St. Francis De'Sales High School, Nagpur, Maharashtra
St. Francis De'Sales High School (SFS School) and Junior College Nagpur is an educational institution in Nagpur, Maharashtra, India. Established in 1870, the school was managed by the Missionaries of St. Francis de Sales. SFS School is governed by the Nagpur Archdiocese. It is located Sadar, Nagpur, Maharashtra.
St. Francis De'Sales High school is currently Headed by Rev. Fr. Prashant (Principal), Sister Shyny Joseph (Vice principal) and Mrs. Dolores Francis (Supervisor). The school was traditionally an all-boys institution until it became a co-educational school in 2008. The school is affiliated to the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education, Pune, Maharashtra.[1]
House System
The School's house system was introduced by Rev. Fr. Edmond Deage around 1938–39. The houses are named in remembrance of three distinguished former principals and are used to foster competition across academic, literary, and sports fields. Each house has a designated colour and motto:[2]
- Pelvat House (Red) – Motto: "Through difficulties to the heights"
- Coppel House (Blue) – Motto: "Faithful to the end"
- Dufresne House (Green) – Motto: "Duty before pleasure"
The Junior College, which is attached to the school, has a separate house system established by former principal Rev. Fr. Maurice Fernandes. Its two houses are S.F.S. House (Motto: "Sacrifice before self") and Don Bosco House (Motto: "Rise and shine").[2]
History
SFS High School was established in 1867 at Kamptee before relocating to its present location in Sadar, Nagpur in 1870. The school has commemorated several major milestones, including 125 years in 1995, 140 years in 2010, 150 years in 2020, and 155 years of existence in 2025.[3][4]
The school's origins trace back to Kamptee, where Fr. Mabboux opened a school in a small room on 4 March 1867, with Br. Alick Rigley as its first Head Master and Nicholas Appao as its first enrolled student. After a new building was constructed in Nagpur by Fr. John Thevenet, Fr. Mabboux moved the institution along with 50 boarders from Kamptee. The school became fully independent in Nagpur on 21 January 1870.[2]
In its early days, the curriculum included Urdu, which was later replaced by Latin, helping to secure a government grant. Under Fr. Charles Felix Pelvat, the school was raised to a full-fledged High School, acquired a "First Art" (F.A.) course, and became affiliated with the University of Calcutta. The second floor was built in 1884 to be used as a dormitory. During the tenure of Fr. Francis Stephan Coppel in the 1890s and 1900s, the school focused on all-round development, starting a gymnasium, a printing press, science labs, a school band, and music classes.[2]
Renovations and Technology (1995–2007)
During the tenure of Rev. Fr. Ivan Lobo (1995–2007), the school underwent a period of significant renovation and technological upgrade. The entire building was re-plastered and repainted, and the grounds were levelled. New constructions included three modern computer labs, a new staircase to the auditorium, and a new gate on Link Road. Through a donation from alumnus Dr. Shrikant Jichkar, the school acquired computers and internet access. Other additions included an LCD projector, a digital printing machine, an EPBX digital phone system, and an LPG plant for the chemistry lab. In 2001–02, the school uniform was changed from white shirts and khaki pants to blue shirts and navy-blue pants with a maroon cardigan for winter.[2]
Transition To co-education (2007–2013)
Rev. Sr. Arpita Mathew took charge in 2007 as the school's first female principal. The most significant change during her tenure occurred in the 2008–09 academic year, when the school, traditionally an all-boys institution, became co-educational.[5] Other changes included introducing navy-blue blazers for staff, adding house-coloured T-shirts for the Saturday uniform. School timings were revised from 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM (Before) TO 7:45 AM. – 1:40 PM (After). The foundation stone for a new Primary School building was also laid during this period.[2]
Infrastructure and Digital Upgrades (2013–2017)
