Established in 2006-2007, under the able, dynamic leadership of Hon’ble Late Shri P.N. Dharkar, Konkan Gyanpeeth Rahul Dharkar College of Pharmacy and Research Institute (KGRDCP & RI) is one of the promising Pharmacy colleges in the country today. The visionary and an eminent educationist had a calling to provide education to socio-economically weak and rural students. Today, the college has grown tremendously, with students from diverse backgrounds sharing ideas and creating new solutions to age-old problems.
The college has one vision: to create competent Pharmacy professionals through quality education. In their pursuance of this vision, Konkan Gyanpeeth Rahul Dharkar College of Pharmacy and Research Institute aims to excel in the field of pharmacy education and research by providing good governance, best teaching & learning practices, nurturing competent Pharmacy professionals for industry, academic & research and contributing in healthcare to ensure the wellbeing of mankind. Their goal is to impart a high standard of education to students by providing well-qualified faculty & state-of-art instruments and equipment. “Our focus is on our Vision and Mission for 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 and 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.
With this vision, KGRDCP & RI offers undergraduate courses in pharmacy (B. Pharm:100 seats) and a 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.
Cutting-Edge Resources for Students
KGRDCP & RI has well-equipped laboratories, sophisticated instruments, internet facilities, a language laboratory, ICT-enabled classrooms, and a digital library with a massive collection of books. The faculty comprises 34 experienced teachers, including six doctorates and 19 postgraduates, of which 9 are pursuing Ph.D. Until now, KGRDCP & RI has produced more than 800 graduate students, the majority pursuing higher studies or doing their Ph.D. in the field of pharmacy or management in India and abroad. “We always have 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, quizzes, 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 interviews and maintained an outstanding track record of placing graduates in the leading pharmaceutical industries. I feel proud to share the success stories of passed-out students placed in reputed multinational industries and academics. 70% of the students were placed in Wockhardt Limited, Sun Pharma Advanced Research Company Ltd., Alembic Pharmaceuticals, Cipla, Cognizant Technologies Solutions, GSK Pharmaceuticals, GeBBS Healthcare Solutions, IQVIA, Sun Pharmaceutical Industries, Indoco Remedies, Zyvion, Medplus, Fredun Pharma and IKS Pharma Pharmacist, TCS and many more reputed leading companies with respectable package. At the same time, many have become entrepreneurs and run their own firms successfully,” states Dr. Mohan Kale.
In Concert with the Industry
KGRDCP & RI continuously challenges itself to innovate as they go. By constantly improving their methods and syllabus to stay current with the times and create new solutions in the use of medicines and health technologies over the next 20 years. The best curricular teams are full of thinkers who begin with the end in mind and then work methodically to forecast, plan, and design for the future. Because of COVID-19, many universities have transitioned to emergency remote delivery of courses (i.e., primarily online and with no face-to-face interactions). At KGRDCP & RI, they were fortunate in some aspects to achieve remote delivery. The college had recently undergone a curriculum transformation that included increased active learning, a focus on skill development, more experiential placements, and a required research project. Also, students would experience similar formats, technologies, and expectations across their classes.
After considering each element of their curriculum, the college agreed on a consistent approach for how it would be delivered online. After prioritizing consistency, KGRDCP adapted a sustainability mindset, promoting a “reduce, reuse, recycle, and renew” approach. “We reduced content as per the University guidelines, learning objectives, and synchronous learning requirements. We assumed that students could acquire knowledge through online platforms. We reused previous lecture recordings, assessments, and learning materials. When still relevant, instructors reformatted recorded lectures from the previous year. Teachers recycled previously created assessments and material for student remediation and self-study,” Dr. Mohan explains.
Under the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) Government of India, KGRDCP & RI established the Institute Innovation council cell in September 2018 to foster the culture of innovation and entrepreneurship among students. Similarly, the college received four stars as an appreciation for conducting programs. “In association with “Make Intern” and Shastra 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 a “Certificate of Excellence” for being the Zonal Centre for the workshop by Shastra 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 scientific journals with good impact factor by students which help them to develop their writing skills,” shares Dr. Mohan Kale. KGRDCP & RI has received 14 research grants, 5 seminar grants, 3 laboratory up-gradation, i.e., MODROBs, and a 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 2020 and 2021, KGRDCP & RI was awarded Best Pharmacy college in Maharashtra for Industry Interface by the Centre for Education Growth and Research (CEGR). Also, Dr. Mohan Kale Principal was awarded by CEGR for Principal of the Year and the ICONIC Principal Award by FAMA.
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,” Dr. Mohan shares. In 2020-21, KGRDCP & RI virtually signed MoU with the Athlon Institute of Technology, Ireland, for higher education, faculty exchange, and research to broaden the perspectives of next-generation pharmacy students and empower them to communicate, negotiate and collaborate across the world.
With a tradition of imparting quality education, the institute actively engages in its mission of extending the frontiers of education beyond simple classroom teaching. The institute is affiliated with the University of Mumbai and follows the curriculum they specified. The course structure of the curriculum directly or indirectly fulfills the community’s needs and develops the professional skills; enhances the thrust in research or emerging areas and creativity in students. “The faculty members of KGRDCP & RI are on their toes to interact with industry, research bodies, and civil society. The curriculum throws light on various emerging trends in the global pharmaceutical sector. The institute conducts various skill-oriented programs to help the students discover self-potential, develop their hidden capabilities, and help them decide career options after graduation,” says Dr. Mohan. Soft skill enhancement courses and computer literacy for the students are helpful for multi-skill development, including professional skills and competencies. The college regularly conducts workshops, seminars, and guest lecturers with eminent experts as invited speakers to keep the students abreast with recent developments in the pharmacy profession and upgrade their knowledge.
