1

STAR COLLEGE SCHEME

ST. MARY’S COLLEGE (AUTONOMOUS), THOOTHUKUDI

REPORT (June 2019 – March 2020)

INAUGURAL and ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING

The inaugural and advisory committee meeting of DBT STAR COLLEGE SCHEME was

held at St. Mary’s college (Autonomous), Thoothukudi on 20th May 2019 at 10.00 a.m. in the

Pearl Conference Hall. Dr. R. Rajendran, the former Principal of PSG College of Arts &

Science, Coimbatore and Dr. K. Sahaya Raj, Head & Associate Professor, Department of

Zoology, St. Xavier’s College (Autonomous), Palayamkotai graced the occasion as external

expert and special invitee respectively.

GUEST LECTURE (Botany-9, Chemistry-6, Physics-7, Zoology-6)

1. A guest lecture on “Evolutionary Significance of Pteridophytes” was organised on 7th

August 2019 for the II UG and I PG students in the Botany Lecture Hall by the

Department of Botany. Dr. V. Irudhayaraj (Retd.), Associate Professor of Botany,

St. Xavier’s College (Autonomous), Palayamkottai was the resource person.

2. A guest lecture on “Development of Nanoparticles and its Applications” was

organised by the Department of Chemistry on 16th August 2019 in the Star Hall.

Dr. C. Vedhi, Assistant Professor of Chemistry, V.O.Chidambaram College,

Thoothukudi was the resource person. Students of III B.Sc. Chemistry and II B.Sc.

Chemistry attended the lecture.

3. A guest lecture on “Fundamentals and Advances of Energy Sources” was organised by

the Department of Physics on 16th August 2019 in the Botany Lecture Hall.

Dr. P. Sumithraj Premkumar, Assistant Professor of Physics, St. John’s College,

Palayamkottai was the resource person. I and III year students of the Department of

Physics along with 6 faculty members were the beneficiaries.

4. A guest lecture on “Growth of Device Quality Direction Controlled Signal Crystals”

was organised by the Department of Physics on 23rd September 2019 in the Star Hall.

Dr. P. Rajesh, Assistant Professor of Physics, SSN College of Engineering, Chennai was

2

the resource person. III year students of the Department of Physics along with faculty

members were the beneficiaries.

5. On 9th December 2019, 39 students of III UG Physics attended a guest lecture on

“Nuclear Physics - Elementary Particles” organised by the Department of Physics in

the Star Hall. Dr. P. Jebaraj Devadasan, Head and Associate Professor of Physics,

Pope’s College (Autonomous), Sawyerpuram was the resource person.

6. A guest lecture on “Blue Biotechnology” was conducted by the Department of

Zoology on 9th December 2019 in the Fatima Hall. Dr. S. Kalidass, Associate Professor,

Department of Animal Science, Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, Tirunelveli was

the resource person. All the B.Sc. Zoology and M.Sc. Zoology students were benefited

by this lecture

7. The students of the Department of Zoology attended a guest lecture on “Forest and

Biodiversity” on 10th December 2019 in the Star Hall. Mr. S. Vimal Kumar, Forest

Range Officer, Srivaikundam gave a talk on the various biogeographic realms of the

world and clearly explained about the ten geographic divisions or zones of Indian

topography.

8. A guest lecture on “Plant Microbe Interaction” was organised by the Department of

Botany on 13th December 2019 in the Botany Lecture Hall. Dr. Egbert Selvin Associate

professor of Botany, St. Joseph’s College (Autonomous), Tiruchirapalli was the

resource person. 43 students from I B.Sc. Botany and 36 students from II B.Sc. Botany

were benefited from this lecture.

9. A guest lecture on “Computational Physics – Numerical Methods” was organised by

the Department of Physics on 13th December 2019 in the Fatima Hall. All the UG

Physics students attended the lecture and were benefited. Dr. B. Selvaraj, Dean of

Research, Nehru Institute of Engineering and Technology, Coimbatore graced the

occasion with his thought provoking lecture.

10. A guest lecture on “Origin and Diversity of Bryophytes” was organised by the

Department of Botany on 16th December 2019 in the Botany Lecture Hall. Dr.

A. E. Dulip Daniels, Associate Professor and Head, Department of Botany and

3

Research Centre, Scott Christian College (Autonomous), Nagercoil was the resource

person. 43 students from I B.Sc. Botany were benefited by this lecture

11. A guest lecture on “Photochemistry: Fundamentals and Applications” was organised

by the Department of Chemistry on 17th December 2019 in the Fatima Hall.

Dr. K. Swarnalatha, Associate Professor of Chemistry, Manonmaniam Sundaranar

University, Tirunelveli was the resource person. I and III B.Sc. Chemistry students

were benefited by this lecture.

