HISTORY OF

AICUF

1924Catholic Young

Man Guild (CYMG)It’s humble

Commencing at St. Joseph’s College, Trichy.

Fr. Carty, S. J. guided this CYMG

A Magazine ‘The Rally’ was started.

Fr. Carty SJ

Founder of AICUF

1929Catholic Young Man Federation (CYMF)The CYMG and the MYCL (Malabar Catholic Youth League)(Founded by Fr. Honore, S. J. in 1915) federated to form the CYMF

1937The birth of South India Catholic University Federation (SICUF)

It was created after the model PAX ROMANA

(IMCS – International Movement of Catholic Students)

1944

SICUFCatholic Students UnionNew Man Association

1949AICUF

The CBCI (Catholic Bishop’s Conference of India)

Officially recognized it as the Catholic University Movement for India.

1952 (June)

The New National Director, who gave

a new stand to AICUF Fr. Ceyrac

SJ

1952 (December)

The First AICUF National Congress was held in Madras with the theme “Unity”.

2700 delegates from all over India participated.

1953 (May)

The First

National Leadership Camp

was held in

Mysore.

1954

National Secretariate shifted from Trichy to Loyola College, Chennai.

1955

First AICUF Constitution - CSU Constitution

The Federation was divided into 9 Regions.

The First SOCIAL WORK CAMP was held.

1956The Second National Congress was held in Bangalore with its theme, “Towards a Better World”

2800 delegates attended the congress.

1958The Third National Congress was held in Bombay

2500 delegates attended the Congress

The theme was “Problems of Student Milieu” as its theme.

1961Fourth National Congress was held in Ernakulum

3000 delegates attended the Congress.

“Students and Social Justice “was the theme

1965

First National Convention in Madras.

The theme was “National Responsibility and Commitment”.

1967Fr. Lawrence Colaco, S.J., was

appointed National Director of AICUF.

The Present National Secretariat

AICUF House was acquired.

The Constitution was revised and

Federation was divided into 14

Regions.

1968

Second National Convention in Madras with theme “The India we want”.

1970 (May)The First National Consultation in Bangalore initiated the new orientation by a through study of AICUF’s function and role in the society.

1970 (June)

Fr.Claude D’ Souza. S.J. was appointed National Director of AICUF.

Two ex-AICUF-ers joined the National Team as Full-Timers.

1970 (December)

National seminar on ‘Marxism and Christianity’ was held at Poonamallee, Madras.

Poonamallee declaration “We were born into an unjust society and we are determined not to leave it as we have found it”.

1972 (August)

Project Know India (PKI) was born, when the central committee members made a critical evaluation of the AICUF Programmes.

National Seminar on “Egalitarian Society” by the students involved in the PKI.

In order to evoke greater theological reflection on the historical situation of man and society and to elicit deeper motivation to strive for human freedom, training sessions for advisors were introduced.

1973National

Documentatio

n Centre was

started

1974

Serendipity sessions were started for grasping the Gospel values through the discovery method at individual and group levels.

1977(July)

The AICUF Documentation Service began sending relevant cyclostyled materials on a regular basis to the advisors and others interested in Christian reflection and social change.

1979 (July)

The Central Committee members spelt out the new vision and the main Thrust of the movement.

1982 (January)

The Second National Consultation, held in Madras as an important landmark in the history of AICUF.

The fruit of the deliberation was the ‘Mylapore Minutes’. “Back to the Campus” and “University to the masses” were the slogans that reflect the spirit of the consultation.

1985(July)

Constituting a constitution commission in July 1985, “to explore the various aspects of constitutional changes and to initiate the prosses of evolving a new constitution”.

1987(December)

A non-Christian student was elected National President in August 1987.

The mid CCM faced this issue squarely and declared the National election unconstitutional and a fresh election was conducted.

1988(June)

The Third National Consultation of AICUF was held at Loyola College, Madras.

1988(August)

The CCM unanimously accepted most of the recommendations of the consultations to prepare a fresh draft incorporating all the insights of the National Consultation.

1989(June)

In the Third National Convention the student representatives approved the Draft constitution prepared by the commission

1989

The First National Council.

Dalits, Tribals and Women were chosen at the target people.

AFTER1989

19893rd National Convention from 14-17, June 1989.Theme: “The new AICUF constitution”

New ConstitutionNew Federal Set upNew National AdviserBirth of Orissa AICUF State

MAJOR CHALLENGES FACED AFTER 1989

Commercialized EducationCommunalized and criminalized atmosphereStudent Movements, attending to localized

issuesArrival of first-generation students from

Adivasi, Dalit and Women sectionsGlobalizationCommunalism and FundamentalismForms of Resistance and Rebuilding from

the vulnerable groups.

1990Commencement of Regular National councilsSummer ProgrammesNational Council from 25-29, August 1990.State Policy DocumentsAll Gujarat Student Development Movement

(AGSDM) got affiliated to AICUF.Andhra Pradesh AICUF was banned.AICUF President of Orissa Mr. Pradeep Kindo

was killedFirst Women’s Workshop in T.N. Conducted.

