Bangalore — The All India Association for Christian Higher Education (AIACHE), New Delhi, in its 18thTriennial Conference and General body meeting held at Christ University from January 29 to 30, elected Principal of Salesian Colege Soanda Dr George Thadathil its president.

Dr Thadathil is 14th Principal of Salesian College Sonada Darjeeling keeping its 80th year in Gorabari village with a larger campus at Siliguri.

The college principals present (out of 351 members registered and 152 attending the conference) nominated Dr Thadathil as the President for the term 2018-2021.

Other office bearers elected include Vice President Dr Sr Jacinta Quadros of Stella Maris Chennai, Dr Daniel Ezhilarasu, General Secretary for second term and Dr Emmanuel Kallarakal, Holy Cross Agrtala Joint Secretary, as well as Dr Sr Elizabeth CS, Jyoti Niwas College, Sr Jyoti Kispotta Nirmala College Ranchi, and Prof K.T. Thomas of DeSales College Nagpur.

The office of the President and General Secretary is at the AIACHE House Janakpuri Institutional Area, New Delhi.

The Organisation founded in 1967 celebrated its Golden Jubilee last year, 2017.

The goal of the new AIACHE Board for the Triennium says Dr Thadtahil is “empowering University / College students to plan their future and work for realising the Constitutional vision for the country.”

The theme of the conference was “Stakeholders of education as change makers for nation building.”

The organisation which is the only ecumenical body actively present in the country elects its president and board members from among the Churches in rotation.

Dr Thadathil coming from the Catholic Church is the second Salesian of Don Bosco to be elected to the post after Dr Stephen Mavely current Vice-Chancellor of Don Bosco Univeristy Guwahati in 1998 while he was Principal of St Anthony’s Shillong.

Office bearers for the previous term were Dr. Alexander Jesudasan, Principal of Madras Christian College, Chennai, as its president; Dr. Valan Arasu, Principal of St. Aloysius College, Jabalpur, as vice-president; Dr S.K. Samuel, Principal of the Brahmavar-based Crossland College as joint vice-presidents and Dr. Marina, Principal of Jesus and Mary’s College, New Delhi, as joint secretary.

Fifty one year old AIACHE is a professional association of 351 higher education colleges in India. Founded in 1967 as a voluntary Association, it brings together colleges related to the catholic, protestant and orthodox churches in an inter-State, trans-denominational forum with a view to maximise their service to the national community.