12. A guest lecture on “Plant Systematics” was organised by the Department of Botany,

on 18th December 2019 in the Botany Lecture Hall. Dr. C. Murugan, Scientist C,

Botanical Survey of India, Coimbatore was the resource person. 36 students from II

B.Sc. Botany were benefited by this lecture.

13. The Department of Physics arranged a guest lecture on “Microprocessor 8085” for the

final year UG students on 19th December 2019. Dr. C. James, Associate Professor of

Physics, Scott Christian College (Autonomous), Nagarcoil and Dr. D. Hudson Oliver,

Assistant Professor of Physics, Scott Christian College (Autonomous), Nagarcoil were

the resource persons.

14. A guest lecture on “Concept of Spectroscopy and its Applications” was organised by

the Department of Chemistry on 19th December 2019 in the Fatima Hall. Dr.

N. Raman, Associate Professor of Chemistry, VHNSN College (Autonomous),

Virudhunagar was the resource person. Students from II and III B.Sc. Chemistry were

benefited by this lecture.

15. A guest lecture on “Development of Nanoparticles for Energy Applications” was

organised by the Department of Physics on 7th January 2020. 39 students of III B.Sc.

Physics attended the lecture and were benefited. The session was graced by

Dr. S. Karuppuchamy, Professor and Head, Department of Energy Science, Alagappa

University, Karaikudi.

16. A guest lecture on “Skin Care in Day to Day Life” was organised by the Department of

Zoology on 10th January 2020 in the Star Hall. Dr. Thadeus, Professor and Head,

4

Department of Dermatology, Thoothukudi Medical College was the resource person.

All the UG Zoology students attended the lecture.

17. A guest lecture on “Gene Mutations: Molecular Basis, Mutagens and Their Mode of

Action” was organised by the Department of Botany on 20th January 2020 in the

Botany Lecture Hall. Dr. Ayyavu Mahesh, Director, Centre for Stem Cell and Cancer

Genomics, AMI Bioscience, Coimbatore was the resource person. 41students from III

B.Sc. Botany were benefited by this lecture.

18. A guest lecture was arranged by the Department of Zoology on 21th January 2020 in

the Star Hall. All the UG Zoology students attended the meeting. Dr. K. Veerabhadran,

Professor, Department of Fisheries Extension, FCRI, Thoothukudi delivered a lecture

on “Fish Culture Technologies”.

19. A guest lecture on “High-Resolution Structure of the Human 80S Ribosome Visualizes

Chemical Modifications in its Ribosomal RNA" was organised by the Department of

Botany on 28th January 2020 in the Botany Lecture Hall. Dr. Kundhavai Natchiar,

Research Associate, IGBMC, France was the resource person. 42 students from III

B.Sc. Botany were benefited by this lecture.

20. A guest lecture on “Human Population and Environmental Impact” was organised by

the Department of Botany on 28th January 2020 in the Star Hall. Dr. M. Glory, Head

and Associate Professor of Botany, St. Mary’s College (Autonomous), Thoothukudi

was the resource person. All the I UG students from the Departments of Physics,

Chemistry, Botany and Zoology were benefited by this lecture.

21. On 28th January 2020, all the UG Physics students attended a guest lecture on the

topic “Career Opportunities for Physics Students” conducted by the Department of

Physics. Dr. Lakshmi Shankar Iyer, Head of Specialization, Business Analytics, Christ

Institute of Management, Christ Deemed University, Bangalore and Dr. Kunthavai

Nachiyar, Research Associate, IGBMC, France were the resource persons and they

were also the alumnae of our college from the Physics Department.

22. A guest lecture on “Biology of Mangroves and Coral Reefs” was organised by the

Department of Botany on 31st January 2020 in the Botany Lecture Hall.

5

Dr. T. Ramanathan, Associate Professor, CAS in Marine Biology, Annamalai University,

Parangipettai was the resource person. 44 students from III B.Sc. Botany were

benefited from this lecture.

23. A guest lecture on “Basic Concepts of Group Theory” was organised by the

Department of Chemistry for III UG students on 4th February 2020 in the Star Hall. Dr.

P. Sami, Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry, VHNSN College

(Autonomous), Virudhunagar was the resource person.

24. A GUEST LECTURE ON “STORY OF SOME INTERESTING CRYSTALS” WAS

ORGANISED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY FOR III UG CHEMISTRY

STUDENTS ON 5TH FEBRUARY 2020 IN THE BOTANY LECTURE HALL. DR. J.

SIDHARTHAN, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY,

V.O.CHIDAMBARAM COLLEGE, THOOTHUKUDI WAS THE RESOURCE PERSON.

