Dr. Keshav Yashawant Rajpure is a highly accomplished physicist at Shivaji University, Kolhapur. An exceptional researcher with a passion for education, Dr. Rajpure boasts an impressive publication record and has guided numerous students. His dedication extends beyond his university, with leadership roles in various academic bodies and contributions to prestigious databases.

Dr. Rajpure currently serves as the Professor the Department of Physics at Shivaji University, Kolhapur. He is the former head of the Physics Department. Born on July 24, 1971, in a small village named Anpatwadi-Bavdhan in Satara district, Dr. Rajpure excelled throughout his academic career, consistently securing the top rank.

In 1992, he completed his B.Sc. in Physics at Rayat Shikshan Sanstha's Sharadchandra Pawar College, Lonand, achieving the university's first rank. This outstanding performance earned him the Prof. Shirke Award, Warange Award, and Swami Scholarship. He then actively participated as a member of the Shivaji University Student Council. Dr. Rajpure further distinguished himself by completing his M.Sc. (Physics) in 1994, securing the Kulkarni-Jambhalikar award for academic excellence.

Dr. Rajpure's research journey began under the guidance of Prof. (Dr.) C.H. Bhosale. He worked diligently as a Junior Research Fellow and Senior Research Fellow, culminating in a Ph.D. degree in 2000. His academic prowess extended beyond his doctoral studies. In July 1999, he joined the Physics Department of Shivaji University as a Temporary Lecturer. He impressively qualified for the highly competitive STATE ELIGIBILITY TEST (SET) examination in Physical Sciences in 2002, where the pass rate was a mere 0.1%. After serving as a teacher for almost ten years on an ad-hoc basis, he joined the university in 2010 on a permanent position. His ten years of seasonal service experience and research contributed to his appointment as a permanent appointed professor in 2014.

His research interests lie in captivating fields like Thin Films, Solar Cells, Transparent Conductive Oxides, Photoelectrochemistry, Memristors, Gas Sensors, and Photoelectrocatalysis (water purification). This dedication to research resulted in a well-deserved life-membership of the Maharashtra Academy of Sciences at the National Chemical Laboratory, Pune, in 2015.

Dr. Rajpure boasts an impressive publication record, having authored 199 research articles in prestigious international journals, garnering a remarkable 11361 citations. His h-index stands at a commendable 65, and his i10 index is a noteworthy 181. (Google Scholar; 30-07-2024)

As a dedicated educator, Dr. Rajpure has successfully guided 20 Ph.D., 2 M.Phil., and 95 M.Sc. students. Currently, he mentors 7 M.Sc. students and 8 Ph.D. scholars. His passion for knowledge extends beyond his own institution, as he has actively participated in over 86 national and international conferences, often playing a key role in organizing departmental conferences.

Dr. Rajpure's contributions extend beyond research and teaching. He has authored 5 books and filed 2 patents. His leadership extends to successfully managing 5 research projects valued at 86 lakhs, funded by esteemed central government agencies.

Dr. Rajpure's exceptional proficiency in Rietveld analysis has led to a remarkable achievement: ten of his XRD patterns have been incorporated into the ICDD database. This is a testament to his mastery of crystallography and his significant contributions to the field.

His dedication to fostering a well-equipped learning environment led him to play a pivotal role in establishing various facilities at the Physics Instrumentation Facility Centre (PIFC). Recognizing his expertise, the university entrusted him with additional responsibilities, including heading the Physics department, University Science Instrumentation Centre (USIC) and the Common Facility Centre (CFC). Dr. Rajpure served as the coordinator of the DST's Sophisticated Analytical Instrumentation Facility (SAIF) Centre at Shivaji University for 3 years.

Dr. Rajpure's commitment to academic excellence extends beyond Shivaji University. He held esteemed positions chairman of Board of studies in Physics and Academic Council member, Technical committee member, Research and Recognition committee member, Write-off committee chairman of Shivaji University and as a member of the Board of Studies at Karnataka University Dharwad, TC College Baramati, Vivekanand College Kolhapur, DKTE Ichalkaranji, JSPM's Rajarshi Shahu College of Engineering Tathawade Pune, and KBP College Pandharpur.

Dr. Rajpure is a life member of the following academic bodies: Marathi Vidnyan Parishad, Materials Research Society of India (MRSI), Semiconductor Society of India (SSI), Indian Physics Association (IPA), Indian Association of Physics Teachers (IAPT), The Indian Science Congress Association (ISCA).

Due to his outstanding contributions to materials science research, Dr. Rajpure has been listed among the top 2% of the world's most cited researchers for the past four consecutive years (Elsevier, PLOS Biology: 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023). It is a remarkable achievement that only 1,500 Indian researchers were included in this list of one hundred thousand, demonstrating their world-class research addressing global challenges.