St. Berchmans College, most commonly known as SB College, is one of the first Autonomous Colleges, situated in

Changanasserry Changanassery, () Renaming of cities in India, formerly Changanacherry, is a Municipalities of Kerala, municipality in the Kottayam district of Kerala, India. It is located south of the district headquarters in Kottayam and about north of th ...

, 17 km from

Kottayam Kottayam () is a city in the Kottayam district of Kerala, India. It is the district headquarters of the district and is located about north of the state capital Thiruvananthapuram. As per the 2011 Indian census, Kottayam has a population of ...

, in

Kerala Kerala ( , ) is a States and union territories of India, state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile ...

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

. Established in 1922, the college is considered to be one of the oldest and premier institutions of higher education in India. The University Grants Commission (UGC) identified the college under its “College with Potential for Excellence” scheme. UGC and the Government of Kerala granted autonomy to the college on 13 June 2014. The college celebrated its centenary in the academic year of 2022. The college is named after

John Berchmans John Berchmans, SJ ( ; 13 March 1599 – 13 August 1621) was a Belgian Jesuit scholastic and is revered as a saint in the Catholic Church. In 1615, the Jesuits opened a college at Mechelen, Belgium and Berchmans was one of the first to enrol ...

, a 17th century Belgian

Jesuit The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...

saint, who is also the

patron saint A patron saint, patroness saint, patron hallow or heavenly protector is a saint who in Catholicism, Anglicanism, Eastern Orthodoxy or Oriental Orthodoxy is regarded as the heavenly advocate of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, fa ...

of the college and is venerated in the Church as the Patron Saint of Students and Scholars. The college is situated in the town of

Changanassery Changanassery, () formerly Changanacherry, is a municipality in the Kottayam district of Kerala, India. It is located south of the district headquarters in Kottayam and about north of the state capital Thiruvananthapuram. As per the 2011 ...

18 kilometers south of

. Established in 1922, It has 19 postgraduate and eight research departments. It offers 17 UG, 21 PG, 3 MPhil, and 9 doctoral programmes. Students and alumni of the college are referred to as 'Berchmanites'. It is run by the Syro Malabar Catholic Archdiocese of Changanassery, is affiliated to the Mahatma Gandhi University in

and is recognized by the University Grants Commission (UGC). The college was first accredited with ‘Five Star’ in 1999 and reaccredited with ‘A+’ in 2006. In the third cycle of accreditation in 2012, the college was graded at A. In 2017, it was again reaccredited with ‘A’ grade. The University Grants Commission (UGC) and the Government of Kerala granted autonomy to this college in 2014. In 1996 and 1997, it won the “ R Shankar Award” for the Best College in the State, instituted by the Government of Kerala. In 2004, the UGC identified the college under its “College with Potential for Excellence” scheme. The National Commission for Minority Educational Institution, New Delhi has granted minority status to the college in 2010. All the Science Departments are supported by the FIST of DST, Government of India. It has been ranked among the top 100 Indian colleges by the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF), MHRD, Government of India since 2018. The college also has two sister institutions - Assumption College, Changanassery and St Berchmans Higher Secondary School, Changanasserry.

History

St Berchmans College is the first higher education institution under the

Syro-Malabar Catholic Archeparchy of Changanacherry The Syro-Malabar Catholic Archeparchy of Changanacherry (; is a Catholic East-Syriac Rite archeparchy with an area of 24,595 km2 comprising the districts of Kottayam, Alappuzha, Pathanamthitta, Kollam, and Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala ...

. After the establishment of St Berchmans English High School, Changanasserry by first Vicar Apostolic of Kottayam, Msgr. Fr. Charles Lavigne and

clergy Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching their religion's doctrines and practices. Some of the ter ...

Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

in 1891, he laid the foundation stone of the college in 1895 on seeing the need for an institution of higher education in

Travancore The kingdom of Travancore (), also known as the kingdom of Thiruvithamkoor () or later as Travancore State, was a kingdom that lasted from until 1949. It was ruled by the Travancore Royal Family from Padmanabhapuram, and later Thiruvanan ...

and Malabar region. The college was established in 1922 by

Venerable ''The Venerable'' often shortened to Venerable is a style, title, or epithet used in some Christianity, Christian churches. The title is often accorded to holy persons for their spiritual perfection and wisdom. Catholic In the Catholic Churc ...

Mar Thomas Kurialacherry, Bishop of Changanassery diocese with the help of both the

and the

Travancore royal family The Travancore royal family was the ruling house of the Kingdom of Travancore. They signed a treaty with the British in 1788, thereby adopting British dominance. Later, in 1805, they revised the treaty, leading to a diminution of royal authorit ...

