Origin of Vidyalankar and its rich academic heritage :-

Endowed with a gift of good academic career, C. S. Deshpande completed his Inter Science Examination in 1950 from Willingdon College, Sangli with a spectacular performance by standing FIRST in the University, winning all the University prizes and scholarships in all the subjects and creating records in Mathematics and in Aggregate total marks.(The 2nd rank student was behind him by as many as 70 marks i.e. by 10%).

After completing his B.E. (Electronics and Telecommunications) from the College of Engineering, Pune, he joined the prestigious T.I.F.R. (Tata Institute of Fundamental Research) in 1954 as a research scholar in Nuclear Particle Accelerator Section. His name was specially recommended by his principal to Dr. Homi J Bhabha, the noted scientist and the founder of TIFR In the following year, he appeared at the I.E.S. ( Indian Engineering Services) Examination and secured the top rank in this All India Competitive examination. He was posted in the I.R.S.E. (Indian Railway Service of Engineers) as a Class I gazetted officer and worked in the Railway Electrification project at Calcutta for a few years. During this period, he developed personal contacts with several leading engineers in the country and the top engineering teachers in various reputed institutes like I.I.T.'s, B.H.U, Roorkee Engg. University, Indian Statistical Institute, Calcutta and above all, Sir C.V. Raman, the great scientist and Nobel Laureate. While working as a Railway Electrification Engineer, he realized that his intrinsic interest was in the field of teaching and writing Mathematics and Mathematical Engineering Subjects. This realization led to a painful internal conflict between treading a conventional path of continuing with the coveted Govt. Class I service and an unconventional risk of walking out of such secure civil service and undertake a struggle of establishing his own institute for teaching, writing and publishing.

Eventually, he did take the unconventional decision of resigning from the prestigious I.R.S.E. to return to Bombay to start his own academic institute.

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On the auspicious day of DASARA in OCT. 1960, he launched his own A.M.I.E. classes in a rented school class room. That was the modest beginning of Vidyalankar in the Shardashram school of Dadar. After operating from another school at Matunga (West) for one year and yet another at Mahim for next two years, in May '64 Vidyalankar could afford its own rented premises at Mahim and finally in 1974 it arrived at 'PEARL CENTRE', its present premises in DADAR.

Thus, the Basic objective of establishing this Institute was neither commercial nor merely to earn a livelihood. The Basic Objective was to satisfy the inner urge of dedicating oneself to the sincere academic pursuit and to guide the eager young students with a missionary zeal, to enhance their worthiness and imbibe the nobler values of life in their receptive minds not by empty words but by one's own example.

Mrs.S.C. Deshpande, wife of C.S.Deshpande has also been closely associated with Vidyalankar right from its inception. She has done her M.A. in English & M.A. Public Administration, and has been teaching the subject of Communication Skill to the students of Vidyalankar for the past several years.

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Second Generation :-

In 1985, Vishwas ( son of Shri C.S. Deshpande) secured a high Merit Rank in the H.S.C. Exam. of Std XII and was first in the merit list of engineering admissions of the V.J.T.I. After completing his B.E. in First Class in 1989, he proceeded to U.S.A. and did his M.S. in Micro Electronics. In 1992 he returned from U.S.A. (University of Maryland College Park) and partly relieved his parents by taking over several responsibilities in Vidyalankar.

Rashmi, the daughter of Shri Deshpande is also keenly interested in the progress of the institute. After her M.Sc. from Mumbai University, she went to U.S.A. for higher studies. There, after completion of her MBA, she returned in mid-1996 and has taken over the management of our Hostel, the "Vidyalankar Gurukul" at Nerul.

Avinash Chatorikar, a young and bright engineer has also chosen to join us as a full time partner of the Vidyalankar Group after a splendid academic track record. In both the S.S.C. as well as the H.S.C. examination, he secured high merit rank in the board examinations, and joined the renowed U.D.C.T. of Mumbai with top rank in the admission list. After his B.Tech from U.D.C.T in 1987, he went on to do his M.Tech from I.I.T, Mumbai. This was topped by an MS in Chemical Engineering from the Oklahoma State University, U.S.A. After a brief stint as 'Computer Lab in charge' at CEAT labs in Oklahoma, he is now involved full time in the management of Vidyalankar's huge Navi Mumbai establishment.

Mrs. Namrata Deshpande, the better half of Vishwas has also joined this family profession. Namrata has done M.M.S. (M.B.A.) of the Bombay University from the Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies. After gaining the rich experience of working at HDFC, one of the premier banks in India, she has now joined in the administration of the Vidyalankar Group as a full time partner.The energetic young generation has now embarked on the ambitious programme of expanding the scope of services of Vidyalankar as indicated below.

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