Heart Beats of SPCE: Part 1
Admission to SPCE
I completed my Diploma in Civil Engineering at Government Polytechnic, Jalgaon in 1979. After that, I applied for second-year engineering admission at various engineering colleges in Maharashtra. There were only eight colleges in the whole state at that time. They included the Government College of Engineering in Pune, along with colleges in Aurangabad, Amravati, and Karad. VJTI, SPCE, and Walchand College of Engineering were aided institutions, and Sir Vishveshwarayya College of Engineering in Nagpur was a regional one. Having obtained good marks in final year diploma, I was getting admission offers from nearly all the colleges I applied to!
When I was in the 10th standard, I couldn’t go on the school trip to Mumbai at that time. From that moment, I had a deep desire to see and live in the city! I've always enjoyed reading and spent my childhood diving into novels and autobiographies of great personalities. During school, I read "Simhasan" and "Mumbai Dinnak" by Arun Sadhu, and I absolutely loved them! I had watched the movie "Simhasan" multiple times because it captivated me so much. All these experiences really fueled my desire to see and eventually live in Mumbai. So, naturally, when it came time to choose a college, Mumbai was at the top of my list!
In the first round, I was lucky to get admission in VJTI, but I couldn’t get hostel because there were very few seats available. So, I stayed temporarily with my buddy Pramod Jaykar in ‘D Hostel’ of VJTI until I could sort out other living arrangements. I started attending the classes. I liked the college very much. It was located in the vicinity of five garden area and there were many students from Jalgaon District. Over the period of time, I found the chances of getting hostel dim as very few were likely to cancel their admissions in the prestigious institute like VJTI.
So, I decided to check out SPCE College. What a coincidence—I ran into my friend Suresh Mahajan, who was there to ask about admissions too! We decided to grab some tea and snacks at the canteen, and let me tell you, I was blown away by the vibe there. Everyone was having a great time, sharing jokes, and chatting about all the fun and cultural events lined up for the coming days. The energy was infectious, and it made me feel so happy to be around such enthusiastic students!
After our snack, we took a stroll around the campus. As we stepped out of the canteen, I spotted this magnificent banyan tree with a cozy seating area around it, where students were gathered and enjoying each other's company. We wandered further and came across a beautiful Shiva Temple on campus, built with white elegant marble and featuring lovely rising steps and platforms on both of their sides for sitting. It was such an engrossing sight!
I loved the experience walking along side Bhavan's Arts, Commerce and Science College; and its hostels. When we arrived at the SPCE hostel, I was really struck by the lively atmosphere there. I had a nice chat with some of the students.
While I was there, I noticed a group of students hanging out near the gate, and after a little while, they broke up. Curious, I asked what was going on and found out that Danny Denzongpa had come by to visit a close relative. Growing up, l've always been fascinated by actors and actresses, writers, and great speakers, so hearing that was exciting!
The students let me in on some fun facts: Many Hindi films have actually been shot on this campus! Plus, I learned that the famous Juhu Beach was just a short walk away from the college, and Amitabh Bachchan was residing in his iconic’Pratiksha Bungalow’ nearby. What an amazing information!
On this backdrop, when I got a telegram from SPCE confirming my admission and learned further that hostel accommodation was also available; I immediately cancelled my admission to VJTI to go with SPCE; looking forward to this new adventure!
Dr. Mahendra Ingale, Former Principal @ Pune, March 18, 2025
