022 will witness a return to better times offline. Zaid Al Baset Convener The Xaverian 2021 Reaching out PRINCIPAL'S REPORT 2020 Principal's Report 2020 Respected Swami Atmapriyananda Maharaj, Hon’ble Pro- attached to the college. We have integrated ourselves into the Chancellor, Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda University, mainstream of the public consciousness and made ourselves Respected Provincial, Rev. Fr. Raphael Joseph Hyde S.J., an institution of higher education that attracts the best brains Hon’ble Vice Chancellor of the University of Calcutta, Dr. in the state, if not the country. (Prof.) Sonali Chakravarti Banerjee, Respected Rector, Rev. Fr. This is because, driven by a dream to expand and excel, the Jeyaraj Veluswamy S.J., Vice Principals, Member Secretary, college has pushed the limits of its ambition to grow and Academic Council, members of the staff, teaching and develop as it strides into the future determined to find and support, alumni/ae, benefactors, parents, well-wishers, make its place as a college ready for the challenges of the friends, and my dear students, I wish you all a happy and digital age. joyous New Year 2021 and extend a warm welcome to all to this 14th Convocation & Valedictory Function of the College. And so here I stand now before you as the Head of an May the Almighty bless us all abundantly! institution solidly rooted in tradition even while it is driven by a vision of its future and the service to humanity that is its I place before you the Annual Report for the year 2020, I privilege to provide. As a record of this, I ask your permission would like to remember where this college has come from on to provide the Annual Report, 2020 its journey to the present moment. Back in the 50’s, St. Xavier’s was happy and content to stand quietly apart as a centre of unassuming excellence in VARIOUS PROGRAMMES & EVENTS HELD academics and also in sports, theatre and music. Some of the DURING THE YEAR best sportsmen and musicians nurtured their talents in these 13th Convocation & Valedictory Function of College precincts. In the swinging 60’s, just down the road from the vibrant nightlife on Park Street, the college also stood apart as ?The 13th Convocation and Valedictory Function of the an oasis of tranquility surrounded but untouched by the College, presided over by Rev. Fr. Raphael Joseph Hyde passionate and often turbulent ideologies of student S.J., Provincial of the Calcutta Jesuit Province, was held on movements. 16th January, 2020 at 11:00 a.m. His Excellency, Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar, the Hon’ble Governor of West Some things don’t change. St. Xavier’s is still an oasis of Bengaland Chancellor of Calcutta University graced the tranquility, still a bastion of discipline, still an institution of all- occasion as the Chief Guest. round excellence, but perhaps we are less unassuming now because we are no longer content to stand quietly apart. We Prof. Asis Kumar Banerjee, former Hon’ble Vice have removed the elitist tag, that, for reasons unknown, was Chancellor, University of Calcutta, was the recipient of the ‘Nihil Ultra Award of Excellence 2019’. 6 XAVERIAN 2021 PRINCIPAL'S REPORT 2020 In the absence of the Hon’ble Vice Chancellor of the 46 pan-India colleges participated in this huge event University of Calcutta, Rev. Dr. Dominic Savio S.J., Principal attended by over 30,000 happy and enthusiastic young of the College conferred the degrees on the 2270 passing people. out students on behalf of the Senate of the University of ?The annual fund-raising ‘Live in Concert’ ‘Beyond Barriers’ Calcutta. 27 Instituted Gold Medals were also awarded to was organised by the alumni association on 26th January the students on that day. 2020. The programme was a grand success. The second part of the Convocation & Valedictory of the ?Sports Day 2020 College, which is the award and the prize distribution ceremony was held on 18th January, 2020. The Annual Sports Day of the College was organized in two phases: ?‘Xavotsav’ 2020 / Beyond Barriers: On Saturday, 1st February, 2020, the Park Street Campus The Students' Council organised the annual Students’ was the venue for an exciting and well attended Sports Cultural Festival, "Xavotsav", 2020. Day. XAVERIAN 2021 7 PRINCIPAL'S REPORT 2020 On 22nd February, 2020, a cultural programme, ‘DoshobhujaBangali’ was organized. Ten eminent personalities from India and Bangladesh were felicitated by the Principal. ?Inter-College State Sports and Games Championship 2019-20: St. Xavier’s College was selected as the Host College for the Inter-College State Sports Day at the Raghabpur campus was held on 8th Sports and Games Championship 2019-20, organised by February, 2020. There was an enthusiastic turn out by the Education Directorate, Department of Higher students and staff. Education, Government of West Bengal from 23rd to 29th ?Shishu Mela 2020 February 2020. Nineteen District teams from all over the State participated in in the week-long sporting event at The Department of Social Work organized ‘’Shishu Mela the premises of Sports Authority of India, Netaji Subhas 2020” on 16th February, 2020 on the College Ground. Eastern Centre, Kolkata. Many established sportspersons Around 1000 children, from seven villages of South 24 and government officials attended the programme. Parganas and 10 NGOs participated in the event. ?Annual Christmas Celebrations 2020 at St. Xavier’s College: The College along with the Alumni Association organized the annual Christmas Celebration on 21st December 2020. The Hon’ble Chief Minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee graced the occasion. ?‘Sanyog / ’Xavullash’ Programme / DoshobhujaBangali 2020 ‘Sanyog 2020’ (An International Torch Light Peace Rally to commemorate BhasaDibas - International Mother Language Day, was organized by the College in association with the Alumni Association.