MES Abasaheb Garware College B.Sc Review By Pooja Patil

Abasaheb Garware College of Pune affiliated to the Savitribai Phule University of Pune and was established in 1945. Since its early days it has been a forerunner in the fields of Arts and Science Streams of Education. In Pune city it ranks 3rd only after Fergusson College, Pune and S. P. College, Pune. The admission process lately has become digital and a lot simpler, keeping up with the changing times. The Management makes sure that they imbibe latest technology and stay abreast with evolving educational scenarios from time to time. This can be seen in various processes, right from the admission to the selection of candidates, curriculum facilitation and infrastructure. The admission process in itself is simple and transparent based on a student’s merit.

I joined the Abasaheb Garware College, Pune in the science stream, after my 10th Standard at Junior College level for standard 11th, completed my 12th and went on to join the Bachelor of Science Course i.e. B.Sc. They have 5 divisions for 11th Class, with each division of 70-80 students. The course content is in line with the Pune University curriculum and there are competent lecturers and professors teaching all the subjects. I joined as I had great interest in living beings, especially plants, hence, I went on to take up my specialization in Botany. This stream of science majorly with research work, setting up plant nurseries, teaching and a field called ‘Applied Botany’, where it is applied in real life use like manufacturing of herbal cosmetics and alternative medicine, sericulture and apiculture.

While I was in Junior College, I had a separate faculty member for each subject i.e. Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Mathematics, English and Marathi. All the faculty members have their education as per the UGC guidelines and are excellent at their respective subject. Once, I reached Senior College, I had further highly qualified professors, most of them with M.Phil and Ph.D level education. The college itself promotes and encourages its faculty members to pursue and complete their higher education, writing doctorate documents and other research papers. I was fortunate that 4 out of my 6 senior college professors had completed the Ph.D. and a few of them even obtained multiple patents as a result of their valuable research work. Some had published books about their specific research subjects and had been awarded for their contribution the advancement of World of Botany.

As I have mentioned earlier, Botany is a very special branch of Science, which is preferred by very few students due to the unawareness of avenues of spectrum of work and income that it offers to those who wish to either study it further or apply it in their profession. Botany requires for the student to be not only academically strong, but also extremely creative, patient and dedicated to pursue a professional path. Most of the classmates had well placed today with a plethora of occupations. A few went on to study further and research in the fields of medicines and agriculture, a few took up the work that requires immense patience, talent i.e. creating and exhibiting Bonsai plant culture. A couple have their own nurseries in and around Pune and some run their own YouTube channels and blogs regarding plant culture, nurture and benefits etc.

Abasaheb Garware College, Pune has Hostel facilities for outstation students. The admissions to College Hostel are ruled by merit. The separate Girls’ and Boys’ Hostel Buildings can accommodate up to 112 girl students and 135 boy students. The hostels have all necessary facilities like safe drinking water provided through water filters and coolers, hot water for bathing provided by installing solar panels, internet and library. Along with this there is also a recreation room for students for with audio-visual entertainment like watching Television, playing various indoor games like Table Tennis, Carom, chess etc. An in-house medical officer is available for the students. There is one warden and one assistant warden for these hostels. Security is monitored round the clock by 11 CCTV cameras placed at different locations in and around the hostel building.

The College has one main building and a couple of additional buildings like the Circular building and the New building. The Main building is the oldest construction and boasts a historical stone architecture. The classrooms are very spacious with comfortable seating arrangement, podiums for teachers, folding glass-boards and provision for use of Over-head projectors whenever required. The Physics, Chemistry and Biology laboratories situated on their own separate floors are well equipped and well stalked with all necessary instruments and material with comfortable seating arrangement wherever necessary. The botanical garden in the college has many plants of rare species and is a haven to students, birds and butterflies alike. Subsidized food is available at the college canteen. A covered as well as open two-wheeler parking is provided to students within the college premises. A sprawling playground/lawn is faced by the circular building.

Abasaheb Garware College, Pune, has a very positive vibe and an atmosphere most conducive to the intellectual, artistic and overall holistic growth of a youth. The Science stream mostly has aspirants looking for making their carriers as Doctors and Engineers. Others come with a wish to become facilitators as teachers and professors. In addition, there is also a percentage of students who aim at taking up research work and becoming scientists.

The reading room, library, playground etc. are places of learning and sports for fit mind and body. The playground is always alive with sports like volley-ball, basket-ball, athletics and cricket. There is an assembly hall with a large stage and a seating arrangement for 1000 people, for social and cultural activities. Many events of the Annual AAGAM festival, take place over here. Students showcase their artistic and musical talents during this festival. Every year the Students’ Council is organized for the College students.