St. Xavier's College, Mapusa, Goa

St. Xavier's is a college located in the North Goa district's town of Mapusa (also spelt as Mapuca, Mapusa or Mapsa). It is the largest and oldest college north of the Mandovi River in Goa, a state along the west coast of India. The college is accredited by the NAAC with a Grade “A”, or CGPA 3.36 out of 4.HistoryXavier was founded in 1963 soon after the end of Portuguese rule in Goa, when the new administration undertook an expansion of higher education in the region. The idea of a Catholic college was "conceived by the veteran educationalist Msgr. Filip Mendonsa the then principal of St. Joseph High School Arpora." It was favourably received by Archbishop D. Jose Viera Alvernaz.The college started in a vacated high school building in Bastora, a village a few kilometers from Mapusa town. Fr. Antonio Ataide Lobo, secretary of the diocesan secretariat for schools, is credited with having "played a very vital role and was instrumental in giving a facelift to the old premises." In those days no diocesan priest satisfied the requirements of the University of Bombay to act as principal, so Bishop Rebello approached the provincial superior of the Jesuits who placed Fr. Edward D'Cruz and Fr Fonseca at the disposal of the Archdiocese of Goa, as principal and vice-principal of the fledgling college.Xavier began with 140 students in 1963 with a first year class in Arts and Sciences. It was affiliated with the University of Bombay. After two years Frs. D'Cruz and Fonseca departed and Fr. Nicolau Pereira took over as principal. More classes were added which by 1969 included M.Sc. degrees in physics, chemistry, and botany and M.A. degrees in English, philosophy, and Portuguese along with a doctorate in Portuguese.