INDIA: Former Indian president A. P. J. Abdul Kalam today launched a yearlong centennial celebration of Loreto College, a premier educational institution for women in Kolkata. The Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary or Loreto Sisters started the college on Feb. 2, 1912 with 10 students. It now has more than 900 students attending courses in the humanities, social sciences and education. The University Grants Commission, India’s regulatory body that oversees higher education, recognized it as a college with potential for excellence. West Bengal Governor M.K. Narayanan today released a commemorative stamp in honor of Sister Mary Ward (1585-1645), the congregation’s founder. IE13137.1639