Department of Bengali, St. Xavier’s College Ragahbpur Campus

The Department of Bengali at the Raghabpur Campus of St. Xavier’s College started its journey in 2014, along with the campus itself, as one of the departments offering a Bachelors’ programme with Honours in Bangla Language and Literature. The department has possibly made its presence felt within the neighbouring community since its intake at the Honours level has only seen a rise from the beginning, with 62 students taking admission to the degree programme this year. The current strength of students attending the Bangla Honours programme stands at 160 (approximately). Besides the Honours programme, the department also offers an Ancillary course for the History Honours students and courses for the students of the B.A. (General) and B.Com (Hons.) programmes. The department currently consists of 7 full-time faculty members at the Raghabpur Campus. In 2019 Bangla department offered PG course, and it started with 25 students.

Before the PG course started, many students generally took admission to PG course in Calcutta and Jadavpur University.

One of our students passed the NET exam (National eligibility test), and 3 of our students passed in B.Ed exam also. One of our students got a managerial post in the State Bank of India.

Departmental Activities:

Department of Bangla at the Raghabpur Campus has introduced a Post-Graduate programme from July 2019.  The first batch of students included applicants from various districts and Universities all over West Bengal. The programme has already received tremendous enthusiasm from the applicants in 2020, despite the Pandemic and Lockdown. The department also responded with enthusiasm to the technological challenges of running the graduate and post-graduate programmes, conducting examinations, facilitating admissions online.

• Nirmalya Kr. Ghosh, Assistant Professor of Bangla at GMSM Mahavidyalaya, delivered a lecture on ‘Idea of conjugality in the novels of Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay’ on 27 August 2019.

• A one-day seminar on ‘Chaitanyite Culture and Medieval Bengali literature’ was organised on 31 August 2019. Professor Aparna Roy, Professor of Bangla at Visva-Bharati and Dr. Rajat Sanyal, Associate Professor of Archaeology, University of Calcutta, delivered their lectures.

• Professor Mahidas Bhattacharya, Former Director, School of Language & Linguistics, Jadavpur University gave a seminar for the Post-Graduate students on 21 September 2019.

• A special seminar on ‘Bangla Chotogalpo: AdhunikatarAbhimukheJatra’ was organised on 1 November 2019. Eminent author Sri Swapnamay Chakraborty and Professor Pinakesh Chandra Sarkar of Jadavpur University addressed the gathering.

• Post-Graduate students attended a seminar and convention on ‘Vidyasagar o Janashiksha’, particularly focused on a recital of ‘Muslim Meyeder Biyer Gan’ (Wedding songs of Muslim Women) by Ms. Rasena Bewa and her team from Murshidabad, organised by the School of Media Communication and Culture, Jadavpur University, in collaboration with Punarnaba, Kolkata, on 17 January 2020.

• Sahaj Path, the Bengali Literary Society, in collaboration with St. Xavier’s College (Calcutta) Alumni Association, organized Sanjog, to celebrate Bhasha Divas. The post-graduate students also put together an exhibition commemorating the struggle for mother language and drawing attention to the perils of smaller linguistic communities in a globalised world.

• A lecture-demonstration on ‘GoudiyaNrittya’ by Dr. Mahua Mukhopadhyay, Pt. AmitavanMukhopadhyay, and their team of researchers from RabindraBharati University was organised on 22 February 2020.

• Professor Soumitra Basu, Eminent Playwright, Actor, and formerly Shishir Kr. Bhaduri Professor of Drama at RabindraBharati University, engaged in a discussion session on the theatre of Sambhu Mitra and Manoj Mitra with the post-graduate students on 13 March 2020. His deliberations were enriched with the nuances of his prolonged association with Bahurupi.

• The department participated and collaborated in organising the Second Maitreyi Sarkar Memorial Lecture (online) on 13 November 2020.

• Students and teachers of the departments, in association with the Alumni Association, engaged in a drive to cope with the aftermath of ‘AMPHAN’ during May-June 2020.

Students’ Achievements:

• Sri Samaresh Bag, alumnus of 2014-17 batch has passed the NET (2020) and qualified for the National Research Fellowship from UGC.

• Satyaki Roy Chaudhuri of PG Sem III presented a paper in Devrupa Bal Memorial Students’ Seminar organised by the Dept of Comparative Literature, Jadavpur University in November 2020.

• Post-graduate students of the department forayed into two different ventures of electronically publishing little magazines, named Samrag and Ungo-Nouka, respectively.

Teachers’ Contributions:

• SudakshinaBasu delivered a series on lectures on KabitaSingha for the PG programme in Bangla at Gurudas College, Kolkata.

• Debashis Bhattacharyya’s essay ‘GoutamBasurKabita’ has been published in EbangMushayera, October 2020.

