St Aloysius College granted Deemed University status by UGC, Central government
Mangaluru: The renowned education institution of the city St Aloysius College (Autonomous), has been granted the status of a university, with the University Grants Commission (UGC) and the Ministry of Education, Government of India, approving of the proposal by the college administration board.
Addressing a press meet on Thursday, Fr Melwin J Pinto, who is the Rector, and Dr Praveen Martis, SJ, the Principal of the College, said that the autonomous college will be called 'St Aloysius (Deemed to be University) Mangaluru', starting January 25, 2024.
Expressing delight at the unique opportunity provided to serve the cause of higher education, they said, "The UGC and the Ministry of Education, after making a thorough study of the College proposal on various parameters like physical and digital infrastructure, curricular design, research and innovation, graduate outcomes, student attainment levels, placements, vision and mission of the institution and its impact on the society along with the considerations of the higher levels of successive NAAC accreditations, NIRF and distinctive rankings and achievements, has granted the university status to the College."
The rector and the principal added, "This status enables the institution to create a sustainable ecosystem driven by globally competitive curricula, high-end research, innovations and entrepreneurship initiatives.
It provides unprecedented opportunities to explore possibilities for robust collaborations with regional, national and global partners to facilitate interdisciplinary, multidisciplinary and trans-disciplinary undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral studies with joint and twinning programmes providing cross cultural learning exposure to students."
St Aloysius College, which was established in 1880 by Jesuit fathers, has been a premier higher education institution on account of its distinctive achievements of serving the local youth and moulding them into people with qualities of commitment, competence, compassion and conscience. The College, having a national and global presence, earned an autonomous status in 2007 and has continued working at setting higher benchmarks in all criteria related to higher education. It has also consistently maintained top notch credentials in all the four cycles of NAAC accreditations at the national level reaching A++ grade with a CGPA of 3.67 out of 4 and NIRF rankings showing the College within the top 100 Colleges for 3 consecutive terms, they said.
Calling the new status granted to the College the result of the dedicated and tireless efforts of the management, staff, students and all stakeholders who shared the long and sustained dream of the well-deserved status of a university, Fr. Pinto and Dr. Martis added, "As the College embarks on a new and exciting journey spearheading its educational endeavours towards creating men and women for and with others, it places on record its immense gratitude to all the collaborators, men and women of goodwill, esteemed alumni and recommits itself to serve the society with greater dedication and take utmost efforts to create a difference in the society."
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South African police arrest suspect in mass shooting that killed 12, including 3 children
Johannesburg (AP): A 32-year-old suspect has been arrested in connection with a mass shooting which claimed the lives of 12 people including three children at an unlicensed pub earlier this month, South African police said on Monday.
The man is suspected of being one of the three people who opened fire on patrons in a pub at Saulsville township, west of South Africa's capital Pretoria, killing 12 people including three children aged 3, 12 and 16.
At least 13 people were also injured during the attack, whose motive remains unknown.
According to the police, the suspect was arrested on Sunday while traveling to Botlokwa in Limpopo province, more than 340 km from where the mass shooting took place on Dec 6.
An unlicensed firearm believed to have been used during the attack was recovered from the suspect's vehicle.
“The 32-year-old suspect was intercepted by Limpopo Tracking Team on the R101 Road in Westenburg precinct. During the arrest, the team recovered an unlicensed firearm, a hand gun, believed to have been used in the commission of the multiple murders. The firearm will be taken to the Forensic Science Laboratory for ballistic analysis,” police said in statement.
The suspect was arrested on the same day that another mass shooting at a pub took place in the Bekkersdal township, west of Johannesburg, in which nine people were killed and 10 wounded when unknown gunmen opened fire on patrons.
Police have since launched a search for the suspects.
South Africa has one of the highest homicide rates in the world and recorded more than 26,000 homicides in 2024 — an average of more than 70 a day. Firearms are by far the leading cause of death in homicides.
The country of 62 million people has relatively strict gun ownership laws, but many killings are committed with illegal guns, according to authorities.
According to police, mass shootings at unlicensed bars are becoming a serious problem. Police shut down more than 11,000 illegal taverns between April and September this year and arrested more than 18,000 people for involvement in illegal liquor sales.
