Mumbai's iconic St Xavier's College is all set to welcome its first non-Christian principal on its 150th anniversary.

Rajendra Shinde, who will take over as the 24th principal of the college will assume charge on September 1. The college is likely to attain a university status this year.

According to a Times of India report, St Xavier's College has had 22 Jesuit priests as principals since inception. The first non-Jesuit principal was Agnelo Menezes whoo took charge in 2015.

No other college across India, be it St Stephen's in Delhi or St Xavier's in Kolkata or the Madras Christian College (MCC) have had non-Christian principals.

Rajesh Shinde, who presently heads the Botany Department, is a resident of Nerul and has been working in the college for the past 35 years. Prior to this, he was the vice-principal between 2011 and 2017.

Shinde was a herbarium curator at the college for almost 10 years since 1983. From 1991 onward, he worked on various academic and non-academic committees at the college.

Shinde, who hails from Nashik moved to Mumbai due to lack of schools in Odha village near Nashik.

He pursued his junior college from St Stanislaus in Mumbai in 1978. In 1983, he joined St Xavier's as herbarium curator completing BSc in Botany. He went on to complete his MSc as well.

“The appointment is a pleasant surprise. By appointing me as principal in its 150th year, the management has sent a strong message of inclusion. A new path has been paved for my colleagues and juniors in the future,” Shinde said.