ARTS

Chennai’s Loyola College is No. 1 even as St. Joseph’s College and Christ College from Bangalore, and Chennai’s Madras Christian College debut at the Top 10.

PICTURE SPEAK

LEAP TO THE TOP: Students of Loyola College celebrate

The 83-year-old institution, which has consistently figured among the toppers in the INDIA TODAY annual college survey, is the first-pick in the arts pack this time, up from the third position it had occupied in the last two years. This year, two Delhi-based colleges, St. Stephen’s College and Lady Shri Ram College for Women, have also climbed higher to the second and third place, respectively, pushing last year’s topper, St. Xavier’s, Mumbai to the fourth slot. The other significant shifts in the arts stream as compared to last year include Bangalore’s St. Joseph’s College from No. 18 to No. 7 and Christ College from No. 12 to No. 8, and Chennai’s Madras Christian College, which was not in the reckoning last year, to No. 9.

TOP 10 COLLEGES

2007 - 2006 1. Loyola College, Chennai 3 2. St. Stephen’s College, Delhi 5 3. LSR College for Women, Delhi 4 4. St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai 1 5. St. Xavier’s College, Kolkata 6 6. Presidency College, Kolkata 2 7. St. Joseph’s College, Bangalore 18 8. Christ College, Bangalore 12 9. Madras Christian College, Chennai 10. Presidency College, Chennai 7 National rankings are derived from a combination of perceptual and factual scores. Colleges that did not provide factual information were not ranked. New entrants in Top 10. (-) Not ranked in the 2006 top 20.

FROM THE PRINCIPAL

"Our key differentiator is the emphasis on the overall development of our 7,000 students.": A. MUTHUMALAI, LOYOLA COLLEGE

In the final year, students, who are singularly tuned into academics, plunge themselves into the industry with month-long internships. “It’s an arduous task for us to ensure that nearly 2,000 students savour a slice of work-life between December 15 and January 15 every academic year,” admits Muthumalai. But, he adds, these apprenticeships go a long way in exposing students to the realities of the world outside. To facilitate them are also events like the Loyola Expo, a platform for academy-industry interaction, organised with active participation from both students and faculty.

The gamut of course content covers a wide spectrum, ranging from history, economics, literature and sociology to niche studies in community development, human resource management, medical and psychiatric social work and human rights. Loyola takes pride in a faculty that trains students in a host of Oriental and European languages, along with Indian dialects like Malayalam, Telugu and Sanskrit. Many of the staff members teaching foreign languages flaunt foreign education.

Extra-curricular activities are given equal weightage. Even as the first semester commences, students quietly gear up for Ovations, Loyola’s popular inter-departmental festival. “We have as many as 7,000 students and it’s important to harness their talent and potential,” says Father Muthumalai about Ovations which fosters camaraderie among students. “At Ovations, we literally let our hair down,” says P. Vivek, a former cultural secretary of the Students’ Union. A two-day cultural extravaganza, the high point of Ovations last year was not only its high-budget—nearly Rs 14 lakh, courtesy sponsorships—but also its inauguration by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi. The event was conducted in the college’s Jubilee Block open air theatre with Karunanidhi talking about college life and, of course, his pet subject, Tamil literature.

Talking of bigwigs, the college counts names like Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram, former president of India R. Venkataraman, chess champion Viswanathan Anand, the Amritraj brothers and a string of Kollywood actors like Vijay, Vikram, Surya and Prabhu among its alumni.

PICTURE SPEAK

INCHING CLOSE: St. Stephen’s, Delhi has moved up to No. 2

Similar to the Rotaract Club, the Loyola Theatre Society (LTS) is also abuzz with activity. It is currently finalising scripts for the two plays it plans to stage this year. LTS is also celebrating its silver jubilee year and Father Joe Arun, who heads it, is gearing up to identify potential talent from the new batch of students joining in June. “More than providing a platform for students with histrionic talent to display their acting prowess, LTS also aims to enhance organisational abilities and crisis management,” he explains. The plays, directed by former Loyolite Micheal Muthu, have been staged across leading venues in the city. “LTS was a major deciding factor for campus theatre,” says Muthu, who was among its early entrants.

CITY-WISE RANKING - ARTS

AHMEDABAD 1. St. Xavier’s College 2. L.D. Arts College 3. H.K. Arts College 4. Vivekanand College BANGALORE 1. St. Joseph’s College 2. Christ College 3. Mount Carmel College 4. Jyoti Nivas College 5. M.E.S. College of Arts, Science and Commerce CHENNAI 1. Loyola College 2. Madras Christian College 3. Presidency College 4. Stella Maris College 5. Queen Mary’s College KOCHI 1. Sacred Heart College 2. St. Albert’s College 3. St. Teresa’s College 4. Aquinas College 5. The Cochin College CHANDIGARH 1. D.A.V. College 2. M.C.M. D.A.V. College for Women 3. Guru Gobind Singh College for Women 4. Govt College for Boys 5. Govt College for Girls DELHI 1. St. Stephen’s College 2. LSR College for Women 3. Miranda House 4. Hindu College 5. Hansraj College HYDERABAD 1. Loyola Academy 2. University College for Women 3. Nizam College 4. A.V. College 5. St. Francis College JAIPUR 1. International College for Girls 2. Kanodia Girls’ College 3. Agarwal College 4. Maharani’s College 5. Subodh College KOLKATA 1. St. Xavier’s College 2. Presidency College 3. Loreto College 4. Lady Brabourne College 5. Scottish Church College LUCKNOW 1. Isabella Thoburn College 2. D.A.V. Degree College 3. Faculty of Arts, Lucknow University 4. Christian Degree College 5. Mahila Vidyalaya College MUMBAI 1. St. Xavier’s College 2. Sophia College 3. Elphinstone College 4. Mithibai College of Arts 5. D.G. Ruparel College PUNE 1. Fergusson College 2. Symbiosis Society’s College of Arts & Commerce 3. Nowrosjee Wadia College 4. Modern College 5. Bharati Vidyapeeth For Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad, the rankings are based on perceptual and factual scores. For Ahmedabad, Cochin, Chandigarh, Jaipur, Lucknow and Pune, the rankings are based on perceptual scores only.

Arts departments in the other top colleges also provide balanced environment for intellectual and social growth. At St. Stephen’s, the second ranker from Delhi, faculty members feel it is ingrained in the system. “Though it is difficult to zero in on any one variable, there is certainly an air of dedication and brilliance in every activity here,” says Rohit Wanchoo, head of the History Department. Classes and tutorials are characterised by a distinct rigour, with weekly seminars adding value to learning. A large pool of illustrious alumni, including heads of states, diplomats, scientists, writers and sportsmen, is regularly drawn upon for guest lectures. Moreover, 30-odd societies and 10 journals afford opportunities for students to express themselves.

Lady Shri Ram College—in the third place, up from No. 4 last year—makes it a point to encourage healthy co-ed interaction. “We haven’t ghettoised our minds and we don’t provide a cloistered orientation. To be global leaders, it is imperative for our students to have a comfort level with men and women alike,” says principal Meenakshi Gopinath. In addition, the college provides unique facilities like mentorship programmes, placements with NGOs and multimedia teaching aides. Clearly, such features render these colleges a cut above the rest.

-with inputs from Kaif Mahmood and Tanvi Saraf in Delhi

Index