Students at Savitribai Phule Pune University Pay Tribute to Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Through the ’18-Hour Study Campaign’
Pune, 18 April 2026: For the past 17 consecutive years, the ’18-Hour Study Campaign’ has been ceaselessly organized at the Jayakar Library within Savitribai Phule Pune University by the Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Post-Graduate Students Association (DAPSA).
The organization DAPSA was established in 1990 by a group of young students—including Prakash Pawar, Harsh Jagzhap, Kumar Anil, Vilas Adhav, Pratima Pardeshi, and Kishore Dhamale—to mark the birth centenaries of Mahatma Phule and Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, as well as the death centenary of Mahatma Phule. The organization was founded with the specific objective of addressing student issues and fostering social awakening. Carrying forward this very pledge and legacy, DAPSA has successfully conducted the ’18-Hour Study Campaign’ at the Jayakar Library of Savitribai Phule Pune University continuously for the last 17 years. This information was shared by Prof. Dr. Vilas Adhav—a founding member of the organization and the Director and Head of the School of Education at Savitribai Phule Pune University—during his address. He further remarked that society was blessed with intellectual leadership of immense brilliance in the form of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar. Noting that Dr. Babasaheb himself possessed an insatiable thirst for knowledge, Dr. Adhav expressed the view that, in keeping with this very ideal set by Babasaheb, one should not limit the ’18-hour study’ effort to merely the day of his birth anniversary, but rather engage in consistent and regular study throughout the entire year.
The concluding remarks were delivered by the Honorable Vice-Chancellor of Savitribai Phule Pune University, Dr. Suresh Gosavi. In his presidential address, he stated that this initiative serves as a heartfelt tribute dedicated to the scholarly and studious temperament of the great visionary, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar. Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar brought about an educational, social, economic, political, and cultural revolution by studying continuously for 18 hours at a stretch—forgetting even his hunger, thirst, and physical needs. On this occasion, Vice-Chancellor Dr. Gosavi appealed to today’s youth to pursue knowledge by keeping the exemplary work of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar as their guiding ideal.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony of this 18-hour study session, several dignitaries expressed their views. These included the Vice-Chancellor of Savitribai Phule Pune University, Hon. Dr. Suresh Gosavi; Pro-Vice-Chancellor Hon. Dr. Parag Kalkar; Acting Registrar Hon. Dr. Prafulla Pawar, Director of the International Centre, Prof. Dr. Vijay Khare; Director of the School of Education, Prof. Dr. Vilas Adhav; Prof. Dr. Sadanand Bhosale; Head of the Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Chair, Dr. Sudhakar Bokefode; Dr. Sanjay Kolekar; Prof. Dr. Geeta Shinde; and Adv. Kranti Sahane, among others.
The event was attended by dignitaries such as Dr. Ganesh Bhame, Dr. Rajani Meshram, NSUI Maharashtra State Vice-President Akshay Kamble, President of the University Student Action Committee Rahul Sasane, and President of the Republican Bahujan Student Organization Suraj Gaikwad, as well as representatives and office-bearers of various student organizations.
The introductory remarks for the program were delivered by the organization’s President, Amol Sarode, while the proceedings were anchored by Sagar Sonkamble.
Those who worked towards making the program a success included Dr. Mohan Kamble, Dr. Sunil Gaikwad, Dr. Anil Paval, Nikhil Siddhaganesh, Akshay Kamble, Suraj Gaikwad, Prof. Rahul Ruhi, Rahul Sasane, Dr. Jaykar Gaikwad, Dagdu Sonkamble, Samadhan Dupargude, and Adv. Amrapali Dhivar. Vivek Shakya, Tukaram Shinde, Prajyot Gaikwad, Geeta Sagare, Chandrakant Durge, Usha Kamble, Kiran Bhadre, Rohit Bansode, Siddhant Jambhulkar, Dr. Pragyanand Jandhale, Jayshree Kamble, Mayur Jawale, Dr. Suryakant Gaikwad, Prashant Shinde, Rajendra Nemane, Samadhan Sarvade, Laxmi Kamble, Masaji Gaikwad, Ganesh More, Sushant Dhasade, Bhagwan Waghmare, Milind Waghmare, Omkar Binwade, Abhishek Shelkar, Abhijit Jadhav, Arun Jadhav, Deepak Sutar, Ashok Gore, Gangadhar Mamilwar, Ganesh Gaikwad, Sahebrao Kshirsagar, Vinod Waghmare, Basavaraj Sonkamble, and others worked tirelessly to ensure the success of the program.