Under Rev. Sr. Manisha Paul (2013–2017), the new Primary School building was completed and inaugurated in 2013–14 by Archbishop Abraham Viruthakulangara. The campus was further redeveloped by demolishing a fountain at the front gate to create a new parking area and cycle shed. In the classrooms, traditional blackboards were replaced with modern green boards and interactive smart boards, and CCTV cameras were installed across the campus.[2]
Modernization and Sesquicentennial (2017–present)
During the tenure of Rev. Fr. Prashant Samuel (2017–present), the school continued its modernization. In January 2020, the school inaugurated its Sesquicentennial (150th) Year with a Feast Mass celebrated by Archbishop Elias Gonsalves. Major campus upgrades included replacing the second-floor asbestos roof, renovating the study hall, auditorium, chapel, and both staffrooms, and installing air conditioning. The Physics and Chemistry labs were modernized with new equipment. Wi-Fi was installed in classrooms to support online teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic, and 75-inch interactive smart panels were added to all classes. Infrastructure changes included building a new assembly stage, renovating the basketball court, repainting the entire building, and relocating the cycle shed.[2]
List Of Principals
The following is a list of the principals of the school since its establishment in Nagpur.[2]
| No. | Principal[2] | Term[2] |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rev. Fr. Francis Mabboux | 1870–1873 |
| 2 | Rev. Fr. Maurice Victor Domenge | 1873–1875 |
| 3 | Rev. Fr. Charles Felix Pelvet | 1875–1881 |
| 4 | Rev. Fr. Etieme Marie Bonaventure | 1891–1894 |
| 5 | Rev. Fr. Francis Stephan Coppel | 1894–1907 |
| 6 | Rev. Fr. Louis Dufresne | 1907–1915 & 1919–1927 |
| 7 | Rev. Fr. Carlo Casimir Fernandes | 1915–1919 |
| 8 | Rev. Fr. Joseph Gros | 1927–1937 |
| 9 | Rev. Fr. Edmond Deage | 1937–1951 |
| 10 | Rev. Fr. Francis D'Souza | 1951–1954 |
| 11 | Rev. Fr. Gerson Mascarenhas | 1954–1956 |
| 12 | Rev. Fr. Cecil De Sa | 1956–1960 |
| 13 | Rev. Fr. Mathew Fernandes | 1960–1969 & 1970–1976 |
| 14 | Rev. Fr. George Vaz | 1969 |
| 15 | Rev. Fr. Oswald D'Souza | 1976–1982 |
| 16 | Rev. Fr. Maurice Fernandes | 1982–1995 |
| 17 | Rev. Fr. Ivan Lobo | 1995–2007 |
| 18 | Rev. Sr. Arpita Mathews | 2007–2013 |
| 19 | Rev. Sr. Manisha Paul | 2013–2017 |
| 20 | Rev. Fr. Prashant Samuel | 2017–Present |
Alumni Achievers
A number of the school's alumni have become notable figures, achieving distinction in various national and international fields.
| No. | Name | Notability |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Col. C. K. Nayudu | First Captain Of The Indian National Cricket Team[6] |
| 2 | Archbishop Eugene D'Souza[2] | Archbishop Of The Roman Catholic Archdiocese Of Bhopal |
| 3 | Dr. Jamshed Jiji Irani | Former Managing Director Of Tata Steel |
| 4 | Jimmy Mehta | Former National Tennis Champion [7] |
| 5 | Rajkumar Hirani | Bollywood Writer and Leading Director |
| 6 | Air Vice Marshal Gordon D'Souza[2] | Air Vice Marshal In The Indian Air Force |
| 7 | Vice Admiral R.F. Contractor[2] | Former Director General Of The Indian Coast Guard (PVSM, VSM, NM) |
| 8 | Major-General S. Tewari[2] | Major General In The Indian Army |
| 9 | Lt Gen. M.S. Sodhi[2] | Former Head of The Corps of Signals, Indian Army |
| 10 | Lt Gen Christopher (Bobby) Baretto[2] | Lieutenant General In The Indian Army (PVSM) |
| 11 | Tarun Bose | Indian Film Actor |
| 12 | Bishop Sylvester Monteiro[2] | Bishop Of The Roman Catholic Diocese Of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar |
| 13 | Adv. Harish Salve | Former Solicitor General Of India |
| 14 | Dr. Shrikant Jichkar | MBBS, MD, IPS, IAS, Writer, Educationist, Politician, Former Home Minister (GoM) & Holder Of 20 University Degrees |
| 15 | Akash Khurana | Indian Actor, Screenwriter, Director, And Author |
| 16 | Sharad Arvind Bobde | 47th Chief Justice Of The Supreme Court Of India |
| 17 | Justice Pratap Hardas[2] | Former Judge Of The Bombay High Court |
| 18 | Shri Mukul Wasnik | General Secretary, Indian National Congress And Former Union Cabinet Minister |
