Saint Xavier’s College, Mumbai: A Complete Guide

Location: 5, Mahapalika Marg, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400001

Motto: Provocans Ad Volandum (Inciting to fly)

Established: 1869

Principal: Dr. Rajendra Shinde

Type: Aided,Autonomous

Affiliation: University of Mumbai

Academics

Junior College

The college admits students after they complete their 10^th standard from any recognized board (SSC, IB, ICSE, etc.) Students enrolling from boards other than SSC have to submit a “Migration Certificate”. The college offers Arts and Science courses at the Junior College level. Science lectures begin at 8:00 am while Arts lectures begin at 11:20 am. The college reserves a total of 360 seats for students in each stream. Out of them 50% are reserved for students of Christian faith. The college also reserves 5%, 3%, 2% and 3% of the seats for students from the Special, Disabled, Art and Culture and Sports category respectively. The fees for the 11^th standard are Rs. 350 for Arts and Rs. 520 for science students. The fees for the 12^th standard are Rs. 358 for Arts and Rs. 528 for science students.

The college offers students the subjects of their choice on the basis of the marks they obtain in the 10^th standard. Each standard has three divisions, A, B and C, that are divided on the basis of the subjects. English, Economics and Environmental Education are compulsory subjects for students taking Arts. The college has also made it compulsory for students taking science to study English, Physics, Chemistry, Math and Environmental Education in the junior college. Physical Education is compulsory for all students. The college also has a compulsory 75% attendance rule.

Bachelor Courses

Thecollegeadmits students to the senior college for the bachelor’s degree after the students complete their 12^th standard from any other recognized board. The college offers a bachelor’s degree in Arts, Science, Information Technology and Commerce.

Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)

Students who apply for this degree are offered subjects of their choice on the basis of their marks in the 12^th standard board exams. Students in the first year have to choose three core subjects that they plan to major in. In addition to this, students also have to study the subjects of Value Education, Communication skills and a second language (other than English). They study these courses for both the semesters in the first year.

The second year has two semesters as well. In the first semester of the second year, students have one paper on Value Education, two papers on each of the three core subjects they chose in the first year and one paper on an applied component of their choice. In the second semester, students have one paper on the applied component, two papers on each of the three core subjects and one paper on a cross faculty course.

The third year has two semesters wherein students appear for six papers in each semester. Here, students appear for the papers on either one or two of the core subjects they chose in their first year.

Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.)

Students who apply for this degree are offered subjects of their choice on the basis of their marks in the 12^th standard board exams. Students in the first year have to choose a combination of three core subjects from the combinations offered to them. In addition, they also have a course on Value Education.

In the second year, students have to choose two subjects from the three core subjects they chose the previous year. Students appear for one paper on Value Education, one on Scientific Communication skills and three papers on each of the two core subjects in the first term. In the second term, students appear for one paper on a cross faculty course, one on Scientific Communication skills and three papers on each of the two core subjects.

Third year students can choose to give papers on either one or two subjects depending on the combination they took in their second year. In addition to the written papers, students from the first to the third year also have to give practical exams.

Bachelor of Commerce (B.Com.)

The college offers B.Com. courses to students who have passed the 12^th standard. These courses are conducted in the evening from 5:20 pm. Students who usually work during the day, attend these courses.

Bachelor of Science in Information Technology (B.Sc. IT)

The college offered this course for the first time in the academic year 2007-08 students are taught telecommunications, networking, e-commerce and internet security among other things. Students must pass their 12^th standard with an average of 45% having Mathematics as one of their subjects in order to be eligible to gain admission.

Other than this, the college also offers courses in Bachelor of Mass Media (BMM) and Bachelor of Management Studies (BMS). These courses are unaided and are self-financed courses.

Postgraduate Courses

The college offers post graduate programs in Arts and Science. The courses it offers are-

• M.A in Ancient Indian History, Culture and Archeology
• Master’s in Public Policy
• M.A. in Psychology
• M.Sc. in Botany
• M.Sc. in Geology
• M.Sc. in Life Science
• M.Sc. in Microbiology
• M.Sc. in Biotechnology
• M.Sc. in Physics
• M.Sc. in Big Data Analytics

The college also offers a Ph.D. degree in Botany, Chemistry and Life Science.

The campus is also home to the-

• Xavier Institute of Communication- a professional media centre that offers services in training and production.
• Xavier Institute of Management and Research- a business school that aims to develop entrepreneurs.
• Heras Institute- a historical research institute that trains scholars and fosters research in Indian History and Archaeology.

Associations

The college also has various associations that help develop students mentally and physically.

