St. Berchmans College
St. Berchmans College, Changanassery, also known as SB College, is one of the first Autonomous Colleges in Kerala, India with 3000 students with 800 hostlers.Lead, Kindly Light is prayer song of the college. Saint John Berchmans is the patron saint of the college and is venerated in the Church as the Patron of Students. It is a Syrian Catholic college. It is situated in the town of Changanassery 18 kilometers south of Kottayam. Established in 1922, the college celebrates its centenary in 2022. It has nineteen postgraduate and eight research departments and it offers 17 UG, 19 PG, 3 MPhil, and 9 doctoral programmes. Students and alumni of the college are referred to as ‘Berchmanites’. It is run by the Catholic Archdiocese of Changanassery, is affiliated to the Mahatma Gandhi University in Kottayam and is recognized by the University Grants Commission (UGC). The college was granted autonomy by the UGC on 13 June 2014. The college was ranked 79 in All India Ranking by National Institutional Ranking Framework in 2020.[1]
SB College | |
![]() Tower Block , Side view | |
Other name | SB |
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Motto | Caritas Vera Nobilitas |
Motto in English | Charity or Love of one's Fellow men is true Nobility. |
Established | 1922 |
Parent institution | Syro-Malabar Catholic Archdiocese of Changanassery |
Academic affiliations | Mahatma Gandhi University, UGC |
Principal | Rev Fr Reji P Kurian |
Patron | Mar Joseph Perumthottam |
Academic staff | 200 |
Administrative staff | 50 |
Students | 3008 |
Location | , India 9.2702°N 76.3219°E |
Website | www |
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Academics and extra-curricular activities
Research areas in science include Material science, Nanotechnology, Polymer Chemistry, Plant Taxonomy and Environmental Sciences. The college conducted an international conference on Science and Technology for Sustainable Development participated in by delegates from 26 countries in 2005. Apart from academics, the college has two units of National Service Scheme(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, to have a full-fledged Shakespearean Theatre. Shakespearean plays have been regularly staged since 1938.
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, Kottayam. It is a full-time Master of Business Administration programme. Berchmans Institute of Management Studies is recognized by All India Council for Technical Education, New Delhi.
Notable alumni
- Kuzhikalail M. Abraham - Scientist, Professor and expert on lithium-ion batteries
- George Alencherry - Cardinal Mar
- Justice C.T.Ravikumar Judge Supreme Court of India
- Justice A. M. Babu, Former judge of Kerala High Court
- M. V. Pylee - Indian Scholar, Padmabhushan Awardee
- Kunchacko Boban - film actor
- C. V. Ananda Bose - IAS
- P. T. Chacko - former Home Minister of Kerala
- Bipin Chandran - scriptwriter
- K.M. Chandy - former Governor(MP, Gujarat & pondicherry)
- Oommen Chandy - former Chief Minister of Kerala
- Dr. B. Ekbal - Planning Board member, former Kerala University V.C
- V J James - Writer
- Cyriac Joseph - retired Supreme Court Justice
- George Joseph - Scientist
- Jeethu Joseph - film director
- P. J. Joseph - former Education Minister, MLA
- Mathew Kavukattu - Servant of God Mar
- Manoj Kuroor - writer
- Sibi Malayil - film director
- N. Sreekantan Nair - former MP for Kollam Constituency
- Vishnunarayanan Namboothiri, poet, writer
- Prem Nazir - film actor
- George Onakkoor
- P. K. Narayana Panicker - former NSS General Secretary
- P. Parameswaran (AKA Parameshwarji ) - Director of Bharatiya Vichara Kendra,Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) ideologue,Padmavibhooshan Awardee
- Martin Prakkat - film director
- A. A. Rahim - Indian Politician, Freedom Fighter and Union Minister
- John Sankaramangalam - filmmaker and former director of the FTII, Pune
- M. G. Soman - film actor
- Raju Narayana Swamy IAS - Addl. Secretary, Govt. of Kerala
- P. C. Thomas - former Central Minister
- Santosh Thundiyil - cinematographer