KRISTU JYOTI COLLEGE, BENGALURU | SATURDAY, 6 JUNE 2026
Kristu Jyoti College, Bengaluru, opened its doors to a new academic year with joy and purpose on Saturday, 6 June 2026. Staff, students, and distinguished guests gathered together for a morning that blended prayer, celebration, and scholarly reflection, a fitting start to what promises to be a vibrant year ahead.
The celebrations began at 9.00 a.m. with the Mass of the Holy Spirit, presided over by Rev. Dr. Jose Koyickal SDB, Provincial of the Salesian Province of Bangalore. In his homily, Fr. Koyickal set an inspiring challenge before the community: that every student and teacher must strive not merely to learn from great masters but to surpass them through deep dedication and wholehearted commitment. The ancient call to know thyself, he reminded the gathering, lies at the very heart of genuine formation and is as urgent today as it has ever been.
The programme then moved to the words of welcome and the Academic Report, presented warmly by Rev. Dr. Sivy Koroth SDB, Principal of KJC. His report offered a glimpse of a college community very much alive. This year, 254 students join the Kristu Jyoti family, each one bringing their own gifts, questions, and aspirations. The year past was equally full of life: students threw themselves into a rich calendar of inter-batch matches and sporting contests, a Bible quiz that tested both knowledge and teamwork, and a range of co-curricular initiatives that kept the campus buzzing with energy.
The Presidential Address was then delivered by Rev. Dr. Jose Koyickal SDB, followed by the formal presentation of the Chief Guest by Rev. Dr. Seby Kidangan SDB, Registrar of KJC. The keynote address was delivered by the Chief Guest, Prof. Kurian Kachappilly Joseph, CMI, Coordinator of International Relations at Dharmaram Vidya Kshetram (DVK). Speaking with great warmth and clarity, Prof. Joseph offered the community a philosophy of human formation drawn from the Salesian spirit of Don Bosco, built around three beautifully simple imperatives. The first is to know thyself, honestly and with clear-eyed self-awareness, in the way Don Bosco always encouraged young people to look truthfully at who they were. The second is to choose thyself, responsibly, exercising genuine moral freedom in shaping one’s life and commitments. The third is to make thyself God-oriented, directing all of one’s becoming toward the transcendent, in the tradition of joyful Salesian holiness. These three, he reminded his audience, are not steps to be completed one after another but a lifelong, living movement and a daily invitation extended to every student on this campus. The distribution of awards followed, presided over by Rev. Dr. Jose Koyickal SDB, with four students honoured for sustaining academic excellence across all three semesters, a moment of genuine pride for the entire college.
Rev. Fr. Bosco Ponthokkan SDB, Rector of KJC, then offered words of felicitation with characteristic warmth and directness. Faith and reason, he reminded everyone, are not rivals but companions on the same journey. His encouragement to the students was simple and memorable: study your books and pray. Both matter and both belong together. Rev. Dr. Varghese Kapplikunnel SDB, Rector of Visvadeep, offered the second felicitation, contributing a thought that lingered well after it was spoken, that intellectual seriousness is itself a form of pastoral charity. To study well, to think carefully, to pursue truth with rigour are not merely personal achievements but gifts offered to the wider community and to the Church.
The ceremony was further enriched by the release of two new books, officiated by Rev. Fr. Alex. The first, Jainism, and the second, From Forgetfulness to Knowledge in Hosea, represent the scholarly vitality of the KJC community and are a welcome addition to its intellectual life.
The day drew to a close with the election of the Capo, the student leader for the year ahead, a lively and fitting reminder that this community belongs to its students as much as to anyone. The vote of thanks was delivered by Dn. Isaiah Newme SDB, and the assembly rose as one for the College Anthem, sending everyone home with full hearts and quiet excitement for the year that lies ahead.