25. A guest lecture was arranged by the Department of Zoology for all the UG and PG

Zoology students on 7th February 2020 in the Star Hall. Dr. U. Insuvai, Assistant

Professor, Department of Radiation Oncology, Government Medical College Hospital,

Thoothukudi delivered a lecture on “Polycystic Ovarian Disease and Related

Problems”.

26. A guest lecture was arranged by the Department of Zoology for all the UG and PG

Zoology students on 18th February 2020 in the Star Hall. Dr. R. M. Murugappan, Dean,

Curriculum Development, Head & Associate Professor, Department of Zoology,

Thiagarajar College, Madurai delivered a lecture on “Nanotechnology in Therapeutic

Applications”.

27. A GUEST LECTURE ON “LABORATORY SAFETY MEASURES” WAS ORGANISED

BY THE DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY FOR ALL THE UG CHEMISTRY

STUDENTS ON 18TH FEBRUARY 2020 IN THE FATIMA HALL. MR. D. C.

SATHYANARAYANAN, SENIOR EXECUTIVE, SAFETY DEPARTMENT, SPIC,

PRIVATE LIMITED, THOOTHUKUDI WAS THE RESOURCE PERSON.

6

28. A guest lecture on “Laws of Thermodynamics and Bioenergetics” was organised by

the Department of Botany for the III UG Botany students in the Botany Lecture Hall on

2nd March 2020. Dr. T. Peter Amaladhas, Associate Professor of Chemistry,

V.O.Chidambaram College, Thoothukudi was the resource person.

FACULTY TRAINING PROGRAMME - (Botany-1, Chemistry-1, Physics-1, Zoology-1, School of

Biological Sciences-1)

1. A Three Day Faculty Training Programme on “Biostatistics and Bioinformatics” was

organised by the Department of Botany from 18th to 20th July 2019. Dr. K. Kishore,

Assistant Professor of Commerce, Voorhees College, Vellore and Dr. Gopinath

Krishnasamy, Post-Doctoral Researcher, Department of Chemical Engineering, Konkuk

University, Seoul, Republic of Korea were the resource persons. Eighteen faculty from

St. Mary’s College (Autonomous), Thoothukudi and 17 faculty from other colleges

were the beneficiaries of this training programme.

2. A Three Day Faculty Training Programme on “Basic Techniques in Molecular Biology”

was conducted by the Department of Zoology from 20th to 22nd August 2019. Dr. S.

Karutha Pandian, Associate Professor & Head, Department of Biotechnology,

Alagappa University, Karaikudi, Dr. Jasmine M. Shah, Assistant Professor, Department

of Plant Science, School of Biological Sciences, Central University of Kerala, Kasaragod,

Dr. H. Abdul Jaffar Ali, Assistant Professor, Department of Biotechnology, Islamiah

College, Vaniyambadi and Dr. R. Sri Priya, Assistant Professor, Department of Zoology,

St. Mary’s College (Autonomous) Thoothukudi were the resource person. Twenty one

teachers from 20 different schools, 2 faculty from other colleges and 18 faculty from

St. Mary’s College (Autonomous), Thoothukudi were actively participated in this

programme.

3. A One Day Faculty Training Programme on “Soil Analysis” was organised by the

Department of Chemistry on 12th December, 2019 in the Star Hall. Dr. S. Jothimani,

Professor, Agricultural College and Research Institute, Killikulam, Vallanadu was the

resource person. This was followed by Hands on Training on “Soil Analysis Kit” given

7

by Mr. T. S. R. Murthy, Nagarjuna Agrochemicals Private Limited, Senior Research

Fellow, Soil Science, Hyderabad. Nine faculty members attended the training.

4. A Three Day Faculty Training programme on “Natural Product Research” was

conducted by the School of Biological Sciences from 2nd to 4th January 2020. Dr.

Aneesh Nair, Scientist and Head of Operations, Mr. Shanmuga Sundaram, Senior

Researcher, Ms. Chandralekha, Junior Researcher of Biozone Research Technologies,

Private Limited, Chennai were the resource persons. Eleven faculty from the

Department of Botany, 11 faculty from the Department of Zoology, 3 faculty from the

Department of Chemistry, 2 faculty from the Department of Microbiology and 3

research scholars from the Departments of Botany and Zoology participated in this

training programme.

5. A One Day Faculty Training Programme on “Solar Cell Trainer Instrument” was

organized by the Department of Physics on 7th January 2020 with the participation of

faculty from the Departments of Physics and Chemistry. Mr. G. Rajaganesan, Director

- Technical Operation, VAITO Energy India Private Limited was the resource person.

