A well-dressed student wielding the broom in the corridors of a college may be unthinkable but at Loyola College, Chennai, it is a perfectly acceptable practice. A part of the curriculum, sweeping is one of the options for students to earn while they are studying, to learn what is meant by dignity of labour.

Idealistic as that may sound, it is the will to translate it into action that makes a difference at Loyola, the Numero Uno among colleges offering arts subjects this year. Founded in 1925, it has scaled many ups and downs-it ranked 7th in the 2002 poll-but it has never lost sight of its value-based concept of learning. "A student enters a college after cultural cramming in school," explains Father Joseph Xavier, the principal and motivating force behind the system. "What we do is defreeze him."

Granted autonomy in 1978, Loyola has the advantage of independently pursuing its own courses. The first semester in the arts section focuses on English so that the language is mastered; the second deals with character building and social analysis; the third and fourth semesters comprise general electives and choice subjects while the fifth and sixth are meant for the main subjects. The last two are deliberately kept tough so that at the end of it all, the student knows what it is to work hard.

It is on these aspects-quality of student care, academic input and curriculum-that Loyola has registered improvements on the perceptual front. The unique curriculum stipulates that some subjects be taught to all students irrespective of their streams. Modules like Personality Development, Heritage, World Religion and Social Analysis are common to all courses and students benefit from inter-disciplinary exchanges. Basic programmes like Arts-for-Science and Science-for-Arts are also conducted.

Community service is equally high on the Loyola agenda. Under a community-outreach programme, all students have to work in corporation schools or slums for 60 hours in the second year. "A graduate's knowledge can be measured by fixed parameters but the values that an arts course inculcates will be known only in terms of social responsibility and character," says Dr Bernard D'Sami, head of the department of history.

In many ways, the curriculum at Loyola reflects the personality of the man behind it: Father Xavier. A student of Loyola and a member of the faculty for 23 years, instilling a sense of social responsibility in the students has been his mission. The principal's bio-data says, "I am intelligent, quick to grasp a situation, calm in the face of crises, friendly and person-oriented." Those who know him say he is all this and more.

With a measure of humility, Father Xavier lets on that "I was just an average student". The turning point came when he became associated with the All India Christian University Federation, where he learnt the importance of social values. Having specialised in medical and psychiatric social work, he was determined to take Loyola to new heights. Somewhere along the line, the effort became a soaring success.

Also flying high is St Xavier's College, Mumbai, which has climbed from its fourth position to second this year. Despite its liberal image, it is more academics oriented and more disciplined than most parents believe. Similarly, Delhi's Lady Shri Ram College, up from fifth to third rank, prides itself on an attitude that few can match. It has made a mark as much with its fun-filled atmosphere as its academic performance.

FATHER JOSEPH XAVIER, Principal, Loyola College, Chennai: "Education includes social responsibilities."

Some others in the arts stream have recorded a decline since last year. St Xavier's, Kolkata, which consistently held the second place, now occupies the 10th position. The perceptual and factual modules have contributed equally to its downward movement.

Presidency College, Chennai, too has slipped to the eighth place. Its reputation of being No. 1 last year seems to have taken a beating this year. Its factual standing is also down to the 16th position from No. 8 last time. Another prominent loser is the Madras Christian College, which has slid from the third to the sixth place. Yet overall the competition among the Top Ten was extremely close.

— Arun Ram