. In 1925, the college was transferred to its current place. Bischof Kurialacherry JS

In 1925, the college authorities decided to install the 12 feet tall statue of

Christ the King Christ the King is a title of Jesus in Christianity referring to the idea of the Kingdom of God where Christ is described as being seated at the right hand of God. Many Christian denominations consider the kingly office of Christ to be one o ...

, brought from

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

, on the top of the College Tower, on a 6 feet tall pedestal. The college chapel, built in 1940, was named Christ King's Chapel, after the installation of the statue. Today, the college is affiliated to MG University, Kottayam. Chanaganassery SB College

In June 2022, the

relics In religion, a relic is an object or article of religious significance from the past. It usually consists of the physical remains or personal effects of a saint or other person preserved for the purpose of veneration as a tangible memorial. Reli ...

of St John Berchmans brought from Italy were placed in the College Chapel, as part of the centenary.

Departments

English

The Department of English, which was part of the college since inception, became a fully-fledged department when BA English started in 1964. MA English Language and Literature started in 1967. The department was elevated to a research centre in 1986.

Economics

The Department of Economics was created when the college was founded in 1922, offering course in Humanities and Social Science. BA Economics was started in 1934.The department was elevated to a research centre by Mahatma Gandhi University in 2010.

Chemistry

The Department of Chemistry was started in 1925. BSc in Chemistry was affliated to

Kerala University University of Kerala (formerly known as University of Travancore) is a state-run public university in Thiruvananthapuram, the state capital of Kerala, India. It was established in 1937 by a promulgation of the Maharajah of Travancore, Chithira ...

at that time in 1951 and MSc Chemistry in 1964. The major areas of research in the department are Materials Science, Polymer Chemistry, Synthesis and Technology, Environment Chemistry, Electrochemistry, Physical Chemistry, Organic Synthesis, Theoretical and Computational chemistry and Chemical Physics.The department has been elevated to research centre by MG University in 1998.

Physics

The Department of Physics was established in 1925. BSc Physics was granted affiliation under University of Travancore, later to Mahatma Gandhi University. The affiliation for MSc Physics with specialisation in Electronics was granted in 1961. It was raised to a research centre in 1985 under MG University. Since 2005, the department has been sponsored by DST-FIST.

Mathematics

The Department of Mathematics was established in 1925. With the introduction of the B.A Mathematics, it became a full-fledged department in 1928. The department became an approved research centre in Mathematics under Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam in 2018.

Botany

The Department of Botany was established in 1927 with the commencement of the degree course. Affiliation for MSc Botany was granted in 1961. The department was elevated to a Research Centre in 1986. A regional Herbarium of Kerala was installed in the college under the aegis of the University Grants Commission (UGC). It is sponsored by DST FIST, Government of India. It also has a

Botanical Garden A botanical garden or botanic gardenThe terms ''botanic'' and ''botanical'' and ''garden'' or ''gardens'' are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word ''botanic'' is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens. is ...

started in 1925.

Zoology

The Department of Zoology has been part of the college since 1927. It also has a

Zoological Museum A natural history museum or museum of natural history is a scientific institution with natural history collections that include current and historical records of animals, plants, fungi, ecosystems, geology, paleontology, climatology, and more. ...

started in 1928. BSc Zoology was started in 1927 and MSc Zoology in 1965. The department was elevated to Research Centre in Zoology of M.G.University in 1986.

Malayalam

The Department of Malayalam started in 1922. BA Malayalam and MA Malayalam affiliations were granted in 1959 and 1960 respectively. The department established the Herman Gundert Chair for Kerala Studies in 1993. Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam raised it as a research centre in 1994 and the Ulahannan Mappilla Centre for Research was built in 2004. The department also conducts film festivals in the college.

Commerce

The Department of Commerce was established in 1962, at first attached to the department of Economics. The department became independent when affiliation for BCom was granted in 1963. Affiliation for MCom was granted in 1981. The Department of Commerce is a recognised research center of Mahatma Gandhi University offering a doctoral programme in Commerce.

Syriac

Syriac was introduced as a second language for pre-degree and degree students from 1937.

James Kalacherry James Kalacherry (20 April 1892 – 27 October 1949) was an Indian educationalist and bishop of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, taking charge of the Diocese of Changanassery. Kalacherry was born on 20 April 1892 in Kainakary. He was or ...

and Mathew Kavukattu were notable faculty in the Syriac department.

