Kolkata: Celebrity alumnus Lakshmi Niwas Mittal, chairman & CEO of Arcelor Mittal — the world’s largest steel company, inaugurated The Lakshmi & Usha Mittal Foundation Building, a brand new academic block as St Xavier’s University at its new campus at New Town Rajarhat on Friday with the first academic session (2017-18) commencing from Monday.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Higher Education Minister Partha Chatterjee, attended the the function as chief guest and special guest along with Rev Fr Jeyaraj Veluswamy, SJ, Chancellor, and Felix Raj, vice-chancellor SJ of St Xavier’s University, Kolkata. Mittal’s wife Usha Mittal and his father ML Mittal were also present on the occasion.
While the chief minister assured the institute of all possible help, it was Mittal who stole the show. Mamata Banerjee said that St Xavier’s played an exemplary role in spreading excellence in education and spreading peace and harmony. She hooed that the university will strive for greater glory.
Mittal, who had graduated in the commerce stream in 1969 and is one of the world’s richest Indians, shared his experience in the world of business with a packed audience of past and present students. He emphasized on how acquiring the right values was as important as getting a good education.
A proud Xaverian, Mittal said he was indebted to the institute for inculcating in him a sense of adventure and giving him the confidence to take bold decisions, while keeping him grounded.
Sharing his personal experience, he said: “I realised it in 1976, when I went to Indonesia to set up the first steel plant. Back then it was a huge decision to live in a foreign country with Usha and our baby son (Aditya).”
He said he was indebted to Fr Jorris for not admitting him in the beginning and bringing inside him the desire to live upto his expectation. This made him excell, Mittal said.
St Xavier’s University Vice-Chancellor Rev Fr Felix Raj informed that the university will start operations with the B.Com, M.Com, Masters in Social Work, Masters in Mass Communication and Masters in English courses. “In the post-graduation courses 50 will be the intake capacity and undergraduate courses will offer 60 seats in B.Com stream,” Fr Felix Raj said.
In another major step, 2018-2019 session will also see the most coveted B-School making an entry. On the lines of Xavier Institute of Management (XIMB) and Xavier School of Management (XLRI), St Xavier’s University will also grant admissions to the students from the Xavier Aptitude Test (XAT).
“In Management School we shall restrict the entry to 60 pupil per section. There will be specialized courses as offered by some of the other renowned business schools in the country,” added Raj.