• RiniGangopadhyay has published her first novel ‘CoronarDinguli o Prem’ from ShaptarshiPrakashan in September 2020.

• Madhumita Acharya’s article ‘Arthanaitikswanirbharata o nari-pragati: Bangali mulyabodher paribartan, chartiupanyaseraloke’ has been published in NariPragati: Nana Bhavnay, Kolkata, 2019. She Also presented a paper entitled ‘Dahan: Documenting Time’ in a webinar on ‘World Cinema: Literary Adaptation and Beyond’ on 22 July 2020.

• Subrata Sinha visited the Department of Cultural Studies, Tezpur University, as a Resource Person on Digital Culture and Archiving, under the aegis of UGC-CPEPA programme in February 2020.

• Presented a paper entitled ‘NandanerBijuktikram: UnishShatakeBangalirLokasanskriticharcharKichhuPrabanata, KichhuParinati’ at the Department of Bangla, Jadavpur University on 27 February 2020.

• Participated in a discussion on ‘Lokasangit: Shruti, Smrriti o Samrakshan’ organised by Bhromora, Institute of Folk Culture at Chitrakoot Art Gallery on 8 March 2020

• Delivered a lecture on ‘Re-technologising sound in Digital Realm: Facing Dilemmas, Making Choices’ in an Online International Workshop on ‘Text and Music Digitization’ organised by the RabindraMahavidyalay, Champadanga on 17 July 2020.

• Arundhati Das’ essay, ‘Dibe Se Khuli E GhorDhuliAbaran: NibeditarChokheSwamiji’ has been published in Purasree, Yr. 19, No. 21, January 2020 (RNI: WBBEN/2001/04446).

• Provided editorial assistance for AmaderVidyasagar (Kolkata, 2019), Vidyasagar Bicentenary Commemoration Volume of the Dept. of Education, Govt. of West Bengal.

• Presented a paper titled ‘MonobhashabijnanerNirikheUnishShatokerMeyeder Primer’ in an International Webinar on ‘UnishShatakerBanglayNariShiksha o Pragati’ organized by Berhampore Girls’ College, on 28 July 2020.

• Saswati Roy has published extensively in this period. Her articles include ‘NagendranathBasur Banger JatiyaItihas: Kulajisastrevivaha-prasanga’ has been published in Anustup, Vol. LIV, No. 3&4, 2020 (ISSN 0097-4269).

• ‘UnishShatakerbanglabyangapatrikaBasantak-e Kolkata purarajneetir (1874-1875) prasanga’, Journal of Humanities, Vol. VI, Lady Brabourne College, Kolkata, 2019 (ISSN 2394-045X).

• ‘NagendranathBasur Banger JatiyaItihasa: Deshiyaitihaschinta o Eurokendrikitihasbodhsongkrantobitorko’, Aitihya: The Heritage, Vol. XI, Issue. 2, 2020, (ISSN 2229-5399).

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE-RAGHABPUR CAMPUS

Significant achievement about extension activities of St Xavier’s College (Autonomous), Kolkata is the setting up of Raghabpur Campus, which is about 15 kms away from the main campus. Department of Commerce of Raghabpur Campus provides an environment for the students’ holistic development, which caters primarily to the academic needs of the rural students. This is in line with the Jesuit motto of “Magis”(ad majorem Dei gloriam), a Latin phrase meaning “for the greater glory of God”.

The medium of instruction is in both English and Bengali. The department has started working in 2014. The department introduced a Choice Based Credit System (CBCS) in July 2017.

Apart from providing an explicit knowledge in the subjects, all the necessary facilities are made available for students like smart classroom, good library and computer lab with internet facility to assist them in the same. Development of moral character, honesty and integrity are emphasized along with education.

Commerce Department of SXC Raghabpur Campus regularly conducts different activities like organizing seminars for the students in the emerging areas of Accounting, Finance and Management. The 3rd year students of B.Com(H) use to undergo an internship programme which is compulsory for getting the Honours degree. We organize a Knowledge Tour (Industrial Visit) in January for our 3rd-year students of B.Com(H). Since the Commerce Department of SXC Raghabpur is an extension of the main campus, our students regularly participate in different seminars and workshops with the Commerce Department of the main campus. The basic motto is to make the students employable in the job market. Remedial and Tutorial classes are taken regularly to improve the quality of the weak students. The department also imparts Communicative English classes for the students to develop their communication skill. We are also now getting some enthusiastic, vibrant students who have completed ICWAI (Inter)and also some competitive entrance exams like MAT. Our students of the department use to participate in NCC and NSS activities and hosting our campus in different extra-curricular activities.

