Konkan Gyanpeeth Rahul Dharkar College of Pharmacy and Research Institute (KGRDCP & RI) was established in 2006-2007 under the able, dynamic leadership of Hon’ble Late Shri P.N. Dharkar a visionary and an eminent educationist to provide education to socio-economic weaker and rural students. KGRDCP & RI offers undergraduate course in pharmacy (B. Pharm:100 seats) and Diploma in Pharmacy (60 seats). The college is NAAC accredited, and both the pharmacy programs are approved by “All India Council of Technical Education” (AICTE) and Pharmacy Council of India (PCI), Govt of MS, DTE, and B.Pharm affiliated to University of Mumbai and D.Pharm to MSBTE. KGRDCP & RI has well-equipped laboratories, sophisticated instruments, internet facilities, language laboratory, ICT enabled classrooms and a digital library with a massive collection of books. The faculty comprises of 25 eminent experienced teachers including six doctorates and 19 postgraduates of which 7 are pursuing PhD. “Our focus is on grooming the students with quality objective-based education and student-centric learning for accomplishing the vision to create a competent pharmacy professional. We offer good governance, the best teaching and learning practices to students throughout the course,” says Dr Mohan Kale, Principal, Konkan Gyanpeeth Rahul Dharkar College of Pharmacy and Research Institute.
Till now, KGRDCP & RI has produced more than 700 graduate students. Majority of its alumni members are now perusing higher studies or doing PhD in the field of pharmacy or management in India and abroad. “We have always focused on students intellectual and social growth. To continually assess and assure the quality of education imparted to the students and to motivate them regularly, we regularly organize assessments, quiz, seminars, conferences, and workshops on the national and international level,” shares Dr Mohan Kale. The institute has consistently proved its preeminence in organizing brain booster sessions among all other colleges of Mumbai University. Apart from this, career and entrepreneurship development programs, guidance for higher education (GPAT, GRE, IELTS) and industrial visits are arranged for students to update their knowledge from time to time. “Our placement cell has always worked effortlessly for arranging campus interview and maintained an outstanding track record of placing graduate in the leading pharmaceutical industries. I feel proud to share the success stories of passed out students who are placed in reputed multinational industries, academics while many have become an entrepreneur and runs their own firms successfully,” states Dr Mohan Kale.
A Socially Committed Campus
Along with academic development, KGRDCP & RI emphasizes on the social development of students which is fulfilled through implementation of best practices like medical shop counselling under the professional activity of “KG Sanjeevani Continuous Learning Process” for gap filling and guiding the students on the curriculum. “We have also been selected under the Prime Minister’s “Unnat Bharat Abhiyan flagship program” of the ministry of MHRD Govt. of India to bring transformational changes in rural India,” claims Dr Mohan Kale. Under this program, KGRDCP & RI has adopted five villages from Karjat district and has served them with various social activities like Madhav Baug’s cardiac free health check-up camp, Blood donation camps, Apollo hospital and Bharati Vidyapeeth Dental College free check-up camps.
KGRDCP & RI also organizes short courses in topics like Frontline Health Worker, Diabetes Educator, Pharmacy Assistance under the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) launched by the government. Through PMKVY, the institute offers free skill development training to the deprived and needy students in different sectors in the society. “This skill certification aims to facilitate and mobilize a large population of Indian youth to take up skill training and become employable and earn their livelihood,” adds Dr Mohan Kale.
Actively Looking for Innovations
Under the able guidance of Ministry of Human Resource Development, (MHRD) Government of India, KGRDCP & RI has established ‘Institute Innovation council’ cell in September 2018 to foster the culture of innovation and entrepreneurship among students. “In association with “Make Intern” and Shasta IIT Madras, we conducted a one-week workshop on skill development program on medical devices to inculcate the research skills in our students,” shares Dr Mohan Kale. The college was awarded “Certificate of Excellence” for being Zonal centre for the workshop by Shasta 2019-20 IIT Madras event.
“Along with the curriculum, our students also work meticulously on small research projects under the guidance of teachers. This research work is also published in good scientific journals by students which help them to develop their writing skills,” pinpoints Dr Mohan Kale. KGRDCP & RI has received 14 research grants, 5 seminar grants, 3 laboratories up-gradation, i.e. MODROBs and few grants for social causes awareness, faculty development and skill development grants from various national bodies like AICTE, SERB, DBT, University of Mumbai, ICMR with a total outlay of nearly 100 lakhs. In 2019, KGRDCP & RI was awarded Best Pharmacy college in Maharashtra for Industry Interface by the Centre for Education Growth and Research (CEGR).
