Walchand College Of Engg. - In Retrospect -3

The College Marches Ahead :
Not withstanding the financial setbacks and hindrances, the College continued to register a steady but definite progress on the academic side and had already made a name for itself under the inspiring leadership of tho first Principal Prof. Gckhale who gave us our motto'Stand erect, look straight and act’.

His successors Principal Kardile, Principal Vartak contributed to a large extent in earning a name for the institution.

The significant landmark of this transitional period is the handing over of the College to the newly constituted Administrative Council. The College had the singular fortune of having as illustrious a person as Shri N. Dandekar as the first Chairman of the Council and as dynamic a psrsonality as Shri V. K. Kelkar, the first Principal in the new set-up. This unique combination of unusual foresight and the ablest leadership were mainly instrumental in shapir g the destiny of this young institution which by new had already made an indelible imprint in the public mind. During this period extending from 1955to ' 967 the College had taken great strides in all the fields including academic excellence and discipline The transference of the affiliation of the College from Poona University to Shivaji University in 1962 was another landmark in the history of this institution.

Towards Fulfilment-:
With the retirement of Shri N. Dandekar and Shri V. K. Kelkar in 1967 the reins were placed in the hands of the eminent industrialist - Seth Lalchand Hirachand and Vice-Principal Shri G. C. Kanitkar. This combination of an in-dustrialist and an educa-tionist also proved to be unique in establishing proper liaison between the industry and educational institu tion which was a long-felt need of the nation.
After this horizontal expansion, the vertical growth was a natural outcome. The College soon started its Postgraduate Cources M. E. in 1964.

The institution had grown and developed into two dimensions but it was only during the tenure of the Principal G. C. Kanitkar that it acquired the third dimension and a new stature. The College was reco-gnised as a Post-Guaduate Teaching and Research Centre by the Government of India in 1971, thanks to the herculean efforts of the Ex-Principal G. C. Kanitkar and as a result the Post-graduate Courses were made stipendary.