Media release

Puttur, Nov 27: Fr Antony Prakash Monteiro from St Philomena College Puttur has been chosen for the prestigious VGST award of this year.

Vision Group on Science and Technology (VGST), Department Of Information Technology, Biotechnology and Science & Technology, Karnataka Government is constituted under the Chairmanship of distinguished scientist Bharat Ratna Prof C N R Rao. The objective of VGST is to encourage and promote Science and Technology education and research in the state. VGST plays a vital role in catalyzing, strengthening educational institutions to meet scientific and technological needs. To accomplish this, VGST is involved in developing, in stages, mechanisms to bring a paradigm shift in the Basic Science Education, research and taking science to the masses through a wide range of initiatives.

Fr Antony Prakash Monteiro

VGST emphasizes for a strong foundation in the pure sciences with prudent investment to reap rich dividends in the future. For the year 2017-18, the VGST has formulated a set of 7 programmes to promote science education and research in the state. Dr Antony Prakash Monteiro, Campus Director of the St Philomena College, Puttur and Chairman for PG Studies & Research has been awarded by VGST in programme ‘VGST Award for Research Publications (ARP) 2017-18’ for his outstanding research publications in Theoretical Particle Physics field. He had published these research articles together with Dr K B Vijaya Kumar, Professor, Mangalore University and Dr Manjunath Bhat, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan, Poland in international journals.

This award seeks to encourage and reward Science, Engineering and Medicine faculty members in Colleges, Universities and research organizations/ Institutes in the State, who have published quality research publications in National & International journals with high impact factor.

Details of the three Research Publications published in high impact factor journals which are considered for this award. These have been published from 01-01-2014 to 07-08-2017.
Journal: Physical Review D

Spectrum and decay properties with coupled channel effects - Antony Prakash Monteiro, Manjunath Bhat and K B Vijaya Kumar.
Journal: International Journal of Modern Physics A (World Scientific)

Mass spectra and decays of ground and orbitally excited states in non relativistic quark model, Antony Prakash Monteiro, Manjunath Bhat and K B Vijaya Kumar.
Journal: International Journal of Modern Physics E (World Scientific)

Effects of coupled channels on $c\bar{b}$ mass and decays in NRQM with OGEP, Manjunath Bhat, Antony Prakash Monteiro and K B Vijaya Kumar, International Journal of Modern Physics.

Dr Antony Prakash Monteiro hails from Shirva, Karnataka born on August 9, 1976. He was graduated from St Philomena College, Puttur with excellent academic track record of fifth rank in B Sc under Mangalore University. He joined M Sc in Physics at Mangalore University and completed with first rank and gold medal. Later he was JRF and SRF in the DST project entitled “Meson spectra in the framework of chiral quark models with instanton induced interaction” from 2007-2010. He obtained his PhD in the topic “The study of meson spectroscopy in the frame work of constituent quark models” from Mangalore University under the supervision of Dr K. B. Vijaya Kumar, Professor, Department of Studies in Physics, Mangalore University.

Dr A P Monteiro obtained Ordination as a Priest on April 25, 2006. Before joining as Campus Director of St Philomena group of institutions, Puttur on June 2011, he has served as Assistant Parish Priest at St Francis Xavier Church, Bejai from June 2006 to May 2007; Parish Priest at Assumption of Our Lady Church, Maria Ashram, Talapady from June 2007 to May 2008 and as Parochial Administrator, Sacred Heart Church, Maril from July 2011 to Aug 2011.

At present, along with the role of Campus Director he is also serving as Chairman of Center for PG Studies and Research, St Philomena College, Puttur since June 2012. He also engages regular teaching in Under Graduate and Post Graduate Department of Physics as Assistant Professor. He has authored various books in Kannada, Konkani and English Languages.

He has immense passion towards teaching and research in Physics, he is actively involved himself in research in Theoretical Particle Physics (Phenomenology). Over the years he has published more than 15 research publications in National and International Journals of repute and presented more than 60 research papers in various seminars and conferences.

Dr A P Monteiro is popularly known as ‘Quiz Priest’ among the Christians of Mangaluru. Till now he has authored five Bible quiz books in three languages (Konkani, Kannada and English). There are five other books in Kannada and English on different subjects that he has authored. Some of his quiz books have seen the light of five editions. All through the year 2009 he conducted ‘Mega Raknno Bible Quiz’ through Raknno Konkani weekly which inspired and persuaded thousands of readers to open every book of the Bible.

Bible study, Physics and especially Quantum Physics are the major interests of Fr Prakash. He is also known for his inspiring talks during seminars, camps and recollections. At present he is also serving as the spiritual director of Jesus Youth in Mangalore.

St Philomena College, Puttur where Dr A P Monteiro works presently was founded by Msgr Antony Patrao who felt that a College in this part of the state would save the people of the inconvenience of moving to distant places for higher education. He set out to realize his dream and the mission was accomplished in the year 1958.

St Philomena College, Puttur

Since its inception, the College has been growing steadily. The quantitative growth has been supplemented by undiluted quality. The College has been imparting higher education to the youth drawn from far and wide. Students are enrolled without discrimination. Msgr Patrao tended the Institution with motherly care. His example was emulated by his successors. Resultantly the College has earned a name by virtue of its disciplined functioning and its achievements in the academic field as well as in the field of sports and games. Based on its infrastructure, learning resources and achievements, the College has been reaccredited by NAAC at “A” Grade. This academic year, 2018-19, the College is celebrating its diamond Jubilee.