Aim of the project: This project will study the socio-historical evolution of ‘Jesuit science’ (scientific activity of Catholic missionaries belonging to the Jesuit Order) in India, after India gained freedom from British rule in 1947. Specifically, the project will examine the nexus between scientific research and the social justice mandate of the Jesuits in the Madurai Province. Need for the project: The engagement of minority religious groups with science in postcolonial India remains largely unexplored. Studying the scientific engagement of Indian Jesuits will serve as a pilot for later explorations of science and Christianity in India. Madurai is relevant because it was the earliest mission station established by the Jesuits in India, after the Vatican restored the Order in 1814. Madurai has produced the largest number of Jesuit scientists in India. The period 1952-2019 is relevant because the Madurai Province was established in 1952 and bifurcated into two provinces –