Nagaland chief minister TR Zeliang on Nov 18 inaugurated the St Joseph University at Ikishe village in Dimapur district.

The availability of quality higher education in the State is awfully inadequate and every year thousands of Naga youth are going outside the State in pursuit of higher and technical education, while there is practically no reverse inflow of students to Nagaland from other states. This situation leads to many undesirable situations such as huge drain on the State’s economy, and at times in unfortunate ethnic and racial issues faced by the northeast region in some metro cities, Zeliang said.

A Catholic school in Barabanki district of Uttar Pradesh has courted contro-versy for barring Muslim girl students from wearing head-scarf on campus.

The principal of Anand Bhawan School, Archana Thomas, told a Class VII girl to remove the headscarf from the next day if she wants to study in the school. The school administration also sent a notice to parents of the student and asked them to “abide by the school’s dress code, or else, get their ward admitted in some Islamic School.”

When the girl still wore the scarf to school the next day, the principal allegedly removed the scarf forcefully and scolded her. Speaking to News18, the girl said that her father had taken prior permission for the headscarf. “Principal Ma’am denied the permission. Next day, when I wore the scarf, she called me and snatched away my scarf. My cousin, too, was denied permission and was scolded for wearing the headscarf to school,” said the seventh grader.

The girl’s father, Moha-mmad Raza Rizvi, questioned the logic of the school’s rules and asked if Sikhs can wear a turban, they why can’t Musli-ms wear a headscarf to school.

“As per our faith, females need to cover their head. I requested the principal to give permission. She said she would hold a meeting in October, but eventually she denied the permission, saying that it flouted the dress code. I want to understand how come Sikhs are allowed to wear pagdi (turban), which is also not a part of the dress code?” Rizvi asked.

Eminent gynaecologist and former medical superintendent and head of the gynaecology department of the Little Lourdes Mission Hospital, Kidangoor in Kottayam district, died on Nov 16. She was 65.

Dr Sister Mary Marcellus was undergoing treatment in a private hospital in Ernakulam after suffering critical injuries in an accident.

Sr Marcellus who belongs to Sisters of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (SVM) Congregation, was the first nun to join a government run medical college in Kerala. Her motto in life was ‘By the grace of God I am what I am.’ Sr Marcellus was laid to rest at Kidangoor on Nov 18.

About 10,000 people participated in the beatification ceremony of Sister Rani Maria Vattalil, the Franciscan Poor Clare assassinated in 1995 when she was stabbed 54 times in Indore, Madhya Pradesh. Her assassin Samunder Singh, who later regretted the cruel gesture and was forgiven by the Blessed’s family was also among participants. He told Matters India: “I’m so happy that ‘Didi’ (older sister) has been recognized as a martyr.”

The ceremony took place on November 4 in the courtyard of Indore’s St Paul Higher Secondary School and was chaired by Card. Angelo Amato, Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. Card. Baselios Cleemis, President of the Indian Bishops’ Conference, Card. George Alencherry, Head of the Syro-Malabar Church, Cardinal Oswald Gracias, President of the Latin Rite Conference concelebrated the Mass. The rite began at 10.00 am (local time) with the reading of the papal announcement of beatification. On November 5, the Apostolic Nuncio Msgr Giambattista Diquattro presided at a Mass in Suffrage on the grave of sister Rani Maria, at the Sacred Heart Church in Udainagar. Even Pope Francis during the Angelus recalled the Indian nun. “Sally Vattalil – said the pontiff – gave testimony to Christ in love and mildness, and joins the long line of martyrs of our time. Her sacrifice is a seed of faith and peace, especially in Indian land. She was so good that they called her ‘the smiling sister.”

A Catholic bishop has sought protection for the Christian community in the central Indian Madhya Pradesh State after Hindu nationalists marched through the streets waving burning torches and denouncing missionaries.

The marchers on Nov. 10 accused Sagar district authorities of not acting upon complaints they filed against missionaries for violating a law that restricts religious conversions.

They issued an ultimatum that if the administration failed to act within a fortnight they would start an indefinite strike in front of a Catholic Church run orphanage in the diocese.

Fr Joshan Rodrigues of Bombay archdiocese has started a blog— Musings in Catholic Land—aiming to engage Catholics, especially youth, in difficult conversations, otherwise considered controversial. From porno-graphy, the church’s stand on the LGBT community, boredom at mass to in-law woes, Fr Rodrigues’ posts have gained over 15,000 hits ever since he started the blog five months ago. Most of his readers are between the ages of 18-30.

In Mumbai, the Church will be taking up donations to mark the World Day of the Poor, instituted by Pope Francis at the end of the Jubilee of Mercy. Cardinal Oswald Gracias, the Archbishop of Bombay, launched the ACTS project – standing for ‘Actively Called to Serve’ – which will give bags to each parish, so people can donate items like grain, rice, sugar, and toiletries for the less fortunate.

ACTS will work with the Saint Vincent de Paul Society and the Centre for Community Organization.

The celebration organised by the Catholic Church of Kerala in connection with the beatification of missionary nun Sr Rani Maria was held at St Mary’s Basilica in Kochi on november 11. It began at 2.45 pm with a procession carrying relics of the beatified nun from the Archbishop’s House to the basilica. Bishop Mar Sebastian Aayanthrath welcomed the gathering. Bishop Mar Jose Puthenveettil read out the Pope’s decree elevating Sr Rani to the status of ‘Blessed Martyr’. This was followed by a thanksgiving Holy Mass led by Cardinal George Alencherry. KCBC president Archbishop M Susai Pakiam delivered the homily. Nagpur Archbishop Abraham Viruthukulangara, Indore Bishop Chacko Thottumarikkal, and several bishops from within and outside Kerala were co-celebrants.

Cardinal Alencherry delivered the benedictory address at the public meeting. Archbishop Viruthukulangara, Bishop Thottumarikkal, FCC mother general Sr Anne Joseph, Sr Rani’s sister Sr Selmy, Archdiocese pro vicar general Fr Antony Narikulam, Seva Singh , a representative from Uday Nagar where Sr Rani carried out her missionary work, spoke. The celebration was organised by the Catholic Church in Kerala and Franciscan Clarist Congregation, the order to which Sr Rani belonged.