Honourable Vice-Chancellor of Charotar University of Science and Technology, Dr. Ramesh V. Upadhyay has achieved significant milestones in academia and research, including receiving the Vikram Sarabhai Award for Science and Technology in 2002. He emphasizes the importance of skill development and believes in the Make in India doctrine. Under his guidance, CHARUSAT has advanced in global rankings, particularly in AI and healthcare research.

Prof. (Dr.) Ramesh V. Upadhyay is the Vice-Chancellor of Charotar University of Science and Technology (CHARUSAT). His primary responsibility is to enhance the university's global ranking and ensure that students are market-ready by providing them with proper facilities. Additionally, he aims to transform CHARUSAT into a research hub for both international and national students, aligning with the Atmanirbhar Bharat vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

He elaborates that the university is concentrating on all its goals with the help of world-class faculty members and a special methodology of teaching that makes the university unique. The university has different committees to look after academics, international collaboration, and certain other committees focus on industry-university integration collaboration and international research collaboration.

According to Dr. Upadhyay, the biggest challenge in the Indian education system is the lack of focus on self-learning rather than rote memorization. The new National Education Policy (NEP) underscores the importance of learning over teaching, a principle Charotar University had already embraced from its inception. He credits the success of this approach to the university's 450 world-class faculty members, many of whom are graduates from prestigious institutions like IISc. and the IITs.

Dr. Upadhyay states that Charotar University started as an institution in 2008 and received recognition from the federal government in 2010. In its first evaluation by NAAC- the National Assessment & Accreditation Council, it was rated grade A with a GPA of 3.1, the highest in Gujarat. In the second evaluation cycle, the university received a rating of A+ and is aiming to improve it further.

Delving deep into the unique aspects of the university, Dr. Upadhyay   highlights  that Charotar University is a socio-academic institution guided by the far-reaching vision of its president, Surendra Bhai Patel, whose aim was  to turn the university into a world-class educational institution. The university regularly updates its syllabus and curriculum to align with industry requirements and societal needs. It places a strong emphasis on moral values, setting an example for society and strives to instill these values in all stakeholders, the students, and the parents.

The university has established a Charusat Rural Education Development Cell which has adopted 72 schools to provide free education for students from 5th to 12th grade to teach them Mathematics, Science, Physics and Biology. Up till now,  30,000 students have benefited from this program and have registered themselves for further education, with nearly 50% of them enrolling at Charotar University itself.

Dr. Ramesh V. Upadhyay points to Charotar University's stringent quality requirements and collaborations with other institutions. The university works in collaboration with worldwide academic institutions to improve academic and research activities, such as science academies in India and overseas. CHARUSAT has created 62 endowment chairs, which are funded by philanthropic donations from highly educated industrialists, many of whom are linked with Stanford University and MIT.

Dr. Upadhyay recalls that former President APJ Abdul Kalam's visit to the university highlighted the importance of having fundamental values, an objective that takes years, as demonstrated by the IITs. Upadhyay emphasizes CHARUSAT’s significant value in research, particularly in AI-based Computer Science, Material Science, and Healthcare. The university’s achievements include receiving the Promotion of University Research and Scientific Excellence (PURSE) grant from the Department of Science and Government of India, an honor given to only a few national universities based on their A+ ranking and top 50 academic standing.

Charotar University has over 20 patents, and the owners of these patents are its faculty members and students. Six patents, particularly in healthcare, include royalty agreements. The university’s dedication to research is reflected in its allocation of over 8% of its income to research activities. The esteemed Vice-Chancellor highlights the university’s fellowship programme for every PhD scholar, where funding exceeds the research fees. Currently, 252 students are registered for PhDs, with 288 already having graduated. The university has published over 1000 research papers in Scopus and Web of Science journals, achieving an H-index above 55 in a decade.

Dr. Ramesh V. Upadhyay shares insights about the university’s global recognition. The university has signed 12–13 international MoUs focused on academic collaboration, research, and enhancing teaching methodologies in the syllabus. A notable collaboration is with Saras 3D in the US, which has helped develop fundamental science concepts into 3D graphics. This initiative has catered to the needs of 17 schools in Gujarat by donating 3D equipment for students in grades 8 to 12, with each piece of equipment valued at no less than 50 lakh, provided over the past seven years.

Vice-Chancellor Upadhyay proudly states that Charotar University is the only university offering an FDA-certified course on cervical cancer, approved by the International Centre for Cervical Cancer. This year, the university is working with top-level hospitals, including three civil hospitals in Bhuj, Rajkot, and Ahmedabad, totaling 20 sites, to start cervical cancer screening camps. This initiative is supported by philanthropic donations amounting to around 3 crore, which will help establish the entire setup with proper equipment.

Talking about his early years, Dr. Ramesh V. Upadhyay reminisces that he was born in 1960 in the garden city of Mysore. His father worked there as an engineer, while his mother was a housewife. His early childhood was spent in Morbi, where he received his early education near a college. A young doctor named Vaidya took care of him during this time.

