Education is the most effective way to bring change in the world. Access to education leads to greater political, social, economic, and personal empowerment. Also, to maintain economic competitiveness and global prosperity, education is a must.

We, at Dombivli Shikshan Prasarak Mandal’s K. V. Pendharkar College of Arts, Science, and Commerce, understand that college education is the foundation of future possibilities and plays a crucial role in the life of a person. Our vision is to create responsible, mature, professionally equipped, and service-oriented individuals who are also responsible citizens of society.

We are committed to providing educational opportunities to students that open avenues of professional growth and financial gains for students. To provide such opportunities, the college offers several courses spanning across various streams, personality development programmes, placement opportunities for our students.

We have a team of highly qualified faculty members who not only help students excel academically but also encourage them to experiment and explore their innate skills.

It gives me extreme pleasure to welcome you all to be a part of the Dombivli Shikshan Prasarak Mandal’s K. V. Pendharkar College. Let the light of knowledge and wisdom spread far and wide.

Shri. Prabhakar R. Desai

Chairman

We aspire to be a model institution of higher education, an ideal centre of learning catering to the multiple needs of students- fraternity, shaping their overall personality, creating a healthy teaching-learning atmosphere to make students morally conscious, socially responsible human beings and to enhance their employability.

Academic excellence is essential but it is not enough. Knowledge should be guided by conscience. The journey should be from the darkness of ignorance to the light of knowledge and from unrighteous to righteous actions. It's vision of establishing an ideal institution for spreading knowledge in the city of Dombivli and villages in its vicinity is actualised. The Mission statement of the institution is 'Tamaso Maa Jyotirgamaya' i.e. “O! Lord, lead us from the darkness of ignorance to the light of knowledge.”

In 1970s, three friends Shri Prabhakar Desai (an agriculturist and a building contractor), Dr. U. Prabhakar Rao (First M.S Doctor in Dombivli who started Shrinivas Hospital in Dombivli with facilities for surgical, gynaecology, Orthopedics, etc.) and Dr. V. S. Upasani (general practitioner who set up Nityananda Nursing Home in Dombivli West), decided to set up a state-of-the-art educational institutions for school as well as higher education in Dombivli using their personal wealth and resources. The idea to set up the institution was triggered by a tragic accident witnessed by these three friends. “We were travelling by train to Mumbai when we saw a youngster falling from the moving train. Though we admitted the youngster in Nair hospital, Mumbai, he succumbed to his injuries after two days,” says Shri Prabhakar Desai, Chairman of Dombivli Shikshan Prasarak Mandal. The incident had a profound effect on the minds of these three friends. They felt that a young life was lost due to the unavailability of good educational institute for higher education in Dombivli. Thus, began the journey of illustrious Dombivli Shikshan Prasarak Mandal.

It was a dream and passion of Shri. Prabhakar Desai, Dr. Rao and Dr. Upasani who brought together a few more like-minded people. Thus, fourteen elite citizens came together to establish Dombivli Shikshan Prasarak Mandal in 1972. Mandal’s first office was started at Shri. Desai’s residence at Narayan Krupa in Dombivli East. The founder members all shared a dream and the dream was not only to set up an ideal educational institution but also to create an academic environment to nurture young minds academically, athletically, culturally, socially and morally who will be ready for the challenges of the world.

Today, the Mandal runs three reputed educational institutes in Dombivli – K.V. Pendharkar College of Arts, Science, and Commerce, Sister Nivedita English School and Prabhakar Desai International School as well as Vanita Acharya’s Mother Touch Day Care & Activity Centre (established in 2016), Gun for Glory Shooting Academy (established in 2015), Yuva Multi Sports Complex (about 4000 sq ft, located at Plot No. OS 8/5/1, Dombivli East) and Multi Gym (established in 2014).

In 1974, foundation stone for the college was laid by eminent personalities like Padma Shri Late Shri. G. D. Madgulkar, and Late Shri. Ajit Wadekar, the then captain of Indian Cricket team. The Mandal is and perennially will remain indebted to the support of many eminent personalities and industrialists such as Late Shri. Gajananrao Pendharkar, the then chairman of Vicco Laboratories who munificently gave a founding donation for the establishment of K. V. Pendharkar College. The College has been named after his father Late Shri. Keshav Vishnu Pendharkar as a gratitude for unstinting support received from Late Shri Gajananrao Pendharkar.

The land to set up the college was allotted by MIDC in 1972. Though, the Mandal had the possession of the land, it took three years to formally start the college. In those times, establishment of a college required permission of the University of Pune and in 1977-78, Dombivli came under the jurisdiction of the University of Pune. This resulted in the delay of establishment of the college. Therefore, the Mandal decided to start Sister Nivedita School first. The school was started in the rental premises at Dombivli East and West, simultaneously.

After receiving necessary approvals, the college began its operations at Bajiprabhu Chowk in Dombivli East. Later, the management of the Mandal shifted the college to Khandelwal tin shade spread over 1000 sq.ft. at Plot No. S. P. 4 in MIDC, Dombivli East.

The K. V. Pendharkar college started functioning from June 1979. The college was also given permanent affiliation by the University of Mumbai on 30th August 1980. Right from its inception, the college has been offering quality education to its students, in accordance with the rules laid down by the University of Mumbai, Government of Maharashtra and University Grants Commission. Of late, the institution underwent the third cycle of assessment by the NAAC (National Assessment and Accreditation Council) and is reaccredited with the coveted 'A Grade' (3.14 CGPA) by the council in 2016-17 (2(f), 12(b) of UGC).

Today, the college offers Under Graduate, Post Graduate as well as Ph.D. programmes across Art, Commerce and Science streams.

>> Prof. Vinayak Dalvie, Academic Advisor

• 46 airy & specious classrooms
• 26 well-ventilated and airy laboratories
• 02 air-conditioned conference halls
• 01 large auditoriumv
• Separate boy’s & girl’s common room
• Gymkhana
• Canteen facility
• 01 Colossal Library
• NCC & NSS offices
• Separate Aided & Unaided Offices