1991

Student Organization for Social Action (SOSA) was born in Andhra Pradesh, in the place of AICUF.

1992

Bangalore Catholic Student Association (BACSA) was started

Attempts to revive Goa AICUF.National Seminar on Communalism, Chennai.

1993

Ex-AICUFers Convention‘Our Response To The Emerging Scene’

National Seminar on Communalism, Bangalore.

5th National Council from 12-15, August 1993.‘The Challenges before AICUF Today’

1994

4th National Consultation - cum – Council from 12-15, August 1994.Birth of Adivasi Yuva Chetna Munch and National Dalit and women forums

Assessment of Five Years.Forums / Commissions were bornNational Full-timer was appointedBihar was divided into North Bihar (Dalits

Predominantly) and South Bihar (Tribal)

1995National Dalit Student

Consultation at Ennore, Chennai.Youth Festival in AICUF Ashram,

Bhopal.National Workshop on Human

Rights.National Council from 12-15

August 1995.Theme: Youth and Students of India – Their Trends and Challenges

19968th National Council from 15th-18th, August

1996Theme: Youth & Politics, Youth & Media

New National Adviser Fr. K. Amal, SJ, succeeds Fr. Manu SJ.

A lot of revivals Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Karnataka, Maharashtra and the Tribal States

A lot of challenges Bihar, North East and Non-AICUF States.

Adivasi Yuva Chetna Manch - Policy Document was finalized.

1997National Summer Programmes with

Exposure CampsNational Seminars on Major Issues –

Commercialization of Education, Globalization,

Communalism and Fundamentalism.AICUF was revived in Maharashtra.9th National Council from 14 – 17, August

1997.Theme: Fifty Years of Independent India

1998

National Consultation - Cum – Council from August 13 – 16, 1998Theme: Globalisation and Communalism

Change in DC TeamRegularised Rally - Student News as a

Supplement of Rally.AICUF was revived in Andhra Pradesh.

1999

National Convention on June 9-12, 1999.Theme: Marching with the Marginalized

Amendments in Constitution 1989 Interim Council

RSA (Refugee Students’ Association) was born.

2000

12th National Council on 28-31, August 2000Theme: University Students of Today - Are We Awakened?

2001

13th National Council during 12-15, August 2001Theme: University Students Let’s be Conscientised and be Sensitive to the marginalized

200214th National Council during 15th – 18th August 2002Theme: University Students – Let’s Search to Know, Realize and Assert Our Rights.

National Summer Programme on Student Rights are Human Rights, Chennai.

2003

15th National Council during 14th – 17th August 2003Theme: “Let us Unite and Assert Our Rights, To Evolve Alternatives towards a Just Society”.

Participated in ASIAN SOCIAL FORUM, Hyderabad

Fr. Henry Jerome, SJ succeeds Fr. K. Amal, SJ.

2004

First National Women’s Convention to be held in December at Gujarat (29th December 2004 – 1st January 2005).

Participated in WORLD SOCIAL FORUM, Mumbai

All States Training in Theatre Awareness Programmes Protests Youth Convention Leadership and Personality Development Journalism Seminar16th National Council and 80th year celebration

of AICUF from 13th – 16th August 2004 Theme: “Dreaming and struggling together…Stepping into the 80th Year…Sensitizing Students for a Just World…”

2005

17th National Council during 11- 14, August 2005 on “AICUF Calls: Analyse, Assess, and Intervene to Humanize the World”

West Bengal AICUF gave birth to Dumka.

Dumka was affiliated as a new state into AICUF.

200618th National Council from 12th – 15th,

August 2006 on the theme “University Students: Experience, Reflect and Act; Challenging and Annihilating the Inhuman Context, Evolving the Just Society”.

The 18th AICUF National Council, has got a historical significance as it is the first National Council to be held outside Tamil Nadu, in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh

Delhi AICUF is now owned by Jesuit theologians of Vidya Jyothi, the Jesuit theologiate in the capital.

First National Dalit Students Convention from May 30, 2006 to June 2, 2006 at St. Patrick’s High School campus, Secunderabad, Andhra Pradesh.

200719th National Council from 11-14, August

2007 on the theme was “Revitalizing the power of University students to be with the struggles and hopes of the marginalized and to become an Empowered Civil Society”.

The Council was decided that AICUF had to organize the 5th National Convention.

First National AYCM (Adivasi Yuva Chetan Manch) Convention held in Ranchi, Jharkhand.

2008

20th AICUF National Council from 13- 16, August 2008 on the theme was “Reclaiming Student Activism, Becoming Seeds of Resistance, University Students Resolve to be the Vanguard of the Emerging civil society”

2009

6th National Consultation and 21st National Council from 12th -15th Aug 2010

Towards 5th National Convention.

20105th National Convention – June 3rd to June 6th 2010, at Loyola College campus, Chennai.

“Students, to Act and to be Political” 

Mid-Council – 13 – 15th August 2010.New National Adviser Fr. M. G. Selvin Raj, S.J, succeeds Fr. Henry Jerome S.J

Thank You