Tryst with MLDC

Our college is celebrating its Golden Jubilee. Completion of 50 years by an institution is a moment of satisfaction though not of complacence. Similarly, it is also a moment of pride to all persons who are or were associated with the institution.

Out of these fifty years, my association with the college in various capacities has been for over forty years. Initially for 27 years I worked as a teaching staff member. Next 3 years I worked as a Principal of the college. After retirement from the college service, I continued to be associated with college in connection with the work regarding its alumni. Throughout this period, I am fully satisfied while carrying out my duties. There are many instances of such satisfaction. I cannot resist my temptation to share two of such instances which immediately come to my mind.

1 Working as professor in charge of the college co-operative stores : For some years, I was in charge of this activity. I always felt that this provides a good opportunity to the students, particularly of the commerce college, for application of their academic knowledge in practical life. Students used to enthusiastically participate in various activities, such as a) Buying and selling of books and stationery, b) Marinating financial accounts including quantitative stock records, c) Conducting meeting and writing the minutes and d) participating in exhibitions.
Due to the constraints of the time, money and other resources, the volume of activities used to be moderate. Perhaps due to the same reason, my dream of declaring dividend to all the students out of the profits of the stores remained unfulfilled. However, I used to enjoy the interaction with the students.
At the end of one academic year the committee members of that year presented to me a greeting card expressing their satisfaction and gratitude while availing of this opportunity. I was moved by this gesture and preserved that card with me.

2 Counseling a student for the mutual benefit : During admission period, it was quite common to receive some applications for cancellation of the admission. This was during the time, when I was the Principal. While signing other papers as sanctioning authority, I came across one application from a student who passed her XII standard exam from our college. She did not want to continue her admission in our college for her further studies.
Hence, she applied for ‘No Objection Certificate and Leaving Certificate’ from the college. To me, the name and handwriting of the student seemed to be familiar. So I did not sanction the application in a routine manner but instead I called student in my cabin. She was the merit student in HSC board list and was topping the list of successful students from our college. When I asked her about the reasons for quitting the college, she told that she wanted to complete her graduation by joining the Distant Education Programme ( Correspondence Course ). She thought that the time and energy saved in the process can be better utilized to her advantage.
I told her that it is wrong to think that the time and energy spent in continuing the college is less important . In fact apart from better academic learning, this would provide her good opportunity for developing her personality by participating in co curricular and extra-curricular activities. This would be quite helpful to her in the long run, especially considering her potentials. I also assured her all possible co-operation from our side. I advised her to call her parents. Fortunately, she and her parents were convinced and she continued her studies in our college. In the process, both the student – Ms. Mruga Dhanvatkar and the college are immensely benefited. This is because she has proved herself to be an outstanding student not only in the college, but also in Mumbai University.

Working for Alumni Association :
As principal of this college I attended one seminar, the theme of which was ‘Financing Higher Education’. This was the time when the government found it difficult to subsidise the cost of higher education and it almost stopped giving the non salary grants. In the seminar, various remedies were discussed. Principal of one of the leading colleges mentioned that they could tide over the difficulty with the help of their alumni association. This triggered in my mind the thought of forming such association in our college. I shared this thought with some of our past students. To my pleasant surprise the idea was well received and responded by many past students I must appreciate and recongnise the efforts put in by the entire team of our association in general. However special names which immediately come to my mind are Shri Arun Phadke, Shri Shreenivas Gogate, Shri Vinay Jog, Shri Subhash Saraf, Shri Hemant Vidwans, Shri Ravindra Dhavale, Shri Madhav Jambhekar and last but not the least two lady members Shrimati Alka Naik and Shrimati Charu Joshi.
Though I did not receive any formal education in this college, I have learnt a lot in the college from the management, from the members of the teaching and non teaching staff and even from students. Hence, in the broader sense, I consider myself as a student of this college and have opted to be member of the association. Some other members of the staff ( present & past ) have also become the members of the association.

Apart from the remuneration received for my service, the college has given me the pleasure of the company of good students, staff and management. For me it was like ‘Satsang’. I also received the honour and respect which is attached to the post of ‘Principal’. I feel indebted to the college for all these benefits. This feeling of gratitude has been one of the sources of inspiration for me to work for the Alumni Association.

Running an educational institution in a successful and effective manner, in the present days is quite a challenging task.

The major factors which pose the challenges are :

• Increasing competition from other institutions
• Maintaining ethical standards
• Financing of ever rising cost while complying with the applicable rules, regulations and government policies.

Hence, it requires a broad based set up of resourceful persons with sense of responsibility and devotion. Apart from good management and staff members, if the past students come forward and offer their help, the goal would become smoothly achievable.

On this background, in the year 2001, MLDC Alumni Association was formed and registered as a Public Charitable Trust under Bombay Public Trust Act. It is also registered under Income Tax Act and is holding certificate under section 80 G of that Act, enabling the donor to claim the prescribed deductions from his/her taxable income.

The progress of the Association is satisfactory. The activities carried out are in the nature of

• Sponsoring academic prizes,
• Sponsoring of cultural & sports activities of students,
• Organizing essay competitions, elocution competitions
• Offering career counseling to the students
• Providing placement services
• Financing for acquiring and installing of the equipments or gadgets in the college for the benefit of the students.

Over and above this, periodically events like get-to-gather of members, picnic, felicitating the members for their special achievements are organized.

The members of the association have been actively and selflessly working for the Association. With the efforts of such students, the Alumni Association has been providing the possible support to the management. The latest instance of such support is regarding compilation of the information about the ‘Glorious Past’ of the college in the magazine for the Golden Jubilee celebration and other related events.

Apart from imparting the education, for many students, our college might have been instrumental in getting many things such as : a) Life partner, b) Business or Professional partner, c) Good friends, d) Good teachers, e) Good platform to present their skills in elocution, singing & dramatics, f) Job opportunities.

Many past students of our college are well settled in life, both financially and socially, and have excelled in various fields. I think Alumni Association provides good opportunity for such students, having the sense of gratitude towards the college to redeem their debts to the college and in a way to the society at large.

In advanced countries there have been many instances of the alumni members contributing substantial part of their estate for the benefit of the institution in which they studied. Even in India we know the names of famous persons like Sri Narayan Murthy, Aziz Premji who have contributed substantial amounts for such cause.

Similarly, the Dahanukarites cannot forget the name of a leading industrialist from Vile Parle. Shri Deepak Ghaisas, who contributed for the entire cost of construction of the newly built up auditorium in our college in name of his father late Shri Keshavrao Ghaisas, who was a student of our college.

We are aware that the goodwill and reputation of the college and its alumni is linked with each others. So let us strive to the best of our ability, to make value addition to such goodwill and reputation.

- By Shri P. G. Oak
Ex - Principle