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Most people touching Sterling Road in Chennai have to take a detour irrespective of the direction they wish to take. The few who proceed straight have pride writ large on their face: they enter Loyola College. "When you are in pursuit of excellence, all roads lead to Loyola," says Prem Shankar, a young Loyola product, revelling in the fact that the college has scaled the India Today-Gallup survey ratings, up from its number two position the previous year.

Much of this success is attributed to the college administration's futuristic approach. While drawing from its 76-year-old tradition, Loyola has made a conscious effort to blend academic excellence and history. Its restructured syllabus, in effect from the 2000-1, is something many educational institutions are trying to emulate. Besides streamlining the academic schedule, the syllabus includes topics such as world religion, heritage, personality development, social analysis, computer literacy, arts for science, science for arts and skill-based training in the last semester.

STERLING TAG: Loyola seeks to lay claim to quality and quantity without compromises

"Nobody disagrees with Loyola's hallmark assets like excellent faculty, enviable infrastructure and focused learning," says Principal Father V. Joseph Xavier matter-of-factly. "And Loyola is proud to be a trendsetter in developing the student beyond the knowledge of text books."

Science education here has taken on an all-new dimension with the formation of the Loyola Institute of Frontier Energy (life), an inter-disciplinary group working on projects involving the basic sciences departments. With more than 80 published works since its inception in 1995, life enables even undergraduate students to participate in research-oriented projects. The chemistry department has to its credit a patent on a low-cost method of coating lead with chromium for application in the country's major power reactors. The projects are funded by the Department of Science & Technology and the Department of Atomic Energy.

The college also organises seminars on individual student projects and has made computer education compulsory for the students. Social work is also part of the Loyola campus life. With 525-odd students in the Science stream, 557 in Arts and 172 in Commerce, the college seeks to lay claim on quality and quantity without compromising either.

STANDING TALL: Mumbai's St Xavier's is known for producing toppers, nurturing sports talent, and its annual fest, Malhar

The students' service centre at the college has managed to woo business houses to the campus to recruit students even when the economy has looked gloomy. Former RBI governor and Andhra Pradesh Governor C. Rangarajan leads the pack of Loyola's alumni. If such academics gives the impression of a classroom-oriented campus, Loyolites like Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand, and tennis stars Vijay Amritraj and Anand Amritraj instantly allay such fears.

Founded in 1925 by a group of Jesuits, Loyola, which is now contemplating a deemed university status, emphasises the cultural heritage of the country, an understanding of various religions and the need for tolerance. Priests from the order still run the college with dedication. "This place is magical and never fails to inspire," says D.P. Sankaran, professor of chemistry, who has spent 36 years in Loyola first as a student and later as a teacher. That's something no Loyolite would contest.

St Xavier's College, Mumbai, has more than one reason to be happy. Besides retaining its No. 2 slot in Arts, it has moved up to the 2nd position in Science from the 5th place it occupied last year. Among the advantages it boasts of are the research institutes attached to it. Besides producing toppers and nurturing sports talent, it is also known for Malhar, the vibrant annual college festival with the trademark frog as its logo.

St Xavier's nearest rival is Kolkata's Presidency College. The 3rd place in Science is occupied by the country's oldest college. The process of blending history with academics has already begun in the City of Joy's 185-year-old landmark. The premier institution is reshaping itself in a more career-oriented mould. Thanks to a rigorous admission policy and a unique system of tutorials, it spins out toppers with ease. Now, it's also trying to make sure they can grab the best jobs on offer.

This year, the Science stream has witnessed roller coaster movements-Stella Maris in Chennai, which was ranked 15th the previous year, has risen to the 9th position, while Delhi's St Stephen's College has slipped to the 8th position from last year's 3rd. Chennai's Presidency College-Nobel laureate C.V. Raman is its flagbearer-has slipped to the 5th position from last year's No. 1 slot, while Mumbai-based Elphinstone College, which was ranked 12th the year before, has managed to make it to the "Big Ten" this year.