After guiding 71 doctorates, Mumbai University's Prof Vivek Deolankar is set for the record books
When Dr Vivek Deolankar, the head of Mumbai University's Commerce department felicitated his latest prodigy Nivedita Shreyans for securing her doctorate last week, it was another feather in the cap for the prolific professor. Shreyans, who got a doctorate for 'Brand Management Strategies in India: Challenges and Opportunities' was the 71st PhD student to get a doctorate under the guidance of Dr Deolankar. "Where other guides tend to delay their students' PhD as much as possible to get their own research work done by the students, Dr Deolankar is a man in hurry, who pushes his students to complete their research and assignments to get their degree at the earliest," said Shreyans, who owes much of her success to her hands-on guide.
Having found that Dr Deolankar's prolific innings as a guide is unprecedented, Shreyans and her fellow PhD students are now writing to the Guinness officials for inclusion of his entry as the most prolific PhD guide in the record books. "Right from passing the entrance exam and getting the topic of doctorate cleared, to every single research paper and submission of the thesis, Dr Deolekar is totally dedicated to every student at every stage, despite the big number of students that he guides, not to mention his commitments at the University," says Dr Suresh Haware, who also recently got his doctorate for research in real estate under Dr Deolekar's guidance.
As if his commitments as a guide and professor are not demanding enough, Dr Deolekar even makes the time to write books on subjects as varied as international trade, entrepreneurship and financial management. "There is a big need for improvement in the field of research and development in India. The PhD students make an immense contribution towards this, and an increased pursuit of doctorates will only encourage academic innovation and excellence," said Dr Deolekar, who has been in the field of research since 1979, and teaching at Mumbai University alone for the past 28 years.
Even as his students get their doctorates, Deolekar's own approach to research and education is like that of a student. "Every day I am learning something new from my students. I make sure no topic is repeated so that there is original research and quality inputs from the students," says Dr Deolekar, who regularly works 16-20 hours in a day, and credits Mumbai University's infrastructure and administration freedom for his output as a guide. "As long as you are a student, you are always learning and learning is the only way to keep growing," says Deolankar.
Every day I am learning something new from my students. I make sure no topic is repeated so that there is original research and quality inputs from the students
–Dr Vivek Deolankar, the head of Mumbai University's Commerce department
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