Sanjeewani Deshpande

Born in 1935, Dr. Sanjeewani Deshpande was the wife of Prof. C.S. Deshpande and one of the founders of Vidyalankar. In fact, she played a critical role in naming the group Vidyalankar. Her academic career is as illustrious as that of C.S. Deshpande She held a Ph.D. in English, an M.A. in English and an M.A. in Public Administration. She had more than 35 years of teaching experience at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels in both the domains of English and Public Administration. Even at Vidyalankar, she would teach students English – which was mandatory at the IIT JEE screening exam. A passion for education and a student-oriented approach were her hallmarks of excellence in teaching.

As the group grew, her role changed to that of a mentor. She guided several underprivileged students in their education and encouraged Vidyalankar faculty to pursue their PhD and publish research papers. Additionally, she was responsible in persuading the management team at Vidyalankar to take an unconventional approach towards designing the Wadala campus, which has resulted in it winning several awards for its infrastructure and design.