SEMINAR (Chemistry-1, Botany-1, School of Physical Sciences- 1, School of Biological

Sciences-1)

1. A One Day Seminar on “Electrochemical Technology” was organised by the

Department of Chemistry on 13th December 2019. Dr. G. Paruthimal Kalaignan, Senior

Professor & Head, Department of Industrial Chemistry, School of Chemical Sciences,

Alagappa University, Karaikudi and Dr. S. Senthil Kumar, Senior Scientist, CECRI,

Karaikudi were the resource persons. All the UG Chemistry students were benefited

by this lecture.

2. A One Day Seminar on “Marine Biology” was organized by the School of Biological

Sciences on 20th December 2019 in the Conference Hall. Dr. L. Ranjith, Scientist,

Marine Biodiversity Division, CMFRI, Thoothukudi, Dr. R. Arthur James, Associate

Professor and Head, Department of Marine Science, Bharathidasan University,

8

Trichirappalli and Dr. C. D. Suja, Senior Scientist, Marine Biotechnology Division,

CMFRI, Thoothukudi were the resource persons. Students from the Departments of

Botany and Zoology were benefited by this seminar.

3. The School of Physical Sciences organised a One Day National Seminar on

“Nanoworld” for the UG students of Physics and Chemistry on 23th January 2020 in

the Pearl Conference Hall. Dr. Anushree Roy, Professor, Department of Physics, Indian

Institute of Technology, Kharagpur and Dr. V. Vasu, Head and Associate Professor of

Computational Physics, Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai were the resource

persons.

4. A National Seminar on “Artificial Intelligence in Agriculture” was organised by the

Department of Botany on 25th February 2020 in the Conference Hall for all the Botany

students. Mr. Naveen K. Prathapaneni, Solution Architect, Watson & IBM Cloud,

Hyderabad, Dr. P. Prema, Assistant Professor in Computer Science, Department of

Agriculture Economics, Agriculture College and Research Institute, Madurai and Dr. P.

Kannan, Assistant Professor, Department of Soils and Environment, Agriculture

College and Research Institute, Madurai were the resource persons. Students and

faculty from other colleges also benefited by this lecture.

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE (School of Physical Sciences-1)

1. The School of Physical Sciences organised a Two Day International Conference on

“Advanced Materials (ICAM 2020)” on 30th and 31st January 2020 for all the Physics

and Chemistry students. Dr. M. Uma Devi, Associate Professor of Physics, Mother

Teresa University, Kodaikanal, Dr. C. Vedhi, Assistant Professor of Chemistry, V.

O. Chidambaram College, Thoothukudi, Dr. K. Krishnamoorthy, Scientist, CSIR -

National Chemical Laboratory, Pune, Dr. Ramesh Babu, Associate Professor of

Physics, Bharathidasan University, Trichirappalli, Dr. P. Rajesh, Assistant Professor of

Physics, SSN College of Engineering, Chennai, Dr. Suguna Perumal, Research Professor

9

of Applied Chemistry, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, South Korea, Dr. A.

Chandra Bose, Head and Associate Professor of Physics, National Institute of

Technology, Trichirappalli and Dr. A. Samson Nesaraj, Professor of Applied Chemistry,

Karunya Institute of Technology and Sciences, Coimbatore were the resource persons.

Faculty and research scholars from other colleges were also benefited by this

conference.

WORKSHOP/LECTURE cum WORKSHOP (Botany-4, Chemistry-2, Physics-2, Zoology-3)

1. A One Day Workshop on “Biosolid Waste Management - Vermicompost Technology”

was organised by the Department of Botany on 10th July 2019 in the Botany Lecture

Hall. Mr. S. Rajamony, Research fellow, NARDEP, Kanyakumari was the resource

person. A hands on training was given to the students of II B.Sc. Botany, volunteers

from other Departments and members from the Self Help group.

2. A One Day Workshop on “Chemist as Entrepreneur cum Hands on Training on House

Hold Articles” was organised by the Department of Chemistry on 18th July 2019 in the

Star Hall. Mr. K. C. Gurusamy, M. D, Sega Plascan Exports, Virudhunagar was the

resource person. An in-house hands on training was held for the II and III UG students

on preparation of various house hold articles like washing powder, cleaning powder,

dish wash liquid, phenoyl and shampoo.

3. The Department of Zoology organised a One Day Workshop on “Value Added Fishery

Products” in the Star Hall on 8th August 2019. Dr. D. Sukumar, Professor & Head,

DFPT, FCRI, Mr. P. Ganesan, Assistant Professor, DFPT, FCRI, Mr. F. Parthiban,

Assistant Professor, DFPT, FCRI, Mr. V. Vijayaraghavan Assistant Professor DFPT, FCRI

and Ms. A. Sarojini, T.A. DFPT, FCRI, Thoothukudi were the resource persons. The

faculty members and all the UG students of the Department of Zoology, volunteers

from other Departments were the beneficiaries of the workshop.

