Associations' / Institutions' News

Media Release

Mangaluru, Jul 4, 2017 : Adding yet another feather to its brimming cap, St Agnes College (Autonomous), Mangaluru, the premier Catholic women’s college in the West Coast of India established in 1921 by Mother Aloysia in Mangaluru, has been awarded with 'Star College Status' by the government of India.

The Star College Status was awarded to St Agnes College by the department of biotechnology, ministry of science and technology, government of India on June 30 for its outstanding performance in the field of science and technology.

St Agnes College is the 2nd women’s college in Karnataka to be conferred with Star Status. This comes in the wake of the college receiving the recognition of College of Excellence from the UGC in February this year and 'A+' grade in the Cycle 4 from the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) in March. The three very prestigious awards/Star Status come as great achievements for the College within the short span of 6 months. It speaks volumes of the performance and commitment of the management, principal, faculty, support staff, students, parents and alumni.

From its inception, the College has imparted higher education to the women of the entire nation for the past 96 years and proved to be a standard bearer of repute in the field of education.

St Agnes College had applied for the financial assistance under Star College Scheme in the year 2011. In 2012, the College received financial assistance for physics, chemistry, botany, zoology and microbiology under Star College Scheme. This scheme is for improving critical thinking, innovations in teaching and learning and to improve 'hands on' experimental work at undergraduate level in basic ciences. The main objective of the scheme is to attract students towards basic sciences. Every year progress report of this scheme has been reviewed and the expert committee appreciated the outstanding progress achieved under this scheme.

The 7th expert committee meeting to review colleges supported under Star College Scheme of DBT was held in April 2017 at Jalandhar. The expert committee appreciated the outstanding progress made by the College under this scheme. The department of biotechnology, government of India has sanctioned Rs 1 crore to Star Status faculty of sciences of St Agnes College for further nurturing excellence in Undergraduate Science education.

The expert committee comprising Dr Suman Govil, advisor, HRD, DBT; Dr Garima Gupta, scientist 'D', DBT and 11 renowned scientific experts reviewed 27 colleges of the country which participated in the 7th expert-cum-coordinators' meet. Only 5 colleges have been selected to get this prestigious Star Status Award, among which is St Agnes. The criteria for selection as Star College Status are stringent in which the parameters of qualifying are based on various scientific and academic activities. Under Star College Scheme, the faculty of sciences (physics, chemistry, botany, zoology and microbiology) focused on various activities such as workshops, field activities, summer schools, seminars and projects. Working under DBT Star College Scheme the students were motivated to explore and exhibit their research skills by participating in various conferences and symposium at national and international levels.

Addressing a press meet here on Tuesday July 4, principal of the College Sr Dr M Jeswina said, "It is the collective effort of all the science departments of the College. I am grateful to Dr Geetha Pinto, the co-ordinator, the convenors of the departments of physics, chemistry, botany, zoology and microbiology and all the science teachers and students for their commitment and generous service in accomplishing the assignments and projects given to them.

"It is a moment of joy and celebration for the management, faculty, support staff, students, parents, alumni and the stakeholders of the College," she added.