The learning never stops at KGRDCP & RI. Professional educational requirements provide the foundation for building the capabilities of professionals. The breadth and depth of preparation, perhaps more than any other factor, enables or limits the extent to which professional students are able to accept personal responsibility for their education and, consequently, their potential as health care providers.
The institute has well-framed student support and mentoring system to counsel and encourage them to participate in various activities. Students are encouraged to participate in sports competitions as well as cultural events. The institute has constituted a student council as per University of Mumbai guidelines. The students are represented in various committees like Anti-ragging, Alumni, International student cell, Cultural, Sports, grievance redressal & sexual harassment committee/Women internal compliant committee/Mahilatakararnivaran Samiti, SC/ST Committee, Minority Committee. The information regarding curricular, extracurricular, and co-curricular activities, training, and placement activity of the institute is available online on the website.
The institute also provides guidance to students regarding future prospective and competitive exam preparation. The institute has formed an Alumni Association, and our alumni are employed in India and abroad. The institute runs various development programs for students, such as Soft skill development, Yoga and meditation, Employability skill development, Analytical skill development, Personality, and professional development. The students are inspired to participate in conferences and technical events on and off-campus to present their research and innovative thinking.
The Beacons of Quality Education
“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. The institute’s faculty members are invited as speakers and examiners for various programs across India. Every year, faculty members of KGRDCP & RI receive funds from multiple research grants for professional and academic expertise to groom the faculties and students.
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 a “Certificate of Appreciation” for its significant contribution to the “One student one tree” initiative 2019 by the hands of AICTE chairman Dr. Prof Anil Sahasrabudhe.
The faculty members at KGRDCP & RI use active learning techniques to engage students and encourage innovation and creativity. They create games and use concept maps, songs, and study guides. The faculty members also share their ideas for incorporating more active learning into their teaching, including providing interaction with a high percentage of class time with hands-on and problem-solving opportunities, allowing students to create a few questions for an upcoming exam. These kinds of collaborative conversations encourage an atmosphere of safety and the ability to take risks.
There is the provision of a mentor/counselor for each student to provide academic, personal, and psychosocial guidance. The students are engaged in various research activities to create a culture of instilling and nurturing creativity and scientific temper among the learners in the form of “Pharm Fiesta” conducted annually. The institute has a mechanism to evaluate teachers’ performance through feedback from students. The faculty appointment is through the staff selection committee appointed as per the norms of the University. The institute promotes and encourages faculty members to attend various professional development programs.
Encouraging the Pursuit of Pharma
KGRDCP & RI understands that achieving the best pharmacy education requires financial support for aspirant candidates. So, it provides scholarships to prospective students with several trusts and government-sanctioned provisions. Some of them are Central Sector Scholarship (Pune), Pragati Scholarship (only), Minority Scholarship, Rajarshi Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj Shikshan Shulk Shishyavrutti Yojana, Dr. Panjabrao Deshmukh Vasatigruh Nirvaha Bhatta Yojana, Dr. Babasaheb Aambedkar Swadhar Nirvaha Bhatta Yojana, and Tata Trust. These will provide scholarships to take care of prospective students and students under education Scholarship Schemes for Diploma in Pharmacy and Degree in Pharmacy. Various Scholarships are provided by Govt. of Maharashtra / AICTE / DTE and private organizations.
Moving forward
The pandemic and consequent lockdown have severely impacted various sectors and businesses. “During the lockdown, we were working hard at all levels to take control of the situation and minimize its impact,” adds Dr. Mohan Kale. To minimize the deficiency of masks and sanitizers during this pandemic, KGRDCP & RI students formulated sanitizers, made masks under the staff’s guidance, and distributed them to needy people in Karjat and nearby areas. The start-up and innovation center of KGRDCP & RI conducted an online COVID-19 Hackathon with a good response from students all over India. In addition, to build an entrepreneurial ecosystem and sharpen the young minds, KGRDCP & RI has conducted five global webinar series titled “Global Pharmaceutical Entrepreneurship, Career, and Start-up 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 profiles, and valuable insights from experts. Additionally, the college conducted many brainstorming online competitions like Article writing, Assay writing, poster making, Quiz, Drawing, and Handwriting competitions during the lockdown period,” says Dr. Mohan.
On the flipside, to enhance gender equality and motivate young girls to recognize their hidden talents, the institute arranged an ‘Online Women Empowerment Summit’ with well-known speakers from different subject areas. To cope with this massive global health crisis, the management and staff provided social support to the poor, needy, and migrants in the form of food and other basic requirements. Today, KGRDCP & RI has well-drafted plans about the milestones they want to achieve in the coming years. “We would be setting up a Research Institute with well-equipped innovation, incubation, and start-up center to create the innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem in the college. To enhance the industry-institute relationship and widen the students’ industrial exposure, there are plans to create a water and food testing lab, analytical lab, pilot plant, and food and chemical testing laboratories which would certainly uplift the college to a higher level,” Dr. Mohan shares. In addition, the college plans to expand its course offerings by starting M. Pharm, MBA, and Ph.D. courses. In a nutshell, KGRDCP & RI Karjat is a student-centric college and a center 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.
For more info: https://kgrdcp.com/