4. A One Day Lecture cum Workshop on “Miracles of Seaweeds” was organised by the

Department of Botany on 9th August 2019 in the Star Hall. Dr. Anantharaman,

Professor, CAS in Marine Biology, Annamalai University, Parangipettai was the

resource person. It was organised for the I UG and III UG Botany students. A hands on

10

training was held for the students on the preparation of various recipes using

seaweeds.

5. A One Day Workshop on “Edible Fungiculture” was organised by the Department of

Botany in the Botany Lecture Hall on 12th September 2019. Mr. M. M. Shahul

Hameed, B.Com, Chairman, MSM Mushroom Corner, Tirunelveli and Mrs. M. Ayisha

Jameela, B.E., M.B.A. Director, MSM Mushroom Corner, Tirunelveli were the resource

persons. The faculty members of the Department of Botany, 41 students from III B.Sc.

Botany, 10 students from II B.Sc. Botany and 3 students from II B.Sc. Physics were the

beneficiaries of the workshop.

6. A One Day Workshop on “Microscale Techniques in Chemistry” was conducted by the

Department of Chemistry on 24th September 2019. The programme was organised for

all the UG Chemistry students to acquire knowledge on Microscale Techniques in

Chemistry experiments. Dr. S. Murugan, Retired Professor of Chemistry, S. T. Hindu

College, Nagercoil was the resource person.

7. A One Day Lecture cum Hands on Training on “Crystal Growth” was arranged by the

Department of Physics on 6thDecember 2019 in the Star Hall. Dr. P. Rajesh, Assistant

Professor of Physics, SSN College of Engineering, Chennai was the resource person.

The III UG Physics students attended the programme and were benefited.

8. A One Day Lecture cum Workshop on “Bottom-Up Approaches” was organised by the

Department of Physics on 17th December 2019. Dr. T. Prakash, Associate Professor,

National Centre for Nanoscience and Technology, University of Madras, Chennai and

Dr. P. Chandra Sekar, Assistant Professor of Physics, Geetha Jeevan Arts & Science

College, Kurukkusalai, Thoothukudi were the resource persons. The students of III UG

Physics attended the programme and were benefited.

9. The Department of Botany in collaboration with Tamil Nadu Science Forum,

Thoothukudi organised a One Day Workshop on “Foldscope Training and Explorer the

Microworld - 2020”on 28th February 2020 for the II UG and I PG Botany students in

the Botany Lab. Mo. Pandiarajan, National Trainer of Foldscope, Director of EDEN,

Educational Resource Centre, Madurai was the resource person.

11

10. The Department of Zoology organised a One Day Training Programme on “Trash to

Treasure: Sea Shell Crafts” for the III UG Zoology students on 7th March 2020. The

students were trained on how to make decorating items and jewellry from waste sea

shells. X. Rajathi and her team imparted hands on training and shared their skills and

expertise. Ms. M. Sajitha Begam explained how to handle and process the shells

collected from sea shore. Ms. B. Arul Vincy designed and created small home décor

things like peacock, owl, sparrow and jewellry items like ear rings, necklace, hair clips

etc. Mrs. X. Rajathi gave training on wall hanging, clock, pencil stand and mirror.

11. The Department of Zoology organised a One Day Workshop on “Virtual Dissection”

on 16th March 2020 in the Pearl Conference Hall for the I and III B.Sc. Zoology

students. Professor M. A. Akbarsha, Research Coordinator, National College,

Tiruchirapalli and Dr. Kadalmani, Assistant Professor, Department of Animal Science,

Bharathidasan University, Trichirappalli were the resource persons.

TRAINING (Botany-7, Chemistry-2, Zoology-6)

1. A Five Day Training Programme on “Value Added Fishery Products” was organised

by the Department of Zoology for the UG students in the Department of Fish

Processing Technology, Fisheries College & Research Institute, Thoothukudi.

Eleven students from II B.Sc. Zoology and four students from III B.Sc. Zoology

attended the programme from 19th August 2019 to 26th August 2019.

2. Dr. G. Flora, Assistant Professor of Botany and 9 students attended a Two Day

Hands on Training on “Bacterial Isolation, Identification and Biofilm Formation” in

the Centre for Bioscience Nanoscience Research (CBNR), Coimbatore on 27th &

28th September 2019.

