1964-1968 During the bishopric of Eber Priestley as Bishop - in - Medak, Sugandhar was admitted in 1963 as a ministerial candidate of the Diocese of Medak and a year later, was sent for ministerial formation in 1964 to the United Theological College, Bangalore, an affiliated institution of the Senate of Serampore College (University). Sugandhar underwent a four-year spiritual formation at the seminary in Karnataka which was then headed by the Systematic Theologian Joshua Russell Chandran and was taught by notable faculty that comprised the Religions Scholar, S. J. Samartha, the Church Historian V. C. Samuel, the Old Testament Scholars, Samuel Amirtham and E. C. John and others. Among Sugandhar's senior companions studying during that period were A. P. Nirmal, CNI, R. Yesurathnam, CSI, G. T. Abraham, CSI, S. Wesley Ariarajah, MCSL, Dhyanchand Carr, CSI, Philipose Mar Eusebius, MOSC, among others who contributed much to the Christian ministry in India and elsewhere and other companions comprised R. S. Sugirtharajah, D. James Srinivasan, CSI, S. D. L. Alagodi, CSI, Godwin Shiri, CSI, C. B. M. Frederick, CSI, S. J. Theodore, CSI, Arunkumar Wesley, CSI, H. S. Wilson, CSI, Basil Rebera and others. By this time, the postgraduate course of the college had an increasing uptake with a number of enrollments growing up which saw thoroughbred Scholars joining the course leading to Master of Theology in which, Kallarakkal Abraham George, MOSC and Mar Aprem Mooken, ACE, enrolled and specialized in Old Testament and Church History respectively. It was during his seminary studies at the UTC, Bangalore that Sugandhar came across co-students from other Church backgrounds that included not only the Protestant, Orthodox and Indigenous traditions, but also the Catholic (Latin rite) when the Franciscan Friar J. A. G. Gerwin van Leeuwen, OFM also began studying at the UTC, Bangalore during 1966–1968, which later enabled Sugandhar to relate to other Churches within Christianity and also participate in a Pontifical council in 2000. University convocation: 1969 As an aspirant of the Diocese of Medak, Sugandhar underwent Spiritual formation at the United Theological College, Bangalore, affiliated to India's first University, the Senate of Serampore College (University) {a University under Section 2 (f) of the University Grants Commission Act, 1956}with degree-granting authority validated by a Danish Charter and ratified by the Government of West Bengal. In 1968, Sugandhar completed his ministerial formation period and subsequently in the year 1969, the Senate of Serampore College (University), then