Vital Statistics

• WHAT IS IT? A degree college. • WHO’S THE BOSS? Sister Philomena is the principal. • HOW CHEAP IS IT? The annual fee is Rs 4,000 for government-approved courses and between Rs 8,000 and Rs 22,000 for the others. • WHAT ABOUT JOBS? The college has a placement cell, which, according to college authorities, facilitates 100 per cent placement. • WHERE TO STAY? The college has a hostel. • WHERE IS IT? Jyoti Nivas College, Hosur Road, Bangalore – 560 095. Phone: 080 – 25530137/ 25506100. Website: www.jyotinivas.org. E-mail: info@jyotinivas.org.

It?s important to keep up with the times. Bangalore?s Jyoti Nivas College ? a degree college for women ? learnt this the hard way. With the IT industry booming in Bangalore, engineering colleges became the city?s education hot spots. ?No one wanted to pursue a degree course in arts or commerce. The student strength in our college began declining,? says Sister Philomena, principal, Jyoti Nivas College.

That?s when the college began to offer professional diploma courses to its students. At present, Jyoti Nivas offers courses in diverse subjects such as office management, fashion designing, and legal literacy.

Going professional

The course duration is six months and classes are held after college hours. ?Students earn a professional qualification while studying for a degree course,? says Sister Philomena. The college also started a self-financing course scheme. That is, it offered degree courses in subjects not recognised or subsidised by the Karnataka government.

These subjects include travel and tourism, biotechnology and communicative English. ?Though the fees are high, students opt for these courses because it ensures their getting good jobs,? says the principal. Fees for the self-financing courses range from Rs 8,000 for travel and tourism to Rs 22,000 for biotechnology. The government-approved degree courses have a fee of around Rs 4,000.

The 40-year-old college is a minority Christian college, affiliated to the Bangalore University. It offers pre-university and degree courses in arts, science and commerce, as well as bachelors degrees in business management (BBM) and computer application (BCA). The college offers an MA degree in English Literature and a masters degree in computer application (MCA) as well.

Placement cell

The college?s biggest USP, according to Sister Philomena, is its dedicated placement cell. ?We ensure 100 per cent placement for our students,? she says. The placement cell offers career guidance and organises mock interviews, workshops and seminars. ?The placement cell prepares students to face job interviews and the professional world,? says Nupur Desai, a third-year commerce student of the college. Newcomers to Bangalore will find it tough to locate Jyoti Nivas College. It stands squeezed between rows of residential houses and small-time IT companies on a narrow lane in south Bangalore?s Koramangala area.

Sprawling campus

But behind the high gates of the college lies a sprawling campus that boasts of a state-of-the art library, three computer labs, a basket ball and tennis court and a football field. The library offers free Internet access to students.

Extra-curricular activities are high on the college agenda, claims Sister Philomena. The college?s sports teams are regulars in the city?s inter-college events. Students are also encouraged to do social work. Groups of students are sent to slums to work with children and teach women the value of economic independence. Merit scholarships are given to those who have a good academic record and excel in sports and extra-curricular activities.

The college?s in-house counselling centre ensures that each student?s academic and attendance records are up to the mark. ?Students who don?t perform well are called in along with their parents for discussion and counselling,? says Sister Philomena.

VARUNA VERMA

Old memories

Kanchan Char, lecturer, Jyoti Nivas College, remembers her student days

A degree from Jyoti Nivas College opened doors for me in Bangalore’s job market. After graduating, I easily found a job in an advertising agency and then in a local newspaper.

The college offered an atmosphere conducive to quality education. The infrastructure was good, exposure was high and the teachers took an interest in the academic performance of students.

Student life was a healthy mix of academics and extra-curricular activities. Taking part in sporting activities, performing on stage and organising festivals were all confidence boosters for me. I felt it made me better prepared to face people and situations. Also, we were all encouraged to take part in the college’s social work schemes. In fact, my interest in social work continues to this day.

As told to Varuna Verma