3. Dr. T. Sudha, Assistant Professor of Botany and 10 students of II UG Botany

attended a One Day Hands on Training Programme on “Panchagavya (Pootchi -

virati) Preparation and its Usage” on 30th November 2019 at ICAR- SCAD, Krishi

Vigyan Kendra Institute, Vagaikulam, Mudivaithanandal, Thoothukudi.

4. Dr. A. Jacintha Tamil Malar, Assistant Professor of Botany, 5 students from III B.Sc.

Botany and 9 students from III B.Sc. Zoology attended three days Hands on

12

Training on “Basic Research Techniques” from 2nd December 2019 to 4th

December 2019 at Centre for Marine Science and Technology, Manonmaniam

Sundaranar University, Marina Campus, Rajakkamangalam, Kanyakumari District.

5. Six students from III UG Botany attended a One Day Hands on Training

Programme on “Nursery Establishment and Management Practices” on 3rd

December 2019 held at ICAR- SCAD, Krishi Vigyan Kendra Institute, Vagaikulam,

Mudivaithanandal, Thoothukudi.

6. A One Day Hands on Training on “Bee Keeping” was arranged on 4th December

2019 for 10 II B.Sc. Zoology students at ICAR – SCAD, Krishi Vigyan Kendra

Institute, Vagaikulam, Mudivaithanandal, Thoothukudi.

7. Ten students from III B.Sc. Zoology attended a One Day Hands on Training on

“Backyard Poultry Rearing” on 5th December 2019 at ICAR – SCAD, Krishi Vigyan

Kendra Institute, Vagaikulam, Mudivaithanandal, Thoothukudi.

8. Ten students from II B.Sc. Zoology attended a One Day Hands on Training on

“Dairy Management” on 6th December 2019 at ICAR – SCAD, Krishi Vigyan Kendra

Institute, Vagaikulam, Mudivaithanandal, Thoothukudi.

9. Ten students from II UG Botany attended a One Day Hands on Training

Programme on “Terrace / Home Garden Establishment” on 7th December 2019 at

ICAR- SCAD, Krishi Vigyan Kendra Institute, Vagaikulam, Mudivaithanandal,

Thoothukudi.

10. Fifteen students from II B.Sc. Zoology, Botany and Chemistry attended Five Days

Training Programme on “Biochemical Composition Analysis of Food” in Fisheries

College and Research Institute, Thoothukudi from 16th to 20th December 2019.

11. Four students from II B.Sc. Chemistry attended a training programme on “Water

Treatment” from 16th to 19th December 2019 at Dharangadhara Chemical Works,

Sahupuram, Thoothukudi.

12. Four students from II B.Sc. Chemistry attended a Training programme on

“Chemical Analysis of Adsorbed Carbon” from 23rd to 31st December, 2019 at

Kalpaka Chemicals Private Limited, Thoothukudi .

13

13. Dr. G. Flora, Assistant Professor of Botany and 10 students from the Department

of Botany attended a Training Programme for five days from 23rd to 28th

December 2019 on “Identification of Marine Flora with Special Reference to

Commercially Important Seaweeds” at Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute

(CMFRI), Thoothukudi.

14. Five students from I B.Sc. Zoology attended a Training Programme on

“Identification of Marine Fauna with Special Reference to Commercially Important

Molluscs” from 23rd to 28th December 2019 at Molluscan Fisheries Division,

Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI), Thoothukudi.

15. Five students from II B.Sc. Zoology attended Five Days Training Programme on

“Compounded Feed Formulation for Commercially Important Marine Food Fishes”

in Marine Biotechnology Division, Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute,

Thoothukudi from 23rd December 2019 to 28th December 2019.

FIELD TRIP/ LAB VISIT/EDUCATIONAL TRIP/INDUSTRIAL VISIT (Botany-3, Chemistry-3,

Physics-4, Zoology-3)

1. The Department of Botany arranged a One Day Field Trip to Hare Island on 4th July

2019 for I UG and PG Botany students to study the characteristics of algae under the

natural habitat.

2. An Educational Trip was organized by the Department of Physics to the District

Science Centre, Tirunelveli for the III year students on 6th September 2019 to engage

and educate the students through thematic exhibitions and interactive educational

activities.

3. III B.Sc. and II M.Sc. students of the Department of Zoology visited Central Marine

Fisheries Research Institute, Mandapam, Ramanathapuram District on

10th September 2019 to learn the technique of aquaculture farming.

4. Students of II B.Sc. Chemistry accompanied by two staff members visited 20MGD

WSS plant, TWAD Board, Manjaneerkayal on 12th September 2019 to study the

methods of testing the physical and chemical water quality parameters.

14

5. A One Day Field Trip to Kothaiyar, Kanyakumari District was organized for the II UG

students by the Department of Botany on 17th September 2019 to learn about the

Pteridophytes and Gymnosperms in their natural habitat and also to collect

specimens for practicals.