College crest

The college crest features a Greek cross dividing four quarters. The dove symbolizes the Holy Spirit, the fleur-de-lis represents purity, and the coconut trees signify Kerala. Waves depict the college's location, and the open book on the Greek cross symbolizes wisdom. The Latin motto "Caritas Vera Nobilitas" and its Sanskrit equivalent "सैभ्रात्रं हि कूलीनता (saibhrātram hi kūlīnatā)" are inscribed below the shield.

Rankings

The college was ranked 54 in All India ranking by NIRF (

National Institutional Ranking Framework National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) is a ranking methodology released annually by the Ministry of Education, Government of India, to rank institutions of higher education in India. The framework was approved by the former Ministr ...

) in 2023 and 69 in 2024.

Programmes

The college provides 17 UG, 21 PG, and nine doctoral programmes.

Undergraduate

Aided programs English Model 1, English Model 2 Vocational Journalism, Malayalam, Economics, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Botany, Zoology, Psychology, Commerce FT+ ACCA/CMA Self-financing programs BSc Biotechnology and Botany, BSc Zoology and Industrial Microbiology, BCA, Commerce FT+ACCA/CMA, BCOM CA+ACCA/CMA, Bvoc Renewable Energy Management

Postgraduate

Aided programs English, Malayalam, Economics, Botany, Zoology, Mathematics, Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry, Polymer Chemistry, Physics, Physics NRE(New and Renewable Energy Management), MCom Finance, MSW, MBA Self-financing programs MSc Computer Science, Biochemistry, Microbiology, Library and Information Science, Mcom Finance, MBA

Facilities

*SB Central Library *Hostel *Career Orientation Centre *Mar Charles Lavigne Indoor Stadium *Berchnet *Common Instrumentation Facility *Auditorium and Conference Halls *Herbarium *Botanical Garden *Ulahannan Mapilla Centre for Oriental Studies *Mary Anne John Stuttgen Library *Play grounds *Language Lab *Staff Co-operative Society *SB Book House *Berchmans TV *Canteen and cafeteria *Research Block *Berchmans IT Division *Computer Lab *Christ the King’s Chapel *Zoological Museum

Hostels

*St. Joseph’s Hostel (UG) *St. Thomas Hostel (UG) *St Berchmans Hostel (UG) *Sahrudaya Hostel (PG) *St Thomas Moore Hostel (MBA) *Pope John Paul II Hostel (sports hostel) *St Mary’s Hostel (women's hostel) Over 800 hostellers were residing inside the campus. In the early stages it was an important institution in Kerala which has boarding facilities for students. Hence hostels play an important part in the phase of this college.

Academics and extra-curricular activities

Research areas in science include

material science A material is a substance or mixture of substances that constitutes an object. Materials can be pure or impure, living or non-living matter. Materials can be classified on the basis of their physical and chemical properties, or on their geol ...

nanotechnology Nanotechnology is the manipulation of matter with at least one dimension sized from 1 to 100 nanometers (nm). At this scale, commonly known as the nanoscale, surface area and quantum mechanical effects become important in describing propertie ...

polymer chemistry Polymer chemistry is a sub-discipline of chemistry that focuses on the structures, chemical synthesis, and chemical and physical properties of polymers and macromolecules. The principles and methods used within polymer chemistry are also applic ...

, plant taxonomy and environmental sciences. The college conducted an international conference on Science and Technology for

Sustainable Development Sustainable development is an approach to growth and Human development (economics), human development that aims to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.United Nations General ...

participated in by delegates from 26 countries in 2005. Apart from academics, the college has two units of

National Service Scheme The National Service Scheme (NSS) is an Indian government sector public service program conducted by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports of the Government of India. Popularly known as NSS, the scheme was launched in Mahatma Gandhi's centen ...

(NSS) in which 200 volunteers can be enrolled. NSS gives various avenues for its volunteers to engage in various campus and community activities. The popular extra-curricular societies and clubs engage in activities concerned with debating, drama, film club, social service, photography, Jesus Youth, National Cadet Corps, Mock United Nations (MUN), etc. It is the only college in India, apart from St. Stephen's College,

New Delhi New Delhi (; ) is the Capital city, capital of India and a part of the Delhi, National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the Government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Parliament ...

, to have a full-fledged

Shakespearean Theatre William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

. Shakespearean plays have been regularly staged since 1938. The hall was named Archbishop Kavukatt Hall. This hall underwent major renovations which works started in 2020 and completed in 2023. The hall re-opened after the complete renovation on March 8, 2023. Berchmans Erudite Lecture Series (BELS) The college brings Nobel laureates and other scholars such as

Ei-ichi Negishi was a Japanese chemist who was best known for his discovery of the Negishi coupling. He spent most of his career at Purdue University in the United States, where he was the Herbert C. Brown Distinguished Professor and the director of the Negi ...

