Walchand College Of Engg. - In Retrospect -2

The College Comes of Age and is Renamed :

In coming of age, the Colige had to undergo a series of ordeals and trials. The pressing financial need weighing heavily on the minds of the men at the helm of the institution was coupled with an urgent need for immediate dovelopment and expan-sion of laboratory, library and workshop facilities.

These were further aggravated by an ever increasing demand for admission into this College by a large number of deserving students. The only alternatives left before these men were to approach the government or some philanthropic institution or individuals for substantial help or to close down. Fortunately their efforts bore fruit and the Walchand Hirachand Trust came forward at this juncture. But for the generosity, the timely and substaintial financial support rendered by the Walchand Hirachand Trust, this growing plant would have stunted or long lost into oblivion. These men have always been at the fore-front in helping the needy educational institu-tions. But in helping this institution at this crucial stage, the Walchand Trust evinced not only a rare insight into the problems and needs of a developing nation but a keen sense of stubborn patriotism and an urge for selfless service in the cause of humanity. It was, therefore, In the fitness of things that the New Engineering College was renamed as ' The Walchand College of Engineering ' in Oct, 1055 at the auspici-ous hands of Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, the then Vice President of India.

This was not only a ceremonial renaming but it was a major break through in diversification and expansion While the pre 1955 College had only Civil wing comprising 170 students, the Walchand CoIlege after 1955 acquired new dimensions in the form of Mechanical & Electrical wings along with the incep-tion of Diploma Courses in Civil, Mech. & Electrical Engineering, each consisting of 60 students making a voluminous total of 360 intake in all.