6. ПI B.Sc. Zoology students visited the Tamilnadu Sericulture Unit, Nannagaram,

Tenkasi on 6th December 2019 to gain knowledge about the rearing of silkworms,

processing of cocoons, reeling operations and marketing.

7. III B.Sc. Botany students visit to Aathmanilayam on 10th December 2019 to learn

horticulture techniques was arranged by the Department of Botany.

8. The Department of Physics arranged an Industrial Visit to the NLC Tamilnadu Power

Limited, Thoothukudi on 10th December 2019. 46 students and 2 staff visited the

plant to get the knowledge about Thermal Power Energy.

9. II B.Sc. Chemistry students visited Southern Petrochemical Industrial Corporation

(SPIC), Thoothukudi on 11th December 2019 to know the processes involved in the

manufacture of fertilizers, waste water management, pollution control awareness

and also job opportunities in SPIC.

10. The Department of Physics arranged a visit to AVM Hospital, Thoothukudi for the III

year UG students to learn the working mechanism of medical instruments on 11th

December 2019.

11. Department of Physics organised a visit to Thoothukudi Railway Station for the III UG

Students on 16th December 2019 to know the concepts of electromagnetism and

communication used in railway transport facility.

12. A visit to AVM Hospital, Thoothukudi was arranged for II B.Sc. Zoology students on

28thJanuary 2020 to learn how to operate the clinical laboratory instruments such as

ECG, EEG, Urine Analyzer, CT Scan, Sonogram etc. and their applications in the

medical field.

13. Students of III B.Sc. Chemistry accompanied by three staff members visited National

Institute of Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (NIIST), Thiruvananthapuram on

28th February, 2020 to learn the working mechanism and application of UV-Visible

15

Spectrophotometer, NMR, AAS, AFM, Electrochemical Work Station, HRMS, MALDI

and Raman Spectroscopy.

QUIZ (School of Physical Sciences-1, School of Biological Sciences-1)

1. The Marian Star PhysChem Quizzle’19 was organised by the School of Physical

Sciences on 14th August 2019 in the college Auditorium. The students of

Sadakathullah Appa College, Palayamkotai, Pope’s College of Arts and Science,

Sawyerpuram and Scott Christian College, Nagarcoil secured the first, second and

third place respectively.

2. A Quiz Competition (Marian Star Bio Quizzie’19) was organised by the School of

Biological Sciences on 14th August 2019 in the Star Hall. The quiz was organized for

the UG students of School of Biological Sciences. The students of Holy Cross

College, Nagarcoil, Sadakathullah Appa College, Palayamkottai and

V.O.Chidambaram College, Thoothukudi won the first, second and the third prizes

respectively.

PAPER PRESENTATION

1. Two staff members, Dr. F. Dayana Lobo and Dr. B. Maria Sumathi, Assistant Professors

of Botany and four students, K. Madathi, C. Eruthaya Abisha, A. Kavitha and C.

Dhanamari of III B.Sc. Botany presented their papers in a National Seminar on “Recent

Trends in Bioscience” (BIOMI 2019) organised by the Department of Biochemistry

and Microbiology, Chennai National Arts and Science College, Avadi on 7th August

2019. K. Madathi of III B.Sc. Botany received the Best Paper Cash Award.

2. S. Trefilla Missier and G. Mystica Gomez of II B.Sc. Physics presented papers on the

topics, “Technology Management” and “Disaster Management” in an International

Conference at Malaya University, Malaysia, Kuala Lampur on 7th September 2019.

3. Dr. R. Mary Santhi, Assistant Professor of Botany, presented a paper entitled

“Membrane-Targeted Antifungal Mechanism of Semi Purified Fraction of Hypnea

musciformis within Candida albicans” in the National Conference on “Emerging

16

trends in Algae” on 28th and 29th November 2019 at St. Xavier’s College

(Autonomous), Palayamkottai, Tirunelveli.

4. Dr. Sr. Arockia Jenecius Alphonse, Dr. G. Flora and Ms. S. Pauline Jenifer, Assistant

Professors of the Department of Botany presented their papers entitled “Isolation and

Identification of Bacteria from Soil Samples of Three Different Sites in Petrochemical

Industry (SPIC), Thoothukudi”, “Safe Biodegradation of Textile Azo Dyes by Fungi

Isolated from Petroleum Contaminated Soil in Varthaga Reddipatti, Thoothukudi,

Tamil Nadu” and “Preliminary Phytochemical Screening, FT-IR Analysis and

Antibacterial Activity of Salvadoraceae” respectively in the 2nd International

Conference on “Climatic Change: Adaptation and Mitigation” organized by Finishing

School Cell, St. Thomas’ College (Autonomous), Thrissur, Kerala on 9th and 10th

January 2020.

