Prof (Dr) Jasmine Avari’s first book, Physicochemical Principles in Pharmaceutics, was launched on August 29, 2016 under the auspices of the Lokneta General Manchershaw Avari Vichar Manch in Nagpur. Fittingly so, for she is the daughter-in-law of the late Manchershaw Avari, a freedom fighter and social worker, a man of high values and strong principles. The professor of pharmacology at RTMNU (Rashtra Sant Tukdoji Maharaj Nagpur University) is married to Manchershaw’s son Gev, former Member of Parliament and still active in the Congress party.
Vice chancellor of RTMNU, Dr S. V. Kane was the chief guest along with educationist and orator Dr Ved Prakash Mishra, chancellor of the Institute of Medical Sciences, Karad. Others on the dais included Drs Pramod Yeole, P. K. Meshram and A. T. Patil, all senior professors of pharmaceutics.
A copy of the book was presented to this writer, but to be very honest, it being a highly technical work she could go no further than the Foreword, Preface and Acknowledgements. The rest was all Greek and Latin!
For a better appreciation of the book and its author one should read the accolades that all the speakers — doctors and professors of the subject — showered on her. They spoke of her diligence, hard work and extensive research put in and how helpful the book would be to students of pharmacy.
In conversation with Jasmine and Gev some days later, the author revealed, "One-and-a-half years ago, over our customary evening cup of tea, I mentioned to Gev that I would like to write a book on ‘Zeta Potential of Erythrocyte Studies,’ the subject in which I did my PhD.” Her intellectual and ever-supportive husband agreed that it was a good idea but the topic she had in mind would cater only to a small number of PhD scholars. "He suggested, and very wisely so, that I write about ‘physical pharmacy,’ a topic that under-graduates, graduate students and post-graduates would benefit from,” she said.
While the idea was still germinating in her mind, the entire syllabus of pharmaceutics changed as per the new guidelines of the University Grants Commission. "This development impelled me to write a book incorporating the new syllabus which would affect not only RTMNU but all major universities in India like Bombay, Poona, Delhi and Madras,” Jasmine explained.
Thus began a year-and-a-half of research and writing, helped by her PhD research scholars, before Jasmine’s dream became a reality. The professor understood the problems her students were facing with the books available so far, written mostly by foreign authors.
Mishra, a medical practitioner, had read the book before attending its launch. He praised Avari’s efforts in making it "student oriented” with detailed diagrams and mathematical equations. "Not only is the book written for the students, it is also priced suitably for the students’ pockets,” he commented.