Indeed, KGRDCP & RI has signed several MoUs with Industries, hospitals, pathology labs, and academies. These collaborations have benefited students, as they get industrial exposure and opportunities to work on industry projects. “Our students actively participate in Inter-University Research competition, poster presentation competition and also other activities like Life, personality and communication skills development program, Wellness & Health awareness program in association with Madhavbaug hospital, Women empowerment summit, Yoga and Fitness camp, Green campus, intercollegiate events like Rx Festival. The non-teaching staff is also involved in various training programs like basics of computer, fire safety, chemicals safety and many more,” shares Dr Mohan Kale. In 2019, KGRDCP & RI, in collaboration with the University of Mumbai – Western Regional Instrumentation Center (WRIC) arranged a one-week national workshop on maintenance and operation of laboratory equipment. Laboratory assistants and attendants from various colleges actively participated in the training program.
An Experienced Pool of Faculty Members
“Faculty members are the pillars of our institution. Their knowledge up-gradation plays a key role in the success ladder of the institute,” pinpoints Dr Mohan Kale. Last year, KGRDCP & RI conducted two Faculty Development Programmes; First, was AICTE funded on the topic “Research in cancer drug development” and another online FDP on “Pharmaceutical product development- Challenges and opportunities” with the eminent and knowledgeable speakers invited from all over India. The institute’s faculty members are also invited as speakers and examiners for various programs across India. Every year, faculty members of KGRDCP & RI receive funds from multiple research grants like All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), University Grants Commission (UGC), Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and Science and Engineering Research Board. Dr Mohan Kale with his 36 years of professional and academic expertise grooms the faculties as well as students to be updated and ready for the industries and pharmacy profession.
Besides, on the occasion of world environmental day, more than 2000 plants were planted by KGRDCP & RI staff and students with great enthusiasm. For that, the institute was awarded “Certificate of Appreciation” for the significant contribution in “One student one tree” initiative 2019 by the hands of AICTE chairman Dr Prof Anil Sahasrabudhe. “During the lockdown too, all faculty members have completed online FDP on “Effective use of ICT tools in Teaching and Learning” to update and prepare themselves for online teaching,” says Dr Mohan Kale. At KGRDCP & RI, teachers are now conducting online classes since June 2020 for all the students.
Together in a Fight Against the Pandemic
“The entire globe is affected and impacted by COVID-19 crisis, and the health care sector is ill-equipped to tackle the pandemic. Minute organisms have created mega problems,” says Dr Mohan Kale. The pandemic and consequent lockdown have severely impacted various sectors and business such as MSME sector, transportation, entertainment, educational, civil aviation, agricultural and all allied small- and large-scale companies. “During this lockdown, we are working hard at all levels to take control of the situation and minimize its impact,” adds Dr Mohan Kale. To minimize the deficiency of mask and sanitizer in this pandemic situation, KGRDCP & RI students formulated sanitizers and made masks under the guidance of staff and distributed them to needy people in Karjat and nearby areas.
The start-up and innovation centre of KGRDCP & RI recently conducted online COVID-19 Hackathon 2020 with good response from students all over India. In addition to that, to build an entrepreneurial ecosystem and to sharpen the young minds, KGRDCP & RI has conducted five global webinar series titled “Global Pharmaceutical Entrepreneurship, Career and Startup Development Online Webinar Series” in the unprecedented period of COVID-19. “Our students got the opportunity to know the nitty-gritty of pharmaceutical industries, qualities required for various job profile and got valuable insights from experts. Additionally, many brainstorming online competitions like Article writing, Assay writing, poster making, Quiz, Drawing, Handwriting competition were conducted by the college during the lockdown period,” says Dr Mohan Kale. On the flipside, to enhance gender equality and motivate young girls to recognize their hidden talents, the institute arranged “Online Women Empowerment Summit 2020” with well-known speakers from different subject areas. “To cope up with this massive global health crisis, the management and staff have provided social support to poor, needy and also to migrants in the form of food and other basic requirements,” adds Dr Mohan Kale.
Today, KGRDCP & RI has well-drafted plans about the milestones that they want to achieve in the coming years. Dr Mohan Kale explains, “We would be setting up a Research Institute with well-equipped innovation, incubation and start-up centre to create the ecosystem of innovation and entrepreneurship in the college. To enhance the industry-institute relationship and to widen the students’ industrial exposure, there are plans for creating water and food testing lab, analytical lab, pilot plant, food and chemical testing laboratories which would certainly uplift the college to a higher level.” In addition to that, the college plans to expand its course offerings by starting M. Pharm, MBA, and PhD course. In a nutshell, KGRDCP & RI Karjat is a student-centric college and a centre of excellence in pharmacy education. “With a commitment to creating competent pharmacy professionals, we will eternally drive the knowledge-sharing platform to uplift the pharmacy profession in India to make our nation the best in healthcare,” concludes Dr Mohan Kale.