MARIAN STAR BIO EXPO 2020

Marian Star Bio Expo 2020 was organized for the school students by the School of

Biological Sciences. Medicinal plants, Ornamental plants, Fossils and Marine plants

were exhibited to school children on 22ndJanuary 2020. Expo showcased more than

250 medicinal and ornamental plants along with their botanical nomenclature and

uses. Practical demonstration session imparted the skill of learning by doing. Fossils

which are the preserved vestiges of the past plants those lived more than 400 million

years ago attracted the audience. More than 20 schools and nearly 2331 school

students of Thoothukudi District visited the Expo and got benefited. The Expo was

inaugurated by Rev. Dr. Sr. A. S. J. Lucia Rose, Principal, St. Mary’s College

(Autonomous), Thoothukudi.

NATIONAL SCIENCE DAY CELEBRATION (Marian Star Science Fest 2020)

1. An Inter-School Quiz Competition (Science Quiz) was organised for the school

children of Thoothukudi district as a part of the Marian Star Science Fest 2020 in the

STAR Hall on 20th February 2020. Ten schools had registered for the quiz competition.

The students from Holy Cross Anglo Indian School, Thoothukudi, bagged the first

17

prize. The team from Spic School, Spic Nagar and the team from Alagar Public School,

Thoothukudi won the second and the third prizes respectively

2. An Inter-School Working Model Exhibition was arranged on 20th February 2020 in

the Fatima Hall as a part of the Marian Star Science Fest 2020. Sixteen teams from

various schools actively participated in the competition. Excellent working models on

various concepts of science and technology were displayed. The team from Alagar

Public School won the first place. Second place was given to Spic School and the third

place was given to St. Thomas Matric Hr. Sec. School. Consolation prizes were also

given to four teams.

3. As a part of the Marian Star Science Fest, an Inter-Collegiate Competitions were

organised on 21st February 2020. Nine off stage events like Collage, Logo Making,

Slogan Writing, Poetry, Photography, Clay Modeling, Vegetable Carving, Poster

Making and Art from Waste were conducted in various halls. Twenty teams from

colleges in and around Thoothukudi actively participated in the competitions.

4. Invited Lectures on “Impacts of Science Innovations on Society” was organised on 21st

February 2020 as a part of the Science Day Celebration. Dr. N. Prithiviraj, Scientist,

Department of Toxicology and Pharmacology, Shanghai Jiao University, Shanghai,

China delivered a lecture on “Biological Aspects of Natural Compounds for Tissue

Regeneration –Future Direction” to the students of the School of Biological Sciences.

Dr. K. Senthil Kannan, Vice Principal & Research Scientist, Edayathangudy GS Pillay

Arts and Science College, Nagapattinam delivered a lecture on “Frontiers in Science &

Technology” to the students of the School of Physical Science. Dr. M. Maruthai,

Honorary Professor of Mathematics, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirapalli delivered

a lecture on “Analytic Continuation” to the students on the Department of

Mathematics. Dr. P. Velmani, Assistant Professor of Computer Science, M. D. T. Hindu

College, Nagercoil delivered a lecture on “Smart Technologies (Sensors, IOT, Drones)”

to the students of the Department of Computer Science.

5. An Intra-Collegiate Quiz competition was conducted as a part of the Marian Star

Science Fest on 26th February 2020 in the Star Hall. UG students of the Science

18

Departments (Botany, Zoology, Physics, Chemistry, Maths and Computer Science) of

our College were the participants. One UG student from each department

represented a team. Six teams participated in the quiz competition.

6. National Level Short Film Making Competition on “Scientific Concepts” was

organised on 27th February 2020 as a part of the Marian Star Science Fest 2020. Six

teams from various institutions had participated. Among six teams, 2 participants

were from Uttar Pradesh State. Short films on different scientific concepts like time

travel, importance of plants, Newton’s law, detrimental of cell phones, superstitious

beliefs were displayed. First prize was given to the team from Kamaraj College

(Regular). Second and Third prizes were secured by the teams from Dr. Sivanthi

Aditanar College of Engineering and Kamaraj College (SF) respectively.

7. The National Science day was celebrated on 28th of February 2020. Dr. Booma Devi,

Women Scientist, National Institute of Technology, Trichirapalli graced the occasion as

the chief guest. In her address, she emphasized on the theme of the year 2020,

“Women in Science”. In view of the National Science day, various competitions were

conducted for the students of colleges and schools. The winners were honoured with

certificates, trophies and cash awards (Rs.35, 000) during the celebration.