Pune's all-girls engineering college delivers its firsts set of graduates

Sixty-five women etched their names in Indian history at the Pune-based Cummins College of Engineering for Women on Thursday. They became the first batch that graduated in mechanical engineering from the institute.

Generally, women engineering colleges in the country do not offer this stream as it involves handling of machines and working on shop floors.

Cummins college, set up by Maharshi Karve Stree Shikshan Sanstha (MKSSS) and Cummins India Foundation, started the four-year mechanical engineering programme with 65 students in 2007.

This institute, affiliated to the University of Pune, also offers courses in computer engineering; electronics and telecom engineering; information technology; and instrumentation and control engineering.

“We are delighted that the vision of this college of providing quality education to women has been further enhanced,” Cummins group’s India managing director, Anant Talaulicar said.

He was addressing a gathering on the college premises on Thursday during a function to felicitate the women engineers with almost 80% of them already been placed in different companies.

Priyanka Bakshi, one of the successful students, lauded the efforts of the college authorities in providing the best education. “I think there is nothing like a man’s job. Even women can do mechanical engineering and we have proved this,” she said.

Priyanka’s classmate, Piyali Gokhale said, “We are confident of succeeding in this field.”