St. Joseph's College, Tiruchirappalli
St. Joseph's College (SJC), Tiruchirappalli in Tamil Nadu, India, was established in 1844 by the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) and it is regarded as one of the prestigious institutions in India. It was affiliated to Madras University in 1869 and is currently an affiliated first grade college of Bharathidasan University. It is the only college in Tamil Nadu awarded with "Heritage Status" by UGC. History. St. Joseph's College celebrated its centenary in 1945 and sesquicentenary in 1995. It acquired Five Star status awarded by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) in 2014 , was recognised by UGC as a College with Potential for Excellence (CPE) in 2004, and was accredited with A Grade [3rd Cycle] by NAAC in 2012. The college is owned by the Society of St. Joseph's, a body registered under Societies Regulation Act (1860), having its office at Tiruchirappalli. And it has the heritage college status as one among 12 colleges in India in 2016, which is given by the Government of India. Around 30 Jesuits serve on the staff. It acquired the A++ Rank awarded by the recent National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) in 2019. Departments. School  of Biological Sciences. Botany – The Botany Department dates back to 1912 when the study of natural science was introduced. In 1952, the B.A. Botany degree course became B.Sc. Botany, and in 1958 M.Sc. in Botany. The department is FIST supported, with separate research facilities for Molecular Biology, Physiology, and Bioinformatics. By 2015 the department had awarded 50 Ph.D.s while publishing 500 research papers and 5 books. The department's botanical garden is internationally recognized. Biochemistry – The Biochemistry Department was started in 1993 at a postgraduate level and became a separate department in 2002. It was one of the first  independent departments of Biochemistry in India. By 2015 the department had trained over 400 Biochemists. Biotechnology – The Department of Biotechnology was started in 2002 to produce Biotechnology postgraduates to cater to industry, academia, and research centres. Bharathidasan University declared it a research department in 2007 adding to the M.Sc. the degrees M.Phil. and Ph.D. A research atmosphere is maintained at the PG level, with students encouraged to attend the national and international symposia and present papers, and to organize workshops, exhibitions, and intercollegiate competitions that will develop their organizing and leadership skills. To make this accessible to the rural and  middle-class sectors, the fee is fixed at ₹18,000 per semester. School of Computing Sciences. Mathematics – The Department of Mathematics was founded with the college in 1844, when it already offered postgraduate courses. In 1911 the University of Madras granted permission to run the honours course in mathematics. Statistics – The Statistics Department was started in 1978 and became a PG department in 1999, receiving recognition as a research department from the Bharathidasan University that same year. Computer science – The Department of Computer Science began by offering the B.Sc. in 1983. In 1984 it added the MCA and in 2002  the M.Phil. and Ph.D. St. Joseph's College was the first arts and science college to offer MCA in India and first to produce the Ph.D. in Computer Science in Bharathidasan University. By 2014, the department had produced 15 Ph.D.s and around 150 M.Phil.s. Information technology – The Department of Information Technology was established in 2007, as a spin-off from the Department of Computer Science. It offers the BCA, M.Sc. Computer Science, and M.Sc. Information Technology. It also offers a Postgraduate Diploma in Computer Science and Applications, with ICT enabled teaching and learning. School of Languages and Culture. French  – The Department of French began from the founding of the college at Nagapattinam in 1844. French was taught to European officials at first and later some Indians were admitted into the course. History – The Department of History began with the college in 1844. The B.A. in history was introduced when the college was affiliated to the University of Madras. When in 1911 the college became an arts and science college, an honours course in history was introduced. During this period the library stack room in the history section was flooded with primary sources such as dispatches from the East India  Company, annual reports of the Archaeological Survey of India, inscription manuals, and gazetteers. But the number of students dwindled and the department was closed down, with the B.A. Honours course continuing up to 1960. B.A. History was revived in 1977. In 2014 the department offers a B.A., M.A., M.Phil., and Ph.D. It has a strong research orientation, producing 42 Ph.D.s and 320 M.Phil. scholars since 1977. The faculty members have authored 16 books both in English and