Tue Mar 04 10:18:59 UTC 2025: ## VIT Founder’s Loyola College Roots Shaped His Success
**CHENNAI, March 4, 2025** – G. Viswanathan, Chancellor of the Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), credits his alma mater, Loyola College, for his success. In an article published in Loyola College’s centenary book, “Loyola: 100 Years of Shaping Futures,” Viswanathan revealed that he turned down an Indian Police Service (IPS) posting in 1961 to pursue a different path.
A top student at Loyola College from 1957 to 1961, Viswanathan had passed the UPSC exam on his first attempt. However, the offered IPS posting in Tripura was unacceptable due to the lack of transfer options. He also recounted being denied a posting by the then Congress government due to his political activities with the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK).
Viswanathan highlighted the impact of his Loyola education, particularly the mentorship of his English teacher, Fr. Lawrence Sundaram, S.J. He stated that the discipline and quality of Loyola College served as a model when he founded Vellore Engineering College (now VIT) in 1984. Viswanathan’s career also included serving as an MLA, Minister, and Member of Parliament. He described his time at Loyola as transformative, emphasizing the institution’s academic rigor, cultural diversity, and mentorship.
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