Loyola College

A HISTORICAL SURVEY

The Teaching of Chemistry in Loyola College, was initiated by Professor R. VIRARAGHAVA SARAMA in 1926, and began with 64 students who chose Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry as their optional subjects for the intermediate course. Laboratory accommodation was provided in the southern wing of the main building.

Professor R. V. SARMA was assisted in his work by MR. S. NARAYANAN, a graduate from St. Joseph’s College, Triuchirapalli, who worked as a demonstrator for over 40 years until his retirement in 1967. The number of intermediate students increased to 80 in 1930; 96 in 1932 and 144 in 1934. Within a few years there were four sections of intermediate classes, each containing 80 students.

In 1956 the two-year intermediate course was replaced by the present PRE-UNIVERSITY class. Soon the number of PUC students reached its peak of over 400, divided into five sections.

In 1938 the B.Sc. degree course with Chemistry as the main subject was begun with Professor P.C. RAMACHANDRA IYER as the new Head of the Department. Like Professor R. V. SARMA AND MR. S. NARAYANAN, he too came from St. Joseph’s College, Triuchirapalli on the special invitation of REV. FR. L. D. MURPHY, S.J., the then Principal of Loyola College. The first set of B.Sc. Students was 24 in number. The department was moved to a separate building. The two buildings on the western side of the main block, which at Zoology and Botany departments were then, used as temporary laboratories and classrooms for the Chemistry students. Later the number of B.Sc. Students was increased to 48. In 1957 with the introduction of the PUC course in place of the intermediate, the two-year B.Sc. course had to be changed into a three-year programme.

By far the most significant step in the growth of the department began with the arrival of REV. FR. LOURDU YEDDANAPALLI, S.J. in 1945. He joined the department early in 1946 and in the same year the Honours course in Chemistry was begun. It began with 8 students of whom 7 completed the course and wrote the university examination in 1949. The last set of Honours students took their examination in 1960. The same year the course was replaced by the present M.Sc. The following was a critical assessment of the Honours course as reviewed by Dr. N. S. GNANAPRAGASAM for the Loyola College Annual in 1960.

In 1958 the University of Madras reorganized its curriculum for post-graduate studies. The three-year Honours course was suppressed and a two-year M. Sc. programme with two parts was introduced in its place. Our first set of M.Sc. students appeared for Part-I in 1959 and Part-II in 1960. Since the system of examining candidates at the end of each year proved to be unsatisfactory, in 1964 a combined examination for both parts of the syllabus was introduced. In the Madras University, semester system was introduced for M.Sc. and the first batch of the students completed it in 1976.

The curriculum has been suitably modified to meet the challenging needs of the Indian Society. A certain measure of flexibility has been built into the new system, which enables the students to make their own choice of subjects from a wide spectrum of courses.

Formal lectures will be made more effective and useful by providing students with synopses of lectures and bibliography. Besides lectures, there will be assignments, guided library work, seminars, group discussions, projects, etc. Audio-visual aids, models, laboratory work, workshop and field experience will also form part of the teaching process. To make teaching more effective and intensive, tutorials will be arranged. These tutorials will also serve as a feed-back for the teacher, enable him to evaluate the students analytical ability and progress and promote staff student interaction.

COURSE SUMMARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY

1926
1938
1946
1949
1957
1958
1978
1982
1990
1999
2008

Intermediate Science group
B.Sc. Degree course
B.Sc. (Hons)
Ph.D. programme
Intermediate droppedP.U.C started
New two – year M.Sc. course
Autonomy granted.
B.Sc. Degree courses (evening)
M.Phil
MOU signed with IGCAR, Kalpakkam
M.Sc (Food Chemistry and Food Processing) – SHIFT - II

Department of Chemistry

Dr. M. George Johnson

Head of the Department
Department of Chemistry,
Loyola college (Autonomous),
Chennai-600 034.

Chemistry

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Department of Chemistry