(Nobel Laureate in Chemistry 2010) in 2016, Ada E Yonath (Nobel Laureate in Chemistry, 2009) in 2019, Sir Anthony James Leggett (Nobel Laureate in Physics 2003) in 2020 and

Martin Chalfie Martin Lee Chalfie (born January 15, 1947) is an American scientist. He is University Professor at Columbia University. He shared the 2008 Nobel Prize in Chemistry along with Osamu Shimomura and Roger Y. Tsien "for the discovery and develop ...

(Nobel Laureate in Chemistry 2008) in 2021.

Berchmans Institute of Management Studies (BIMS)

Berchmans Institute of Management Studies (BIMS) established in 1995, is under the management of St. Berchmans College affiliated to Mahatma Gandhi University,

. It is a full-time

Master of Business Administration A Master of Business Administration (MBA) is a professional degree focused on business administration. The core courses in an MBA program cover various areas of business administration; elective courses may allow further study in a particular ...

programme. Berchmans Institute of Management Studies is recognized by

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 (India), Department of Higher Education. Established in November 1945 firs ...

, New Delhi.

Recognition

St Berchmans College is today considered to be one of the top ten colleges in Kerala and has always been in the top 100 colleges in India. The college is today a heritage instituition of higher education in Kerala. UGC has recognized the college as 'College with Potential for Excellence'. It is one of the first colleges in Kerala to undergo NAAC accreditation and is currently undergoing fifth cycle. In May 2006, NAAC accredited the college with Grade A+. In 2012, the college was re-accredited with Grade A in the country with a CGPA of 3.37 on a four-point scale. In 2017, it was re-accredited with Grade A. It is also one of the topmost NAAC-accredited college in Kerala with the highest CGPA. SB College2

The college which was one of the last bastions of male exclusivity has opened its door to female students to various undergraduate programmes. The college is also appreciated for its beautiful combination of

Victorian architecture Victorian architecture is a series of Revivalism (architecture), architectural revival styles in the mid-to-late 19th century. ''Victorian'' refers to the reign of Queen Victoria (1837–1901), called the Victorian era, during which period the st ...

, characterized by the use of red bricks, pointed and

semicircular arch In architecture, a semicircular arch is an arch with an intrados (inner surface) shaped like a semicircle. This type of arch was adopted and very widely used by the Romans, thus becoming permanently associated with Roman architecture. Termino ...

es, ornate detailing, dome and towering structures, with a blend of Dutch colonial and

Dravidian architecture Dravidian architecture, or the Southern Indian temple style, is an architectural idiom in Hindu temple architecture that emerged from Southern India, reaching its final form by the sixteenth century. In contrast with North Indian temple styl ...

, especially in the college tower, Kurialacherry block and the chapel. The college has one of the largest college libraries in South India, with more than a collection of 100,000 books. The college also kept the 100 year old tradition of starting the day with the one minute hymn '

Lead, Kindly Light "Lead, Kindly Light, Amid the encircling gloom" is a hymn with words written in 1833 by John Henry Newman as a poem titled "the Pillar of the Cloud", which was first published in the '' British Magazine'' in 1834'','' and republished in ''Lyra Ap ...

' by

Cardinal Newman John Henry Newman (21 February 1801 – 11 August 1890) was an English Catholic theologian, academic, philosopher, historian, writer, and poet. He was previously an Anglican priest and after his conversion became a cardinal. He was an ...

which is said to halt everyone from their work. The college is also one of the noted Catholic Institutions in the world notable for producing three Cardinals of Catholic Church . As a part of the centenary, the college underwent major renovations and heritage restoration in 2022. The college has produced a diverse alumni ranging from politicians to businessmen, writers to actors, religious leaders to scientists, athletes to

military personnel Military personnel or military service members are members of the state's armed forces. Their roles, pay, and obligations differ according to their military branch (army, navy, marines, coast guard, air force, and space force), rank ( office ...

and civil servants.

Notable alumni

One of the legendary actors of the

Malayalam film industry Malayalam cinema, also referred to as Mollywood, is a segment of Indian cinema dedicated to producing films in the Malayalam language, primarily spoken in Kerala and the Lakshadweep islands. It encompasses both the mainstream film industry a ...

Prem Nazir Prem Nazir (born Abdul Khader; 6 April 1926 – 16 January 1989) was an Indian actor known as one of Malayalam cinema's definitive leading man, leading men of his generation. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential actors in the hist ...