Social Involvement Program (SIP)

The SIP department of Saint Xavier’s College, Mumbai provides students with beyond the classroom and campus learning opportunities. Here, students in the first year of senior college are required to complete 45 hours of social service with orphanages, old age homes or other social organizations that have a tie up with the college.

All India Catholic University Federation (AICUF)

The All India Catholic University Federation organizes various activities keeping 3 objectives in mind – Social Outreach, Personality Development and Spiritual Growth. These activities include camps, retreats, hikes, exposure visits, exhibitions and seminars. The AICUF at Saint Xavier’s College, Mumbai is currently the only AICUF unit in Maharashtra. Every year in December, the college celebrates AICUF Day which includes Mass, tele-games and an inter-College Carol singing Competition- Mistletones.

Indian Music Group

The Indian Music group of St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai was founded in the year 1973. It strives to promote love and appreciation for Indian classical music amongst the youth. The IMG conducts various event like-

• Aaroh- This is the first annual concert of IMG. The name Aaroh refers to the notes of a ‘raag’ in ascending order.

• Malhar Ke Prakaar-This is the annual monsoon event. It takes place in the month of August and has hosted eminent artists such as Pandit Jasraj, Dr. Ashwini Bhide Deshpande and Shubha Mudgal.

• Janfest- Janfest is IMG’s flagship event. It is a grand celebration of the best that Indian classical music has to offer. Spread over three sessions in two days, the event has been going on for the past 43 years. Veteran artists like Ustad Zakir Hussain, Pt. Ravi Shankar, Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia and Ustad Amjad Ali Khan have performed at this event.

Marathi Vangmay Mandal

This is one of the first student organizations in Mumbai. The basic aim of the Marathi Vangmay Mandal (Marathi Literature Society) is the promotion of Maharashtrian culture and literature amongst the youth. It organizes various events within the college that many students participate in. the MVM also organizes its flagship event- Aamod. This is an inter-collegiate festival that takes place over a period of three days.

Social Service League (SSL)

The Social Service League of Saint Xavier’s College, Mumbai was founded in 1951. It is a voluntary organization made up of student members concerned about socially relevant issues. Funds for the activities of the SSL are mainly collected through sponsorship drives organized by the SSL members. The activities organized by the SSL include-

1. Team Building Camp: A group of about fifty SSL members are taken to the villa in Khandala for a three-day camp on team-building and leadership.
2. Blood Donation drives: Twice a year blood donation drives are organized in the college.
3. Project Care: A special two-day camp is held in the month of December for about 100 socially disadvantaged children from selected institutions.

Fests and Events

The college has many fests and events that it regularly conducts. They include-

Malhar

Saint Xavier’s College, Mumbai hosts one of Asia’s largest college festivals- Malhar. It is a fest where there are many inter collegiate competitions such as those in singing, sports, dance, literature and drama. It also hosts a conclave on the first day of its three-day fest where many renowned personalities from various fields come to give talks to the audience.

Xenith

This is the departmental fest of the IT department of Saint Xavier’s College. Various competitions like treasure hunts and workshops are held here.

Zephyrus

This is the departmental fest of the BMS department. It holds many talks given by experienced people.

Alchemia

This is the departmental fest of the Chemistry department of Saint Xavier’s College. It has various games and other fun events.

Econundrum

This is the departmental fest of the college’s Economics department. It holds various talks given by renowned personalities in the field of economics. It also has various events and games related to the field of economics like debates and stock market simulations.

Facilities

Other than this, the college has various facilities that it provides such as-

• Basketball Court
• Volleyball Court
• Gymkhana with a badminton court
• Smith Centre for Audio-Visual Instruction and Multi Media Room
• Hall
• Boys Hostel
• Chapel
• Herbarium
• Laboratories
• Language Laboratory
• Canteen

Ranking

Saint Xavier’s College is one of the best colleges in India. In 2017, India Today ranked it at the 3^rd position among science colleges in India and 4^th among arts colleges in India. NIRF ranked Saint Xavier’s college at the 96^th position in India. Education World ranked it 4^th among amalgamated arts, science and commerce colleges in 2019 and 1^st among private autonomous colleges in India for the 2020-21 academic year.

Student Life

Student life at Saint Xavier’s College is one to envy. The college provides a lot of exposure to students in many ways. Students from different backgrounds and cultures come together in the same college. They hang out in the foyer or woods at the college during their breaks and free lectures. Students also have an option to go to the nearby theatres, milkshake centres or restaurants during an extended break. The college also hosts interclass competitions wherein students bond with one another.