Tamil and published 70 research papers on history and related areas. A biannual research journal "Indian Historical Studies" has been published by  the department since October 2004, financially supported by Indian Council of Historical Research, New Delhi. Tamil – This is one of the oldest departments. B.A. Tamil was started in 1882 and M.A. Tamil in 1995. It was recognized as a research department in 1986. Sanskrit – The Department of Sanskrit was started in 1907. Application oriented courses in Sanskrit for beginners were started along with the autonomous system. The curriculum under autonomy was revised to include prosody as a new subject and modified to suit the present needs of the society, keeping abreast of the latest developments. Hindi – The Hindi Department was  started in 1944. Since Tamil Nadu is a non-Hindi speaking state, the department is small but answers to student needs as they arise, e.g., students from Central Schools and Anglo-Indian Schools, from the B.Com. program, and from the evening college. English – The Department of English is the only department that has contact with every student at the undergraduate level. The B.A. (English) has been offered since 1962, M.A. (English) since 1965, and M.Phil. since 1984. School of Management Studies. Economics – The Department of Economics at the very beginning of the college was a part of the history B.A. , probably because of the predominance of history subjects. The Planning Forum, Economics Association, and Population Club are the co-curricular activities of the department. The department organizes annually a regional-level workshop on research methodology, CADAR memorial lecture, and intercollegiate "ECONS" competitions. Dr. M. Sebastian, S.J., former department head, founded the Association of Economists of Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry. ECONS is a cultural and academic extravaganza organized by the students of the department. It provides an opportunity for students to expose their hidden talents and potentials. Students of various colleges of Bharathidasan University compete for the Rolling Shield given by  the department. Commerce – The Department of Commerce opened in 1948, offering a three-year B.Com. degree. In 1954 it was suspended and in 1957 it was revived. The postgraduate course (M.Com.) was started in 1988. The department started a full-time M.Phil. course in 2001 and a full-time Ph.D. research programme in 2003. In 2002 the specialized M.A. Transport Management was launched, a two-year postgraduate course. The department had some legendary professors such as Prof.M.P.Vellore whom students still cherish his method of teaching. Human resource management – The Department of Society, Culture, and Civilisation was started in 1983 , offering its M.A. degree programme to all graduates in arts or science. Later the department's nomenclature was changed to Social Dynamics, and then to Human Resource Management. It is a value-based and socially oriented course. Input is theoretical and practical to understand the social structure, and the causes and agencies of social change. During the summer vacation, rural and tribal camps, industrial visits, and in-plant and in-house training programmes are offered. All-India educational tours are organized to expose students to diverse cultures. Business administration – The Department of Business Administration had its origin in the Department  of Economics. The department began to function independently from the academic year 2002 onwards as St. Joseph's Institute of Management. Commerce Computer Applications – The undergraduate degree course in Commerce Computer Application (B.Com. C.A.) was started in the year 2008, and the M.Com. C.A was added in 2011. School of Physical Sciences. Physics – B.A. Physics was started in 1881, B.Sc. (Hons.) Physics in 1906, and M.Sc. Physics in 1961. The B.A. Physics became B.Sc. Physics in 1930. Recognition was offered by the University of Madras for research work leading to a Ph.D. in 1971, and to a M.Phil. in 1977 . Chemistry – The Department of Chemistry was established in 1906. M.Sc. Chemistry is offered as both a day and evening course. B.Sc. Chemistry is offered only in Shift-I. Electronics – The BSc Electronics (Bachelor of Electronics Science) was started by the Department of Physics in 1993, to prepare students for self-employment or higher education in various related fields. In the year 1997 the M.Sc. Electronics (Master of Electronics Science) was introduced. The course exposes students to such concepts as Digital Signal Processing (DSP), Embedded System (ES), and VLSI design. The PG students undertake an industrial project in their final semester , to familiarize them with the real-time environment and possible employment opportunities. Sport. In 2013 and 2014 the team of St. Joseph's College won the Bharathidasan University Inter-Zonal Inter-Collegiate Men's Football Tournament.