CM Fadnavis urges more autonomy for COEP and other institutions to boost research.
Education Minister Patil stresses India’s knowledge tradition and innovation ownership.
COEP celebrates Engineers’ Day, inaugurates new facilities, and honors distinguished alumni.
Pune, 15 September 2025: The College of Engineering, Pune (COEP) hosted its Engineers’ Day celebrations along with the COEP Pride Awards 2025, where Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis urged giving more autonomy to premier educational institutions to strengthen research that benefits society. He said researchers need freedom to explore ideas openly, and with autonomy, research outcomes become more fruitful.
Speaking at the event, Fadnavis reflected on past technological revolutions, noting how COEP and other Indian institutions produced skilled talent that drove the IT and digital boom globally. “Today, we face the era of AI and quantum computing, and I am confident Indian students will rise to these challenges using their natural intelligence,” he said.
Education Minister Chandrakant Patil highlighted India’s rich knowledge heritage, noting that while Western countries have dominated research through patents and commercialization, India is increasingly taking ownership under initiatives led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which could bring future prosperity.
The event also marked the inauguration of COEP’s newly constructed library and computer engineering building. COEP alumni association released its commemorative magazine, and several prominent alumni were honoured.
Life Achievement Awards went to former ARDE scientist Vasantha Ramaswamy, while the COEP Pride Awards recognized leaders including Vilas Javdekar, Dr. Mahantesh Hiremath, Jayant Inamdar, Umesh Wagh, Tushar Mehendl, and Shravan Herdikar for their outstanding contributions in engineering and industry.
COEP Chancellor Prof. Sunil Bhirud shared his thoughts on the institution’s growth, with alumni association president Bharat Geete and honorary secretary Dr. Sujitkumar Pardeshi expressing their greetings and gratitude.