Former principal, rector of St Aloysius College Fr Leo D’Souza SJ passes away
Mangaluru: Former Rector and Principal of St Aloysius College Fr Leo D’Souza SJ passed away at the Father Muller’s Hospital in the city on Tuesday. He was 93.
Born in Mangaluru, he received his early education at the St Aloysius College institutions, with which he was associated all through his life. He also held the posts of principal of the St Aloysius College and rector of the St Aloysius College institutions.
Fr Leo completed his PhD at the Max Planck Society of Germany before establishing the Applied Biology Laboratory at the St Aloysius College (Autonomous) in Mangaluru.
A renowned Jesuit priest, he was world famous for his research work in Botany. Several articles based on his research were also published in international journals.
In recognition of his outstanding contributions to higher education and spiritual leadership, Fr Leo was honored with the prestigious Canisius Medal at the International Association of Jesuit Universities (IAJU) conference held in Bogota, Colombia, in July 2025.
The funeral mass will be held at the Divine Mercy Church at Fatima Retreat House, Mangaluru at 3 pm on Thursday, following which he will be laid to rest at the Jesuit Cemetery in Attavar.
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Guv asks Karnataka govt to relook grading system for third language in SSLC
Bengaluru (PTI): The Karnataka Governor has called for a comprehensive examination of concerns over the state government’s decision to award only grades, without marks, for the third language in the SSLC examination, following a representation highlighting its potential impact on academic engagement and linguistic diversity.
In a communication to state Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh, Secretary to Governor R Prabhu Shankar forwarded a representation submitted by the Association for Preservation of Local Languages, Bengaluru, which raised apprehensions about the policy’s implications for students, teachers and the broader education system.
“I am directed to forward herewith a copy of a representation submitted by the Association for Preservation of Local Languages, Bengaluru, which has been addressed to the Governor of Karnataka, concerning the recent decision to award only grades, without including marks, for the third language in the SSLC examination,” the letter stated.
The representation underscored the importance of the third language in promoting linguistic diversity, awareness and intellectual development among students, while cautioning that a shift to a grading-only system may inadvertently diminish the academic importance of the subject and affect students’ motivation to engage seriously with it.
It further reflected concerns among teachers, parents and educationists regarding the long-term implications of the move on the quality and inclusiveness of school education in the state.
“The Governor has taken note of the issues raised in the representation and desired that the matter be examined comprehensively, keeping in view its academic and administrative aspects across the education sector,” the communication said.
The Chief Secretary has been requested to examine the matter in consultation with the Department of School Education and other concerned authorities and “take such action as deemed appropriate in the larger interest of students and the State’s educational objectives,” it added.
