Third time’s a charm - I would be the best person to affirm this! I remember filling in the
application to join CHRIST in 2003 and to my misfortune, the deadline had already passed. I decided to try my luck again in 2004 and I did not even get called for the interview. Finally in 2005, my journey with this prestigious institution began.
In order to break new grounds at CHRIST, ‘tenacity’ and ‘rigour’ were absolutely necessary. I faced several situations where my ideologies were not supported. This institution taught me that if I had the ability to sustain my ideas and move confidently up the ladder, I could achieve anything. In 2012, when our former Vice-Chancellor, Dr Fr Thomas C Mathew asked me if I would like to be the Registrar, I felt exuberant. I was touched by the fact he felt confident about my ability to handle such a huge responsibility and felt encouraged to begin many initiatives for the betterment of this institution. I had the opportunity to be part of several fellowships which further resulted in international collaborations. In this way, I was able to support our former VC’s vision. A vision definitely requires focus and validity in terms of translating it into reality. I was able to contribute meaningfully from that point of view.
I have been to several institutions around the world and till date, I have not come across one like CHRIST. The number of student activities and efforts to ensure that students do well in life is a very unique attribute. Initiatives like CSA where the organisation runs on just 250 volunteers and still manages to directly impact more than 10,000 families is commendable! Students go out into learning centres located in slum areas and their efforts are very consistent. At the end of the day, we all have the responsibility to give back to the society and that’s a core value we try to instill in every Christite.
Being an institution that never advertises its programmes, we are definitely one of a kind! As CHRIST commemorates 50 years since inception, I thank God for his immense grace and blessings that have helped all of us come so far.
Dr Anil Joseph Pinto
Registrar
CHRIST (Deemed to be University)