Pune: Students from colleges affiliated with Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) have received several awards at the International Student Research Convention, Anveshan 2025. In the health sciences and allied subjects category, Siddhi Joshi and Tanisha Kasbe from AISSMS College of Pharmacy were awarded the first prize and the Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan Gold Medal, along with a cash prize of Rs 75,000, for their project titled “PROHEAL – an innovative, multifunctional probiotic-based dressing system for diabetic wounds.” In the agriculture science and allied fields category, Shivam Devkar from Sanjivani College of Engineering, Kopargaon, received the third prize and a cash award of Rs 25,000 for his project, “High-Performance Multipurpose Mulching Paper Laying Machine.”
Devkar’s mulching paper laying machine is a cost-effective agricultural implement that performs tasks like bed preparation, drip pipe laying, fertiliser feeding, and mulching sheet placement. This machine also helps in reducing labour, time, and per-acre costs. Joshi and Kasbe’s probiotic-based dressing system is an advanced wound-care solution specifically designed for diabetic foot injuries. It consists of a two-layer dressing that efficiently absorbs wound discharge while delivering medication directly to the wound, facilitating faster and more effective healing.
Rahul Padalkar from AISSMS College of Pharmacy mentioned, “The college has made a record by winning this competition three times in the past six years, in addition to awards at the second and third positions.” Anveshan, an initiative by the Association of Indian Universities, aims to recognize and encourage students’ research abilities in higher education institutions. Vinayak Joshi, Director of the Internal Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC) at SPPU, stated, “This success demonstrates the effectiveness of our quality-driven research mentoring framework. The students’ hard work, along with strong faculty guidance, has led to globally competitive research results. We are proud of their excellence and dedication.”
