History of APS

Maharashtra Technical Education Society started an engineering college in the year 1947 named as New Engineering College, which was renamed as Walchand College of Engineering in the year 1955. This College was completing 25 years in the 1972 and Silver jubilee of the College was to be celebrated. But the institute had no contacts with the past students. Hence Prin. Kanitkar suggested to have an association of the past students. The responsibility to form past students association was taken by Dr. P. A. Kulkarni, Prof. H. U. Kulkarni, Prof. S. S. Malu, Prof. L. G. Gole and Prof. V. M. Diwan from college and Mrs. Prabha Kulkarni and P. I. Parikh from Sangli. Dr. P. A. Kulkarni was selected to pursue his studies for Ph.D. at I.I.T. Madras and hence he left for Madras. The other member of the association formed the Managing Body as follows.

This managing body discussed the rules and regulations of the Association and a constitution was framed. The Head office was at W. C. E. Sangli and meetings of the past students at Sangli, Kolhapur, Pune, Mumbai and Solapur were called to form local centres at these places, and local Committees were also formed. Wide publicity was also given for the membership of the Association.

In the year 1974, Silver Jubilee of the college was celebrated. During these celebrations, one day was observed as the Past Students Day. Official opening of the Past student Association was done at the hands of Ex. Prin. V. K. Kelkar as the Chief Guest and Shri. Lalchand Hirachand, chairman of the administrative council of college was incharge About 300 past students were present on that day. A get together of the past students was arranged in the afternoon after lunch and a very nice entertainment programme by the past students was arranged, which lasted for about 5 hours, from 9.30 pm to 2.30 am. All the past and present students, and staff members with their families enjoyed the programme. A photograph of the past students with Prin. Kelkar and Seth Walchand Hirachand was also taken.

As Prof. H. U. Kulkarni had worked as President for 3 years, he desired to retire and Prof. S. S. Malu was elected as President with Prof. S. G. Kanitkar as secretary and Prof. V. M. Diwan as treasurer.

In the year 1990, Prof. V. M. Diwan was elected as President. Considering the golden jubilee celebrations of the college, which were to take place in the year 1997, a meeting of all the past students was called by Prin. Dr. P. A. Kulkarni to boost the activities of the association. All the past students stressed Prof. H. U. Kulkarni to take the responsibility of the association. The following body was elected as governing body.

It was also decided in the meeting to get the constitution registered in the Charity Commissioner's office and the association should get 80 G. certificate from income tax dept. Prof. H. U. Kulkarni collected the copy of Alumni association of College of Engg., Pune and discussed the same with all the members of the governing body. Instead of making number of modifications in the previous informal constitution, the governing body thought to frame a broad based constitution of the association on the basis of the alumni association of the College of Engineering, Pune. The governing body framed the draft of the constitution and obtained the advice from the leading chartered accountant Shri. R. J. Kulkarni. As per his advice the new constitution with new name as Association of Past Students of Walchand College of Engineering was registered with the registrar of societies and charity commissioner. Shri. R. J. Kulkarni, helped the association in getting 80 G certificate from the income tax department.

After working for about one year Prof. H. U. Kulkarni expressed the desire to retire and proposed the name of Prof. J. P. Patankar for the president ship, which was accepted by the governing body. This body worked for about 4 years.

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