Don Bosco, a legendary Italian Saint, a luminous educator and a great champion of youth, founded the Salesians of Don Bosco (SDB) in Rome. It has branches in 132 countries. The Salesians of Don Bosco are globally recognized as professional executives of premium institutes of Higher Education with 15 Universities across the world. In India, there are 517 educational institutions of repute, of which 36 of them are centres of higher education including Don Bosco University, Guwahati in Assam, and Sacred Heart College (Autonomous), Tirupattur in Vellore District. This Global movement caters primarily to the children and the youth with a unique educational system founded on the core values.
Don Bosco College, Dharmapuri, a constituent of an Educational Network of the Salesians of Don Bosco, Chennai Province, Tamil Nadu, was founded in 2007 on Adhiyaman Bypass Road, Sogathur, by Rev. Fr. Johnson Antonysamy, SDB, Rector and Rev. Dr. C. M. Varghese, SDB, the first Principal. It is the first and only minority institution, established in Dharmapuri to train and equip the young minds for a challenging and fulfilling career under Periyar University, Salem. Built in a serene and calm environment, the College provides a holistic ambient for the growth of the rural students.
The academic journey of the College commenced with 5 Undergraduate courses, 9 teaching faculty, 3 support staff and 258 students. In the past 15 years, the College has grown in various dimensions and has been tirelessly proceeding to achieve its goal. At present, the College has 1,544 students, 84 teaching faculty and 22 support staff, with 11 Undergraduate programme, 8 Postgraduate programme, 4 M.Phil. programme and 1 Ph.D programme. The vast majority of our students hail from Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri districts, while students from other parts of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Andamans and North East also are accommodated. The College takes pride in educating numerous first generation graduates. The medium of instruction and evaluation is English.
In the past few years, the College has grown considerably as the result of collective efforts of many, including Salesians, staff and well-wishers. A number of significant additions have been made to the infrastructure with an open auditorium, garden at the front yard of the College, compound wall with gates, state of the art computer and science laboratories, a well-furnished library with a reading hall, a Bosco Bicentenary Hall and a modern canteen. As well, we provide separate hostel facility for girls and excellent transport services to the remote villages.
Don Bosco College stands head and shoulders above others in winning trophies in games and sports in Periyar University, Salem, besides forming University gold medallists every year. University gold medallists and University rank holders add feathers to the cap in the academic journey of the College. The primary objectives of the College are for the public benefit, to advance education, experiencing religion, learning and research and the conduct of divine service in the College, to strengthen the College’s access and outreach programme, to enrich the teaching capabilities of the College, and to continue to improve academic performance in the examinations.
We, the Salesians of Don Bosco, provide students an outstanding social, cultural and sporting opportunities. Besides, we take a lead in sustaining and enhancing the ability of the College to continue as one of the best academic institutions of the state, in the face of increasing regional and national competition. Moreover, we recognise and value all our alumni as life-long members of the College community and appreciate for their continuing involvement in and support of the College.
The College enables the young to find meaning in life to seek guidance and strength from above to foster a spirituality that can sustain them through the inevitable ups and downs of life, according to each one’s belief and religious background. To become a centre that moulds seekers of knowledge into integrated persons and upright citizens of academic competence, spiritual maturity and social consciousness, anchored in Don Bosco’s philosophy of education.
In addition, the same management runs the Don Bosco College of Education in a nearby campus in order to give a further boost to the aspiration of students to become professionally qualified teachers.