| 19 | Dr. Anees Ahmed[2] | Former Minister (GoM) And Former Member Of The Maharashtra Assembly |
| 20 | Khusro Faramurz Rustomji, IP (KF Rustomji)[2] | Founder and Former Director General Of The Border Security Force (BSF) |
| 21 | Lt General Joy Chatterjee, PVSM, VSM, PHS[2] | Former Director and Commandant Of The Army Hospital (Research and Referral), New Delhi |
| 22 | Eric Pearce[2] | Introduced Hockey In Australia (With His Brothers) |
| 23 | Bishop Joseph Rosario[2] | Bishop Of Amravati |
| 24 | Archbishop Cecil Desa[2] | Archbishop Of Agra And Former Principal S.F.S. |
| 25 | Major Gen. Glenn Ford[2] | Major General In The Indian Army |
| 26 | Vice Admiral Rajaram Swaminathan[2] | Vice Admiral In The Indian Navy (AVSM, NM) |
| 27 | Air Commodore Sanjeev Gosewade[2] | Air Commodore In The Indian Air Force |
| 28 | Commodore Debesh Lahiri[2] | Commodore In The Indian Navy |
| 29 | Justice Avinash Gharote[2] | Judge Of The Bombay High Court |
| 30 | Justice Anil Satyavijay Kilor[2] | Judge Of The Bombay High Court |
| 31 | Dr. Prasad Dhurajati[2] | Ace Scientist |
| 32 | Dr. Dilip Yavagal[2] | MD, MBBS, FSVIN, FAHA, FAAN, Professor, University Of Miami Miller School Of Medicine |
| 33 | Dr. Yunus Langha[2] | Paediatric Dentist, Entrepreneur, Philanthropist, Educationist |
| 34 | Dr. (Prof) Prashant P. Joshi[2] | MD, M.Sc., Executive Director & CEO AIIMS Nagpur |
| 35 | Dr. Peshotan S (Pesho) Kotval[2] | MD, PhD, MBA, FASM, FAIUM, DABR, Materials Scientist And Diagnostic Radiologist |
| 36 | Dr. Anjan Chatterjee[2] | Ex. Addl DG, Geological Survey Of India |
| 37 | Khushroo Poacha[2] | Philanthropist, Founder Of Seva Kitchen And Indian Blood Donors |
| 38 | Sameer Meghe[2] | MLA, Entrepreneur & Social Worker, Educationist |
| 39 | Jamashp Bapuna[2] | Director Of The Bapuna Group And Joint Managing Director Of Dinshaw's Dairy Food |
| 40 | Usman Ghani[2] | Cricketer, Vidherba Ranji Team (Captain), Coach |
| 41 | Dr. Ashwin Praful Pimpalwar[2] | MD, FRCS (Ped Surg), MCH (Ped Surg), MS (Gen Surg), MBA (1983 Batch) |
| 42 | Ashish Anthony[2] | Founder Director Of Just Dogs, India |
School Anthem
Dare To Be Wise
1. Dare to be wise! Dare to be wise! Within your reach all knowledge lies Count not the cost, nor fear the pain, if great success you wish to gain.
Chorus: Come comrades come! Dare to be wise! Let us all ever prize This great aim of our lives In home and School, in work and play We'll let it shine and guide our way.
2. Dare to be wise! Dare to be wise! This rule in life will make you rise, Hold fast it through storm and strife Thus you will gain the crown of life.
3. Dare to be wise! Dare to be wise! To him who strives there comes the prize But strive must with brain as well if high we wish to reign and dwell.
4. Dare to be wise! Dare to be wise! It is the road to paradise. Avoid the wrong in life be strong And life's reward will come ere long.[8][9][10]
Motto
Sapere Aude which means "Dare to be Wise".
References
- ^ "'Making SFS School co-ed was the biggest change'". The Times of India. 28 August 2011. Archived from the original on 29 June 2013. Retrieved 27 May 2013.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq "SFS School Souvenir – Tradivance". SFS High School.
- ^ "Harish Salve rekindles memories at SFS High School's anniversary prog". The Times of India. 5 January 2025. Retrieved 13 November 2025.
- ^ "Down Memory Lane: Salve advises students to chase dreams". The Hitavada. 4 January 2025. Retrieved 13 November 2025.
- ^ "'Making SFS School co-ed was the biggest change'". The Times of India. 28 August 2011. Archived from the original on 29 June 2013. Retrieved 27 May 2013.
- ^ Nayudu, Chandra (1995). C.K. Nayudu, a Daughter Remembers. Rupa. p. 16. ISBN 978-81-7167-283-7.
- ^ "India's Jimmy Mehta plays a shot as his partner G. Vasant looks on during..." The Hindu Images.
- ^ "SFS School anthem 'Dare to be Wise' feat Fr. Maurice Fernandes and Sir Christopher Alvares". YouTube.
- ^ "Dare To Be Wise: School Anthem S.F.S High School Nagpur". YouTube.
- ^ "Dare to be Wise (SFS School Anthem) in HD". YouTube.
Official Website
The SFS College Nagpur, Official website
Coordinates: 21°9'37"N 79°4'53"E