Political Science (Honours)

We are happy to introduce BA. Political science (Honours) from this academic year (2021) in Raghabpur Campus. The aim of offering this course is to fulfil the academic aspirations of many students in rural areas to equip them with unique opportunities to master different political theories, thoughts and their applicability in contemporary times.

With experienced faculties, a wide range of references, and apt guidance under the care of the Jesuit Society, this Department is determined to deliver quality teachings in all aspects of life.

The curriculum is carefully and subtly designed to cater to the pupils’ needs and help students garner comprehensive knowledge of the subject.

Post-Graduate Programme in Bangla (Raghabpur campus)

The college offers a Post-Graduate degree programme in Bangla Language and Literature at the Raghabpur Campus, 18 Kilometres away from Kolkata. The campus was started as an extension of the college in 2014, primarily for the students of South 24 Parganas who are stepping into the field of higher education. Being further in consonance with what Paul Johnson calls in History of Christianity ‘a tradition of providing an educational service on demand’, the idea of offering the PG programme in Bangla at the rural campus of the college emanated from the popular demand of the local people as well as our own undergraduate students. More than 30% of the PG students come from the districts of 24 Parganas, Kolkata, Medinipurs, Hugli and Murshidabad.

The course, an autonomous programme affiliated to the University of Calcutta, envisions a rigorous training in the major areas of Bangla literature and provides detailed knowledge of specific domains. While the programme will offer core papers in Ancient, Medieval and Modern periods of Bangla literature, Folkloristics, Linguistics and Literary theory; the students will be able to opt for specialization in Medieval Studies, Tagoreana, Literature and Culture of the Colonial and Post-colonial Bengal and Indian Literatures of the post-independence period. The programme is also designed to enhance analytical skill, and research aptitude and the students are encouraged in such pursuits.

In addition to the seven full-time faculty members in the Department, the Board of Studies, as well as the visiting faculties of the Department, includes eminent authors and critics like Ramkumar Mukhopadhyay, Swapnamay Chakraborty, Gopa Dutta, Sampa Chaudhuri, Chhanda Roy, Rafikul Hosain, Anjan Sen, Mahidas Bhattacharya, Aparna Roy, Rajat Sanyal, Samantak Das and Abdul Kafi. The Department is currently preparing for a vertical expansion, and Research Programmes may be offered in the coming years.

Alongside the academic activities like debates, seminars, and educational excursions, the students are encouraged to participate in various co-curricular events within and outside the college, including sports, hobbies, creative writings, and performing arts. The programme equips a holistic development of young intellectual, eager to learn and to commit to the service of the land and her people.

DEPARTMENT OF BA GENERAL

The B.A General Department of Raghabpur Campus began its illustrious journey in the year 2014. Since its inception, the department has a student-friendly interactive approach where every student gets an equal opportunity to develop and grow and learn beyond their syllabus.

The first batch of B.A General Students completed their graduation in 2017. All the students of B.A General (2014-2017) batch have cleared their semester examinations with flying colours, and many are pursuing post-graduation in Political Science and Bengali. Some students went on to pursue B.ED. The second batch of the department comprising 21 students has also sailed through in June 2018.

The department regularly conducts tutorial classes for students to help them perform well in their exams. Students’ regular class tests, classroom seminars, and presentation are conducted apart from Continuous Internal Assessments and End Semester examinations. Remedial classes are conducted for students having arrears in their previous semesters. There is a growing tendency amongst students to continue their studies after graduation and interest in various national and state-level examinations. There has been a reduction in student drop-outs as well.

New BA Department under CBCS Curriculum.

St Xavier’s College (Autonomous) Kolkata, Raghabpur Campus conducted admission to the new BA General course under the nomenclature of BA in the year 2018. The batch consisted of 52 students admitted from both West Bengal as well as Delhi Boards. The current batch of this department consists of 74 students. The new curriculum has been designed in such a way that the students benefit by it in an utmost manner. The Generic Electives and Skill-based courses are formulated keeping in mind the requirement of the students. The strength of the department lies in its dedicated faculty, digital classrooms, scholarship for the poor and needy students, mentorship and counselling for students. The growing activities of the department are providing ample opportunities to the students to take new initiatives, organize events, and become more responsible human beings.

Our department has been religiously conducting online classes from the onset of the pandemic. Our students have slowly but steadily adapted to the ‘new normal’ of online education. The College has been supporting the less fortunate students in their quest for education by arranging the facilities required for the online learning mode.

A variety of courses has been undertaken for the betterment of our students.

Communicative English Course:

To help students make conversation, practice dialogues and give high quality presentations, the campus has initiated a three-year certificate course in English Communication Language Skills from September 2018.

Human Rights Education and Awareness – to facilitate the students in their daily lives and know about their fundamental rights the students the department has included Human Rights Education and awareness as a skill-based course.

The BA General department had also conducted a seminar on Gender Equality in February 2019.