The influence of a college is often measured by the achievements of its students. Yet another chapter, less often recalled, belongs to those who once shaped minds inside the classrooms. Among the many distinctions earned by the faculty of St. Berchmans & Assumption Colleges over the past century, entry into the Indian Civil Services deserves a special place. The highly competitive selection process opened the way to positions carrying significant responsibility in the governance and economic administration of the country.

S. B. College has produced a considerable number of civil servants from among its students. Far rarer, however, are those who entered the Civil Services while belonging to its teaching fraternity. From the records presently available to me, three names stand out: Ms Annie Prasad, Mr Abraham Kurien, Mr Paul Joseph and Ms Rose Mary Abraham. There may well be others whose stories deserve to be added to this record.

A Pioneer

In chronological order, Annie Prasad (Annie Kurian) takes the first place and holds a special distinction as the woman pioneer in this group. She was the daughter of Prof. C. S. Kurian, who served the Department of English from 1929 to 1967 and was its longest-serving faculty member.

After completing her M.Sc. in Chemistry from S. B. College, Annie joined Assumption College as a faculty member. In 1963, she was selected to the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and allotted to the Gujarat cadre.

During a distinguished administrative career, she served the Government of Gujarat in several capacities, including District Collector, Deputy Secretary, Joint Secretary, Secretary, Commissioner, Member Secretary and Managing Director, eventually rising to the level of Principal Secretary. Her final assignment was as Principal Secretary, Urban Development Department, Government of Gujarat, from January to November 1997.

Her association with S. B. was also deeply rooted in her family. She was the sister of Prof. Joy Kurian, who served the Department of Economics from 1967 to 2001.

Annie Prasad, though was a faculty of Assumption College, occupies a special place in the history of S. B.—the lone alumna who was inducted an IAS officer and a member of a family whose association with the College extended across two generations.

A Life of Service, Scholarship, and Purpose

Abraham Kurien, born in 1945 at Kanjirapally and educated at the University of Madras, distinguished himself early by topping the University at both the graduate and postgraduate levels. He joined the Department of English at St. Berchmans College in 1967.

Selected for the Civil Services in 1969, he entered the Indian Police Service and was allotted to the Uttar Pradesh Cadre. Over a distinguished career, he served the State of Uttar Pradesh in several important assignments, including ASP Aligarh, SP Benares, DIG Meerut, Additional Director General of Police (Crime), Uttar Pradesh, and Director of the U.P. Police Academy. He retired as Director General of Police in October 2005.

His postings outside Uttar Pradesh included a six-year deputation with the Central Bureau of Investigation and leadership roles in three public sector companies: three years as General Manager in the State Financial Corporation, six years as Executive Director at Indian Telephone Industries, and two years as Chairman and Managing Director of the Housing Corporation.

In 2006, he further advanced his commitment to education by organizing the establishment of the St. Thomas Academy for Research and Training at Calicut (“START”). The academy was created to provide early and intensive orientation for higher services, including the Civil Services. He personally designed a full-time, one-year foundational course for Plus Two students, reflecting his enduring belief in disciplined preparation, public service, and the transformative power of education.

Abraham Kurien’s service as a member of the Managing Board of St. Berchmans College from 2006 to 2011 remains a meaningful chapter in in the history of the college.

His journey reflects a rare blend of intellectual excellence, administrative leadership, and generous service to society. With gratitude, we remember his contributions and the example he set—one of integrity, commitment, and a deep desire to guide future generations toward purposeful lives.

From Economics Faculty to National Economic Administration

The second member of the S. B. faculty in this group was Paul Joseph. After completing his M.A. in Economics from S. B. College, he joined the Department of Economics as a faculty member in 1969. The following year, in 1970, he was selected to the Indian Economic Service (IES).

Over a career spanning about 38 years, Paul Joseph held several senior positions in the Government of India. His assignments included Joint Director and Director in the Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance; Joint Secretary in the Department of Agriculture and Cooperation, Ministry of Agriculture; Economic Adviser in the Ministry of Corporate Affairs; Senior Economic Adviser in the Department of Consumer Affairs; and Principal Adviser in the Planning Commission.

A particularly significant phase of his career was his long association with the development and regulation of India’s capital market. During nearly 13 years in the Ministry of Finance, he was involved in work connected with the establishment of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) and the National Stock Exchange (NSE). His responsibilities also covered the Unit Trust of India, mutual funds and offshore funds.

He also served as a consultant with the Commonwealth Fund for Technical Cooperation of the Commonwealth Secretariat, London.

Thus, the young Economics teacher who left S. B. soon after joining its faculty went on to participate in some of the important institutional developments that shaped India’s modern financial system.

His long experience in economic policy and institutional development later became valuable to the College as well, when he served as a member of the advisory body of the Berchmans Institute of Management Studies.

Paul Joseph belongs to the Mathichiparambil family of Changanacherry. In retirement, he leads a quiet life at his ancestral home opposite St. Mary’s Church, Parelpally.

From Academia to ADMINISTRATION

The fourth name in this distinguished line is Ms Rose Mary Abraham, who was associated with Assumption College both as a student and later as a member of its faculty. She is the daughter of Prof. Alamma Joseph of the Department of Chemistry. After completing her B.A. in Economics from Assumption College, Rose Mary pursued her M.A. in Economics at the University of Hyderabad, which she completed in 2003. She returned to her alma mater as a faculty member and, in 2004, completed her M.Phil. from the same university.

In 2005, Rose Mary was selected to the Indian Economic Service, marking her transition from academia to national economic administration. Under the Ministry of Finance, she rose through successive positions including Assistant Director, Deputy Director, Joint Director, Director and Economic Adviser, the post she has held since 2025. She was associated with the preparation of the Economic Survey 2025–26. She also completed her Ph.D. from Jawaharlal Nehru University in 2022, adding a further academic distinction to her public service career.

Still in service, Ms Rose Mary Abraham represents the continuing link between Assumption College, higher scholarship and public policy. Her career remains an unfolding one, and the College community may rightly look forward to her further rise in the years ahead.

A Small Roll, but a Significant Legacy

Three names across more than a century may appear a small number. Yet their significance lies not in the length of the list, but in the journeys it represents. Annie Prasad moved from the academic world to the IAS and rose to the senior levels of state administration; After a brief stint at St. Berchmans College, Abraham Kurien joined the Indian Police Service and later returned to offer his guidance to the institution. On a larger scale, he devoted himself to shaping future generations and inspiring them to take up administrative roles in the service of nation-building. Paul Joseph moved from an S. B. classroom to positions of influence in India’s economic policy and financial institutions; and Ms Rose Mary Abraham travelled from teaching to the Indian Economic Service and is still on her onward journey in the services.

Their stories remind us that a teacher’s influence need does not end at the classroom door. The person who teaches today may help steer the nation’s governance tomorrow.

These three names therefore deserve a distinctive place in the annals of St. Berchmans & Assumption Colleges—not merely as alumni or faculty who succeeded in a demanding examination, but who carried the intellectual discipline nurtured on these campuses into wider arenas of public service and nation-building. And this short list is not yet complete. Members of the S. B. & Assumption faculty may yet make similar journeys to the Civil Services, and their stories too deserve to be recorded and remembered.