By Fr John Felix Raj, SJ | Vice-chancellor of St. Xavier’s University, Kolkata
A Nobel Prize-winning poet, a pioneering scientist and one of the world’s wealthiest industrialists would appear to have little in common. But that’s the thing about a Jesuit education: it forms students not for a single path, but for excellence in whatever path they choose. Rabindranath Tagore, Jagadish Chandra Bose and Lakshmi Mittal all received education in Jesuit institutions in Calcutta, part of a tradition whose influence over more than 165 years has reached far beyond Bengal.
They are no exception. In Calcutta, a familiar saying captures the reach of Jesuit education: “If you toss a coin in a public place, it is likely to land on a Xaverian”. Walk through almost any public space in the city and you will find alumni of Jesuit schools and colleges – in classrooms, courtrooms, boardrooms and civic life. These institutions have formed generations of students whose connection to their schools has not faded with time.
A student of St. Xavier’s College once told his principal during a disciplinary exchange, “Father, you may take me out of Xavier’s, but you cannot take Xavier’s out of me”.
The Alumni Network
The history of Jesuit education in the Calcutta Province of the Society of Jesus is more than a tale of institutions and academic achievement. Since the mid-nineteenth century, schools such as St. Xavier’s Collegiate School, St. Lawrence School and St. Xavier’s College have helped shape Bengal’s intellectual and moral life, with that formation carried forward by their alumni.
The Calcutta Province today has seven alumni associations, including those of St. Xavier’s Collegiate School (ALSOC), St. Xavier’s College (SXCCAA), St. Lawrence School (SLOBA), the St. Xavier’s institutions in Burdwan and Durgapur, and the recently established association of St. Xavier’s University (SXUKAA).
Across these institutions, principals and vice-chancellors serve as ex officio presidents of alumni associations, reflecting an integrated approach that differs from the more independent alumni models common in Europe and parts of India. Former students remain closely involved in the life of their schools and colleges – an “army without arms”, sharing in the vision and mission of the Society of Jesus.
Today, former students live out the Jesuit ethos of Nihil Ultra (nothing beyond) and magis (the greater), understood together as a call to give nothing less than one’s best in service of others.
Magis in Action
In Calcutta, this ethos has found practical expression in alumni associations whose engagement extends well beyond their own institutions, through initiatives ranging from blood-donation drives and medical camps to sustained support for people with disabilities. At their core, these initiatives are shaped by magis – the Jesuit call to do more, and to do better, in service of humanity.
SLOBA operates a charitable dispensary and organises the Ensemble sports meets to promote peace. ALSOC runs the Titli (Butterfly) School for children from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. The St. Xavier’s College Association runs a primary school in Paikala, a rural Muslim village, while St. Xavier’s Durgapur promotes tree-planting initiatives to create green corridors across the town. St. Xavier’s University has also played a significant role in the construction and development of the new university campus.
Alumni participation has been especially visible at key moments in the life of the Province. The 150th anniversary celebrations in 2010 were one such moment: a national event attended by then Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, who praised the Jesuit contribution to India’s public life. The establishment of St. Xavier’s University at New Town offers a more recent example. Alumni support played a central role, from the initial dream to the bricks and mortar of the campus itself.
The associations thrive on a cycle of mutual growth. Institutions benefit from financial support, scholarships and professional insight that help keep curricula relevant. In return, alumni gain a lifelong sense of identity and social capital – a network that extends across courts, boardrooms and public life, rooted in Jesuit values.
While the influence of Calcutta’s Jesuit alumni now extends across the world – with chapters in London, Dubai and Singapore – their centre of gravity remains firmly in Bengal. International gatherings such as Beyond Boundaries often channel resources back into local initiatives, from the development of the Raghabpur rural campus to the expansion of educational opportunities in rural areas.
The Province has shaped political leaders such as Jyoti Basu, industrialists including A.V. Birla, cricket legend Sourav Ganguly, and a line of distinguished jurists who have helped define Indian constitutional and corporate law. Yet the deeper contribution lies not in the prominence of individual alumni, but in the value system they carry – a commitment to human dignity, pluralism and social responsibility that has helped shape the soul of modern Bengal.
A Shared Future
As new associations take root, they carry forward a legacy more than a century and a half in the making. These men and women demonstrate that the success of a Jesuit institution is not measured by the students it keeps, but by the excellence and service of the alumni it sends out.
The involvement of alumni in Calcutta’s Jesuit institutions is grounded not in nostalgia, but in a shared future. By offering their time, expertise and resources, they help ensure that the Jesuit mission remains a transformative presence in education and public life – forming individuals who, in the Ignatian tradition, seek “to give and not count the cost”.
Gateway to Xaverian Identity: The 7th Convocation Ceremony
One of the defining moments that transforms students into lifelong Xaverians is the convocation ceremony – a rite of passage that launches alumni into the world as ambassadors of St. Xavier’s values. On 21 February 2026, St. Xavier’s University, Kolkata held its prestigious 7th Convocation at the Biswa Bangla Convention Centre in New Town, graced by an extraordinary line-up of distinguished guests.
Fr Arturo Sosa, SJ, Superior General of the Society of Jesus, was the Chief Guest, underscoring the global Jesuit commitment to Xaverian education. Dr Shashi Tharoor, renowned author, celebrated orator, and four-term Member of Parliament from Thiruvananthapuram – a proud Xaverian alumnus – received the Honoris Causa (D.Litt) in recognition of his outstanding contributions to literature, public service, and global diplomacy.
In his keynote address, Father General Sosa embodied the Jesuit charism, reminding graduates that “true and complete education doesn’t happen in classrooms alone, but also from friendships, from failures, and from self-reflection”. Fr Sosa urged Xaverian to become “men and women for and with others”, walking with the excluded and promoting justice in a divided world. His words captured the holistic Ignatian vision: education as formation of the whole person for transformative service.
Accepting his honorary doctorate, Dr Tharoor reflected on his own Xaverian journey, crediting St. Xavier’s College Kolkata with instilling “intellectual rigor, ethical clarity, and social responsibility”. He exhorted graduates to “use your Xaverian education not for personal glory, but to build bridges across India’s divides – economic, cultural, and political”. Tharoor shared stories of how his alma mater’s emphasis on debate, public speaking, and social outreach shaped his parliamentary career, encouraging the Class of 2026 to “speak truth to power with eloquence and compassion”.
1,077 graduates from undergraduate, postgraduate, and Ph.D. programs crossed the stage to receive their degrees, marking a milestone year that also celebrated the university’s 10th Foundation Day.