Department of Physics

About Us:

 The Department of Physics was established along with the inception of the College in 1963. Graduation courses in Physics Major are being offered since 1980.  We have one of the largest numbers of students enrolled amongst the colleges affiliated to the University of Mumbai. True to its size the Department has been marveling in the academic arena too. The University toppers in the subject of Physics for the academic year 1992-93 and 2006-07 were the students of this department. In fact our department has been nothing less than a torch bearer for departments of other colleges in the University of Mumbai.

Faculty Profile:

The former Head of the Department was Head of the Institution for 11 years and contributed to the growth of the Institution. One of the staff members was a Post Doctoral Fellow in France under the Indo French collaborative program. She also completed a major research project sponsored by BRNS. One staff member who retired in 2004 was the Vice Principal of the college. The department has sixteen faculty members. Two of them are doctorate while six of them have an M. Phil degree. One staff member is a recognized post graduate teacher and a visiting faculty for PG teaching at Gogate College Ratnagiri. All the members of the faculty are active in academic as well as   co-curricular activities of the College and the University. Two members have completed UGC Minor Research Projects and one is currently pursuing a BCUD project. One member has been awarded a DST Major Research Project. The Head of the Department is a Member of the Board of Studies in Physics and the Member of the Board of Examiners of the University. He is also the convener for the Syllabus Committee of S.Y and T.Y.B.Sc. of the University. A member of the faculty has the additional charge as the co-coordinator of the Department of Computer Science since its inception.  Three of the members are in the Syllabus Committee of the University. One of the lecturers was a Senate Member. One member was a member of the Faculty of Science. One member has been appointed as a visiting faculty at UM-DAE CBS (University of Mumbai – Department of Atomic Energy Centre for Excellence in Basic Sciences).

Student Profile:

 Most of the students are from vernacular medium coming from lower economic group of the society and have average competency in the subject. The members of the faculty work hard with the students to equip them for examinations.

Teaching, Learning And Evaluation:

For the benefit of students the department has initiated various activities for which the lecturers devote considerable time apart from their regular lecturing duties.

Charts for Practicals: The faculty is actively involved in constant up gradation of the charts and redesigning of experiments for F.Y., S.Y. and T.Y.B.Sc. Keeping student’s need in mind the learning process is made simple, effective and fruitful.

Committees for F.Y., S.Y. and T.Y.B.Sc are formed for constant up gradation and monitoring of the practical charts and apparatus.

Questionnaire for viva:  A set of about 250 questions related to the practicals in T.Y. B.Sc. is prepared and upgraded by the faculty and circulated among the students, which helps them in the preparation for the viva-voce at the University examination.

Theory pertaining to experiments performed by the students of T.Y.B.Sc. class is explained separately by engaging extra lectures.

Ample revisions are conducted after completion of regular practical sets. With well equipped laboratories, the students are given the benefit of performing the experiments again before their final examinations.

Weekly tests are conducted for T.Y.B.Sc. students which inculcates the studying habit in them. In addition, a number of practical examinations are also held which helps them gain confidence to appear for the University examination.

Remedial sessions including extra lectures are engaged to elucidate and enhance problem solving skills.

Infrastructure And Learning Resources:

• A study circle has been instituted for students of all the classes and two of the staff members are engaged in solving theoretical and numerical problems in Physics. We follow the philosophy that the process of arriving at a solution is more important than the end result. Students present seminars on topics of their interest beyond the range of their syllabus. This rigorous training has proved useful is enhancing the students’ concepts and appreciation of the subject.

• A Wall-Paper (SPECTRUM) depicting various topics and discoveries in Physics is a regular feature on the notice board of the Department. The wall – paper also depicts details on the achievements and lives of Physicists

• A Wall-Paper (FRONTIERS IN PHYSICS) depicting latest trends and developments in Physics is also a regular feature on the notice board of the Department.

• Students are motivated to conduct seminars of the topic of their choice pertaining to the syllabus which, helps in building and enhancing their conceptual understanding and confidence.

•  Departmental Library facility in addition to the College library.

• The Labs were renovated in 2005 and were made airy with ample ventilation.

• The optical laboratory (dark room) was completely redesigned and made user friendly.

• There are computers with connectivity.

Innovative Practices:

The members of the department use: OHP for presentation of the subject, Lasers: To demonstrate diffraction of light in the class, Models to explain crystal structures, Software simulations: to explain crystal structures and Microprocessor (8085), Models: To explain crystal structures and double refraction.

Demo Kit: An educational kit in fiber optics costing rupees 1 lakh was purchased from the seed funds provided by the college. Students performed few experiments on the kit and presented     seminar along with the experimental demonstration during the summer course.

Charts are used for explaining colour code, electronic instrumentation circuits and while teaching.

Multimedia: for explaining concepts of relativity.

Faculty Development Programs:

The faculty members attend seminars, workshops and present papers. One faculty member visits the Max Planck Institute as a visiting scientist. Another one visits the IUCA, Pune. Teachers are encouraged to take up research work.  One of them is completing her Ph D. One faculty member is actively involved in the training of students for the International Olympiad and also accompanied a team to Taipei, Taiwan.  

Student Enrichment Programmes:

Various programmes are conducted on yearly basis to enrich and develop interest about the subject amongst the students. This helps them in planning a career in the field of Physics.

        Some of the modules conducted by the Department are so radical in nature that the other departments of the College have begun to emulate the same. In this respect we are the pioneers in this College and other colleges affiliated to University of Mumbai.

Summer Course in Physics is conducted in the month of March after the completion of the second term examination of  S.Y.B.Sc. The objective of the course is to motivate and orient the students to appreciate and understand the fundamentals of the subject. The course involves theoretical as well as experimental component. All the faculty members are involved in formulation of the course structure- theory sessions, laboratory sessions, evaluation, feedback etc. Enrichment lectures by eminent academicians is also a regular feature of the course.

Guest lectures in the subject are arranged and the students get the benefit of listening to the eminent personalities from H.B.C.S.E., I.I.T., T.I.F.R. and other lecturers from the University of Mumbai.

Counseling of students is actively taken up by members of the Department both academically as well personally. Students are also motivated and guided to participate in various intercollegiate competitions through various Association activities.

Research and Publications:

The department encourages its faculty to undertake research work. Many of them have completed their Ph.D or M Phil degree after joining the department. Post NAAC one staff member Dr. Janaky Narayanan preceded to do her post doctoral research on surfactants at France after completing her Ph.D. She later joined the National University of Singapore as an Associate Professor after completion of 25 years of successful service in the college. Dr. Subhaga Karlekar is currently guiding an M.Phil. student. Ms. Sunita Maratt is currently involved in a project on fibre optics along with a team of students. Mrs. Geeta Mathur assisted students in making a telescope for sky gazing. Mrs Neeta Shrivastava is pursuing her Ph D degree in nanoparticles. Mrs Rekha Ghorpode has been invited as a visiting faculty at the University centre for advanced studies in pure sciences a University of Mumbai-DAE centre.

Ongoing projects and their outlay:

Prof Devraj Powar        Rs 30,000/- University of Mumbai

                                     Rs 80,000/- UGC

Dr Kiran Kolwankar      Rs 80,000/- UGC

                                     Rs 13,00, 000/- DST

Dr Kiran Kolwankar is an Humboldt Fellow who recently joined the department and publishes regularly in International Journals. He also visits the Max Planck Institute, Germany as a visiting scientist.

Dr. Kiran Kolwankar Research Group