Principal Prataprao Borade passes away

Chhatrapati Sambhjainagar: Prataprao Borade who was a trustee of MGM and former principal of Jawaharlal Nehru Engineering College (JNEC) passed away in MGM Hospital at 11.45 am, on Saturday.

He was 82 and leaves behind wife Shashikala, son Shashibhushan, daughter Mrunmayee, brother, sister and extended family. He hailed from Partur teshil and laid the foundation of Engineering in Marathwada through JNEC.

Borade was the brother-in-law of MGM president Kamal Kishor Kadam. His body was kept at JNEC between 3 pm to 5 pm today for paying obeisance. The last rites were performed on him at MGM Ground this evening. Chairman of MGM Kamal Kishor Kadam, chancellor of MGM Univerity Ankushrao Kadam, its vice-chancellor Dr Vilas Sapkal, MP Imtiaz Jaleel, former MP Chandrakant Khaire and people from different walks of life were present.

He was known as the most popular principal among JNCE students and gave direction to the lives of thousands of students during his life.

He had a grip on the administration. Seeing this in JNEC, Sharad Pawar gave him an opportunity to work as Engineering College Principal of Vidya Pratishtan in Baramati.

In the meantime, when Sharad Pawar was in the city for two days, he met Borade in MGM Hospital and enquired about his health. Principal Borad who was suffering from heart and kidney ailments was undergoing treatment at MGM Hospital for the past six months. Dr Anand Nikalje was treating him.

Borade was born in Patoda on November 7, 1942. Since he came in contact with Rashtra Seva Dal in school life, he became a lifelong socialist.

He loved reading since his school life and maintained it throughout his life. He did his schooling, after the sixth standard, at Nutan Vidyalaya (Selu) in 1955.

After obtaining an Engineering degree from the Government College of Engineering (Pune), he did his ME from Walchand Institute of Technology (Solapur).

On the completion of his diploma in Plastic Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology-Powai, he worked in a plastic company at Wapi in Gujarat. The plastic company was running successfully in just three to four years tenure. Considering the success, the factory owner sent him to Kandivali factory as general manager. The factory at Kandivali was defunct for three years because of employees strike. Reopening this factory was itself a challenge. He re-launched the factory which survived because of his management and administrative skills. He started his own factory named ‘Spadma Plastic’ here.

On the basis of the problems faced by him while establishing the factory, he set up Marathwaa Small Industries Organisation to raise the issues of industrialists.

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Awards received

He received various awards in his life. They are as follows;

1991: Nafen Award

1992: ACMO Excellence Award

1995: Award for his contribution industrial sector

1997: 'Ideal Teacher's Award of Central Government

2020: Jeevangaurao Award of Marathwada Sahitya Parishad.

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Imp decisions taken in his career

He took different important decisions during his career as Principal. Some of them are as follows;

--As Principal of Jawaharlal Nehru Engineering College, he started uniforms for students.

--Organised many national-level conferences, cultural programmes, and lectures while maintaining social commitment.

--Introduced the use of Computers and related curriculum at JNEC College

--He took the decision to waive tuition fees for the first few years in JNEC to bring girls into the mainstream of education.

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Books

--'Mi Na Maja (auto biography)

--Palak Prachayara (Souvenir)

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His career in life

--Worked as JNEC Principal for 21 years (between 1983 and 2003)

--Appointed principal of Engineering College run Vidya Pratisthan (Baramati) on November 1, 2003

--Appointed director on Maharashtra Small Scale Industries Board on 1981

--Treasurer of Marthwada Sahitya Parishad for 15 years

--Director of Marahwada Development Corporation.