, an alumnus of the college, said Though he was active in student politics,

Oommen Chandy Oommen Chandy (31 October 1942 – 18 July 2023) was an Indian lawyer and statesman who served as the 10th chief minister of Kerala, serving from 2004 to 2006 and 2011 to 2016. He served also as the Leader of the Opposition, leader of the opp ...

was not engaged in activism within the campus when he was student of BA Economics in SB. File:Oommen Chandy 2013 4.JPG, Oommen Chandy File:P.K. Vasudevan Nair.jpg, P. K Vasudevan Nair File:P. T. Chacko (image).png, P. T. Chacko File:Sibi Malayil at IFFK.jpg, Sibi Malayil File:Kunchacko Boban 2008.jpg, Kunchacko Boban File:Krishna Kumar with Mohanlal, Jeethu Joseph, Antony Perumbavoor (cropped).jpg, Jeethu Joseph File:Mar Joseph Powathil.jpg, Mar Joseph Powathil File:Mar George Alencherry Syro-Malabar.jpg, Cardinal Mar George Alencherry File:Moran Mor Baselios Cardinal Cleemis.jpg, Moran Mor Baselios Cardinal Cleemis File:Card. George J. Koovakad.jpg, Cardinal Mar George Jacob Koovakad File:PKNarayanaPanicker.jpg, P K Narayana Panicker The college has produced two Chief Ministers, Oommen Chandy and P.K. Vasudevan Nair, former minister in the first EMS Namboodiripad ministry and Communist Leader T. V. Thomas, first Opposition Leader and former Home Minister, P T Chacko, a number of writers and artists, including

, MG Soman,

Kunchacko Boban Kunchacko Boban (born 2 November 1976) is an Indian actor and film producer who works in the Malayalam film industry. He is referred to as Chackochan, and during the early 2000s, he was called "chocolate boy" because of his romantic image. He ...

Sibi Malayil Sibi (; ;) is a city situated in the Balochistan province of Pakistan. The city serves as the administrative headquarters of the district and tehsil of the same name. Etymology The origin of the town's name is attributed to Rani Sewi, a Hin ...

Jeethu Joseph Jeethu Joseph (born 10 November 1972) is an Indian film director, screenwriter, and producer who predominantly works in Malayalam cinema. He has also worked in a few Tamil cinema, Tamil, Hindi and Telugu Cinema, Telugu films. Jeethu made his d ...

, Martin Prakatt, George Onakkoor,

Muttathu Varkey Muttathu Varkey (28 April 1913 – 28 May 1989) was an Indian novelist, short story writer, and poet of Malayalam.Vishnunarayanan Namboothiri Vishnunarayanan Namboothiri (2 June 1939 – 25 February 2021) was an Indian writer and scholar of Malayalam literature. Known primarily for his poems, Namboothiri also contributed to other genres such as essays, translations and children's li ...

, three cardinals of the Catholic Church, Mar George Alencherry, Moran Mor Baselious Cleemis and Mar George Koovakad (which is highest for any college in India), NSS General Secretary PK Narayana Panicker, archbishops including Mar Joseph Powathil, Mar Joseph Perumthottam, Former Apostolic Nuncio Mar George Kochery, Mar Thomas Tharayil, Bishop of Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church of Niranam Diocese Yuhanon Mar Chrysostamos, Bishop of Malankara Jacobite Syrian Church of Niranam Diocese Coorilose Mar Geevarghese besides a long list of legal luminaries, bureaucrats and academicians such as Justice Cyriac Joseph, C.V. Ananda Bose, Raju Narayana Swami, Jancy James, B. Ekbal and so on.

In popular culture

The college has been featured in many films such as Tamil-language romantic drama ''

Autograph An autograph is a person's own handwriting or signature. The word ''autograph'' comes from Ancient Greek (, ''autós'', "self" and , ''gráphō'', "write"), and can mean more specifically: Gove, Philip B. (ed.), 1981. ''Webster's Third New Intern ...

'' (2004), Malayalam-language action crime film '' Masters'' (2012), Malayalam romantic comedy film '' Doctor Love'' (2011) and ''The Campus'' (2005).

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Berchmans College Syro-Malabar educational institutions Catholic universities and colleges in India Arts and Science colleges in Kerala Colleges affiliated to Mahatma Gandhi University, Kerala Universities and colleges in Kottayam district Educational institutions established in 1922 1922 establishments in India Changanassery Vazhappally Academic institutions formerly affiliated with the University of Madras