Dravid goes down memory lane

New campus of SJIM inaugurated

The new campus of St Joseph’s Institute of Management (SJIM) on Primrose Road, near Mahatma Gandhi Road, was inaugurated on Sunday by cricketer and former student, Rahul Dravid. The college was formerly known as St Joseph’s College of Business Administration and had its campus on Residency Road.

Speaking at the inaugural function, Dravid said, “It’s a bittersweet day for me since this was the ground where I first learnt to play cricket. Many other cricketers like Carlton Saldanha and Robin Uthappa played on this ground. Life must move on and I am sure the new college will be beneficial to a lot of students.”

Remembering his days as a student of St Joseph’s Boys High School and St Joseph’s College of Commerce, Dravid said: “I remember coming to this ground to try out for the cricket team selection when I was in class 6. For the next five years, I used to come here after school for practice every day. I have played a number of matches on this ground.”

He thanked his teachers in the audience and owed his success in cricket to the education and encouragement from them. Archbishop of Bengaluru Dr Bernard Moras blessed the new institute and addressed the gathering. “Minority educational institutions are threatened by various factors. If we allow the government to interfere in the management and policies of our educational institutions, we will not be able to maintain our standards,” he said.

MLA N A Haris, who was also a guest at the event, appreciated the heads of the institution and requested them to accommodate more local students in their colleges.