Walchand College Of Engg. - In Retrospect - 4

The imposing exterior and still more imposing interior of this great institution have carved out a name for itself on the technological map of India and this College is today looked upon as the main hinterland and perennial source providing highly skilled and superbly qualified technical personnel and expert advice to the country in general and to this region in particular.

The College was developing but the world was developing at a faster pace. We could not remain silent spectators to these outside changes around us. Wide-spread use of Electronics in industry prompted us to introduce Industrial Electronics as a speci .11 stream in 1972 at polytechnic level.

The present number of students on roll being over 1700 the College has uptill now brought out 5239 Engineers 8- over 3000 Diploma holders who are occupying prestigious and responsible positions in various technological fields in and out of India, While there are more than a score of Chief Engineers Et Directors, 10 are Supdt. Engineers, seven score and Ten are Executive Engineers, a thousand are self employed small enterpreneurs and about 500 occupy key-positions in industry.

Concurrently the brilliant architects of the above achievements were acquiring more and better qualifications by way of experience in carrying out several projects financed by University Grants Comm-ission, Council of Scientific Et Industrial Research, Allivaji University and by various iddustries in and around Sangli. This went a long way in getting us the recognition as Post-graduete Teeching Et Research Foundation in our Campus.

But for the well-timed magnanimity of The Walchand Trust, the idea could have remained only a dream. Our humble contribution to Silver Jubilee Colection was largely substantiated by the Walchand Trust which together resulted in establishment of Seth Gulabchand Research Foundation, having a Corpus of about 6 lakhs, the interest thereof serving as running fund for Research Development import substitution projects.

This interior development was duly associated by the exterior development in the form of gardening activity providing a new face-lift to the environmental aesthetics-thanks to the keen insight of then Principal G. C. Kanitkar.

Individuals retire but the spirit continues. After Principal G. C. Kanitkar, Prof S. D. Phatak took over the charge in 1975. The greatest achivement of his period was the strenuous task of getting revised the Grant-in-aid formula, thus surmounting the iinancial difficulties menacing the smooth running of the insti-tution. At the same time, at the suggestion of the Government, the College was bifurcated in two wings Degree and Diploma The Diploma wing in now look-ed alter by Vice-Principal H. U. Kulkarni However, soon after, Prof S. D. Phatak relinquished the charge on account of ill-health in 1978.

A brilliant past-student, a renowned and popular teacher Dr. P. A. Kulkarni of this College assumed the charge of Principalship in 1978. A rare dynamism associated with a sense of developmental foresight, a perfect master of human relations are the unfailing qualities of our present Principal. Building activities like Ladies Hostel, Library, Bank are some of the highlights of his career. On the academic front Shivaji University has granted Ph. D. recognition and allowed enrollment of the students in this college for Ph. D. degree recently. But the establishment of the Computer-centre at the campus has been greatest land-mark establishing a rapport between this institution and the industrial community. We are looking forward to getting ahead towards the goal of being the first-rate technological institution in India under the guidance of this youngest ever Principal.

This is only an humble attempt at presenting a keyhole gl(mpse of the vast panorama of the significant highlights of this great institution.