When his father was transferred to Rajkot, Ramesh's education took a significant turn, contributing greatly to his personality development. He was fortunate to have supportive teachers. During this time, the Gujarat government introduced English in schools, and he had the privilege of being taught by a teacher who had graduated from Oxford.

His higher education was done in Rajkot where he completed his college education. He pursued a BSc in Physics and later an MSc in Nuclear Science, excelling in both courses and becoming a rank holder at Saurashtra University. His passion for Physics led him to pursue a Ph.D under a Department of Atomic Energy Fellowship in ‘Condensed Matter Physics’.

In 1986, he began his career as a lecturer at Saurashtra University, where he found inspiration in Professor NV Vijay Swami and Prof. RV Mehta from Bhavnagar.

Dr. Ramesh joined Charotar University in 2008 and was asked to establish a new department of ‘Applied Science’. His prior experience as a registrar at Bhavnagar University helped him secure the position. He was appointed Principal of the Charotar Applied Science Institute, now known as the P D Patel Institute of Applied Sciences. Under his guidance, from 2008 to 2016, the institute achieved a global ranking of 48th, significantly boosting its international reputation.

Until 2020, he served as the principal of the P D Patel Institute of Applied Sciences, after which he was appointed Dean of Research. In 2021, he became the vice-chancellor, focusing on advancing the university's academic and research goals.

He sums up the entire journey with Charotar University in the statement, “Vision without mission is a nightmare, and action without mission is a daydream.”

He says with pride that all four of his uncles hold Ph.D. degrees, and all eleven cousins have MSc degrees in Physics. His eldest uncle, who worked at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, inspired him to pursue a career in teaching. Dr. Ramesh admits that he intentionally missed out one exam which prevented him from pursuing engineering or medicine.

In 1988, at the age of 28, Bhavnagar University invited him to establish and lead a new department of physics. Starting a department from scratch proved to be a pivotal experience in his career. Despite having only two years of lecturing experience, he earned a Reader's post with the support of his research supervisor, thanks to his high research calibration and fulfilling more than 35 obligations.

He shares that in the research segment, he started working on Nanoscience and Nanotechnology in 1988. From 1988 to 2008 he transformed Bhavnagar University and helped it to get into the global rankings.

Dr. Ramesh V. Upadhyay has achieved various milestones in his life. He received the Vikram Sarabhai Award for Science and Technology in 2002 from the then Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, now the Prime Minister of India. In 1991, he was awarded the Commonwealth Academic Staff Award Fellowship by the Government of India. Despite the fellowship being in chemistry, his interdisciplinary research spans physics, chemistry, and biology, with patents in all three fields. His most significant achievement is designing a damping instrument entirely indigenously developed in India, with every component produced domestically. This instrument is set to be integrated into the defense system in the upcoming year.

From 2000 to 2008, Dr. Ramesh was invited by the Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden to lead an international project funded by the Swedish International Development Agency, securing a grant of almost 2.2 billion dollars. This project, which involved developing magnetic ink for dollar notes, led him to visit Sweden three times a year for eight years.

Dr. Ramesh also received the UGC Career Award from 1992 to 1995. He has guided 15 to 20 PhD students, all of whom have received national fellowships and young scientist awards from the Department of Science and Technology.

Dr. Upadhyay always emphasizes to everyone that, as Indians, they should be proud and recognize that they are better than any Western scientist. He proudly highlights the journey of the university from starting with research to becoming the sole global supplier of a particular liquid. He strongly believes in the Make in India doctrine. He defines doing a PhD as embodying patience, hard work, and determination, without which success in life cannot be achieved.

When asked about his role models, Ramesh V. Upadhyay fondly recalls Professor Bhatt, who taught him the difficult subject of Electrodynamics. He credits Professor Bhatt for imparting effective teaching strategies that make complex topics engaging and beneficial for students. Dr. Upadhyay also draws inspiration from Morari Bapu, a spiritual orator, from whom he learned how to captivate large audiences in complete silence for extended durations. He admires Morari Bapu's skill in connecting ancient legends to contemporary life, which helped him bridge scientific concepts with real-world applications. Many have sought Dr. Upadhyay's guidance in teaching educators to integrate knowledge into everyday situations. Additionally, he also holds Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam as a role model for his inspiring life journey and transformative contributions to the Indian education system.

Regarding his hardships, Dr. Ramesh V. Upadhyay shares that he faced significant challenges during his education, including a lack of infrastructure and language barriers at higher education levels. The biggest hardship in his research field was the limited facilities available at the time. However, he notes that while facilities have improved significantly, there is now a lack of dedication among people to pursue research.

Advising young scientists, Dr. Upadhyay emphasizes the importance of mastering their subjects through learning rather than only focusing on achieving high CGPA scores. He believes in the importance of skill development and supports the Skill India initiative promoted by the Prime Minister. He urges students to concentrate on enhancing their skills for better career prospects.

Dr. Upadhyay's favorite quote is, “Don't ask the nation what it can give you, tell the nation what you can deliver to it.” Meaning of this is a belief that individuals should focus on what they can contribute to the nation with their expertise and skills, rather than expecting something in return.