Media Release

Bengaluru, Jan 3: Fr Dr Ambrose Pinto SJ, aged 67 who had served as principal of St Joseph’s College, here from 2003 to 2011 as well as principal of St Joseph’s Evening College and St Aloysius Degree College, in the city passed away. He had suffered cancer for the last six months and passed away on Wednesday morning at 7.00 am at Mallya Hospital.

Fr Pinto was a distinguished scholar, writer, teacher and an advocate for justice and rights of Dalits, poor, vulnerable and minorities. He was a member of the Jesuit core team and studied about the current issues in the country. He was a teacher of Political Science and specialized in Dalit studies. Fr Ambrose Pinto was an MA and a PhD degree holder in Political Theory from Mangalore University in June 1992.

Fr Pinto has left behind a distinguished body of scholarly writing. He was awarded the Rajyotsava Award, the second highest civilian honor of the Karnataka state conferred by the Karnataka Government for his contribution to higher education.

Fr Pinto was an expert consultant to the Government of Karnataka for Identification of Backward Classes and improvement of Government Schools in Karnataka.

St Joseph’s College, Bengaluru, will hold a condolence meeting on January 4 at 1.00 pm. The funeral service will be held on January 5 at 10.30 am at St Joseph's Boys' High School Chapel, Museum Road, Bengaluru. After the service the mortal remains will be laid to rest at Mount St Joseph Cemetary on Bannerghatta Road.

His accomplishments:
1985 to 1994: Lecturer in Political Science at St Joseph's College, Bengaluru.
1994 to 1998: Principal of St Joseph's Evening College, Bengaluru.
1998 to 2001: Executive director, Indian Social Institute, New Delhi.
2001 to 2003: Principal, St Joseph’s Evening College, Bengaluru.
2003 to 2011: Principal, St Joseph’s College, Bengaluru.
2011 to 2012: Fellow, Indian Institute of Advanced Study, Shimla.
2012 to 2013: Director, St Joseph’s Evening College, Bengaluru.
2013 - Principal, St Aloysius Degree College, Bengaluru.

Research and consultancy experience:
a. Dalit Christians in Karnataka: A docio-economic dtudy, Ashirvad, Brngaluru.
b. Evaluation of Minority Welfare Corporation funding of the Ministry of Minority Affairs of the Government of India in 2000 offered to Indian Social Institute, New
Delhi while as director.
c. Changing identity of Dalits in Karnataka – a major project from the University Grants Commission 2007 to 2010.
d. Doddigunta Slum Survey with Grant from India German Social Science Society, New Delhi.
e. Fellow, Institute of Advance Studies – Shimla: 2011 – 2012.
f. Editor of Social Action, a quarterly from the Indian Social Institute, New Delhi from 1998 - 2001.
g. On the editorial board of 'Combat Law' published from Delhi from 2002 to 2005.
h. On the editorial board of ‘Integral Liberation' from 2002 to 2014.
i. Member of the editorial board of 'The Fourth World - Journal of the Marginalized People' – Orissa from 2002 - 2008.

Books Published:
a. 'Dalit Christians: A Socio-Economic Survey', Centre for Non-Formal and Continuing Education, Bengaluru 1993.
b. Higher Education, Politics and Ideology, Books for Change, 2004, Bengaluru.
c. Dalits in Karnataka: In search of identity and equality, Manak Publications, New Delhi, 2014.
d. Five Years of Saffron Rule in Karnataka, Manak Publications, New Delhi, 2015.

Books edited:
a. Perspective in Jesuit Higher Education, Indian Social Institute, Bengaluru 1996.
b. Dr Pinto Ambrose and Arundhuti Roy Choudhury, 'Nuclearization of India: Myths, Beliefs and Facts', Indian Social Institute, New Delhi 1998.
c. State, Development & Alternatives, Indian Social Institute, New Delhi 1999.
d. Dalits: Assertion for Identity, Indian Social Institute, New Delhi 1999.
e. VoxPopuli 1999: Analysis of Parliamentary Elections, Indian Social Institute 2000.
f. Dr Ambrose Pinto and Somen Chakraborty 'Relevance of Communist Manifesto', Indian Social Institute, New Delhi 2000.
g. Indian Reality: Debt and Development, Indian Social Institute, New Delhi 2000.
h. Resisting the Status Quo: Transforming Society, Indian Social Institute, New Delhi 2000.
i. Dr Ambrose Pinto and Dr Helmut Reifeld 'Women in Panchayati Raj', Indian Social Institute, New Delhi 2001.
j. Autonomy: A Review – Proceedings of a Seminar, St Joseph’s College, Bengaluru, 2008.
k. From Religion to Faith – Reflection on multi-religious experiences, Asian Trading Corporation, Bengaluru 2010 with Dr Etienne Rassendran.
l. Beyond Politics, Gyan Publishers, New Delhi 2016.

Papers Presented:
60 and more
Articles published: 110
Newspaper articles: 85
Resource person: 100 meets
International seminars attended: 12

Awards
a. Karnataka Rajyostava Award 2010.
b. Garden City Award for best Principal 2010.
c. Journalistic Award for best coverage for SC/ST concerns by CBCI in 2009.

Consultancy to the Karnataka Government:
a. Expert committee member for identification of backward classes in Karnataka, appointed in 2015.
b. Member of the committee for improvement of Government Schools in Karnataka, appointed in 2016.