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THE BHOPAL SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES (AUTONOMOUS)
Accredited with A+ Grade by NAAC in 4th Cycle
Affiliated to Barkatullah University, Bhopal
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Archbishop of Bhopal Most Rev. Dr. Alangaram Arokia Sebastin Durairaj SVD, Chairman and President
Most Rev. Dr. Alangaram Arokia Sebastin Durairaj, SVD was born on May 3, 1957 at Thirunagar in the Diocese of Madurai in Tamil Nadu.
He completed his Pre-University Course while he was in St. Charles Seminary Trichy, TN. He completed his Juniorate programme at Palda Seminary in Indore in 1975 and did his Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) at P.M.B. Gujarati Science College, Indore and M.A. in Psychology at Government Arts and Commerce College in Indore.
He completed his novitiate at Khurda in Indore and made his first profession in 1979. He did his theological studies at Jnana Deepa Vidyapeeth, Pune and made his perpetual profession there on June 12, 1984 and was ordained a priest on May 8, 1985 at Thirunagar, Madurai.
After his Priestly Ordination, he served the Church and the Congregation in various capacities: as the Assistant Parish Priest in Jhabua; Procurator of SVD Vidhya Bhavan, Bhopal; Assistant Prefect in Catholic Ashram, Palda; Spiritual Director at KPRP, Bhopal; Rector of SVD Vidhya Bhavam, Bhopal; Assistant Director of Snehalaya in Indore; and Rector again of SVD Vidya Bhavan, Bhopal. The period of all these ranged from one year to five.
In 2005, he was elected Provincial Superior of SVD Central Indian Province and was re-elected in 2008. He has a postgraduate degree (M.Ed.) in Counseling from Loyola University in Chicago and a Doctorate in Counsellor Education at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh (USA). He has been appointed Bishop of Khandwa Diocese by Pope Benedict XVI on May 11, 2009 and was ordained bishop on July 16, 2009. He was declared as the Archbishop of Bhopal by Pope Francis on 4 October 2021 and installed as Archbishop on 27 November 2021.
Archbishop Durairaj is known for his simplicity of life, loyalty to the Church and Commitment to the mission. His spiritual life, in itself, bears witness to the Gospel he believes in and proclaims. He is known for his personal integrity. He, endowed with shining qualities and abundantly experienced in ecclesial matters, has proved his worthiness before God and people to be chosen to the dignity of the shepherd of God's flock in Madhya Pradesh, and especially in Bhopal.