Savitribai Phule Pune University

Savitribai Phule Pune University
सावित्रीबाई फुले पुणे विद्यापीठ
Former names
University of Pune, University of Poona, Pune University
Motto Sanskrit: य: क्रियावान् स पण्डितः , translit. "He who is active is a scholar "
Motto in English
"Where Actions Prove Knowledge"[1]
Type Public
Established 10 February 1948
Chancellor C. Vidyasagar Rao
Vice-Chancellor Prof. (Dr.) Wasudeo N. Gade
Students 500,000[2]
Location Pune, Maharashtra, India
18.5336° N, 73.8109° E
Campus Urban
Affiliations UGC, NAAC, AIU
Website www.unipune.ac.in

Savitribai Phule Pune University,[3] formerly the University of Pune, is a university in Pune in western India, founded in 1948.[4] Spread over a 411 acres (1.66 km2) campus,[5] the university is home to 46 academic departments. It has been given the highest "A" rating[6] by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) for its overall performance. The university is named after Savitribai Phule, an Indian social reformer who is known for her contribution towards empowerment and emancipation of women through education.[7] The university has been ranked 3rd in India by the Times Higher Education World University Rankings.[8] The university has affiliated colleges, departments, and research institutes, which are primarily in Pune.[9][10]

Main building of Pune University

History

The University of Poona (original name) was established under the Poona University Act, passed by the Bombay legislature on 10 February 1948. In the same year, Dr. M. R. Jayakar became its first Vice-Chancellor. B. G. Kher, Chief Minister and Education Minister of the government of Bombay, helped ensure the university received a large allocation of land for their campus. In early 1950, the university was allocated over 411 acres (1.7 km²).[4]

The University of Pune (earlier name) was renamed as Savitribai Phule Pune University on 9 August 2014[11] in the honor of Savitribai Phule who was an Indian social reformer who played an important role in improving women's rights in India during British rule. She founded the first women's school at Pune in 1848.

"The University stands for humanism and tolerance, for reason, for adventure of ideas and for the search of truth. It stands for the forward march of the human race towards even higher objectives. If the universities discharge their duties adequately then it is well with the nation and the people." Jawaharlal Nehru (first prime minister of India)

Its location has historical significance. Some incidents of the Battle of Khirkee, during the Third Anglo-Maratha War, took place where the present-day university is located. The present-day main building was built in 1864 and was known as the Governor's House. The university is home to IUCAA, an institute for astronomy.

Jurisdiction

Initially the university had a jurisdiction extending over 12 districts of western Maharashtra. With the establishment of Shivaji University in Kolhapur in 1962, the jurisdiction was restricted to five districts: Pune, Ahmednagar, Nashik, Dhule and Jalgaon. Out of these, two districts—Dhule and Jalgaon—are attached to the North Maharashtra University established in August 1990.[4]

Affiliations

In 1949, there were 18 affiliated colleges (including colleges such as the Fergusson College, and College of Engineering, Pune) with an enrolment of over 8000. Thereafter, the number of colleges increased. In 2010, the university had 41 graduate departments, 433 affiliated colleges and 232 recognised research institutions, with an enrolment of 496,531 students for undergraduate and graduate courses.

Vidyavani is a community radio operated by the university.[12] Programs are focused on departments of Pune University, student welfare schemes, information about exams, and results and activities of the university. Edutainment programmes which cater to the problems of youth are also broadcast.[13]

Research

More than 70 research institutions have been recognised by the Savitribai Phule Pune University for research. These include institutions of national importance like the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA), National Chemical Laboratory (NCL), National Centre For Cell Science (NCCS), National Institute of Virology (NIV), Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics (GIPE), Documentation Research and Training Centre (DRTC) of the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) among others.

Other research organisations which are associated with the university are:

Departments

Savitribai Phule Pune University

The university has departments and centres, offering courses in science, social science, management, law, etc.[10]

Jayakar Library

The library was founded in 1950 and is a center of reference and information. It subscribes to Indian and foreign research journals, and receives periodicals on a gratis and exchange basis. It has more than 450,000 books and journals. An inter-library loan facility is extended to colleges, institutions and government agencies. The Jayakar Library has preserved ancient Indian texts in the form of manuscripts and books. It has computerized all library activities and using RFID technology and has undertaken a project in digital library management.

Student halls of residence

The colleges of the university provide residences for students. The International Centre provides residences for international students, including visiting students.[16]

Vice-Chancellors

Past and present vice-chancellors of the university are:[17]

Notable alumni and faculty

Notable alumni of Savitribai Phule Pune University include major politicians of India including Vishwanath Pratap Singh, 7th Prime Minister of India; Pratibha Patil, 12th President of India; Vilasrao Deshmukh, 17th and 19th Chief Minister of Maharashtra; and Sharad Pawar, President of the Nationalist Congress Party and former Chief Minister of Maharashtra. P.V. Narasimha Rao, 9th Prime Minister of India, graduated from Fergusson College, when the college was under the University of Mumbai.

Khaled Bahah, 2nd Vice President of Yemen and Prime Minister of Yemen, received his BCom and MCom from the university.[18]

In science and engineering, notable alumni of the university include Padmanabhan Balaram, chemist and director of the Indian Institute of Science; Kantilal Mardia, statistician and Guy Medallists; Thomas Kailath, electrical engineer and recipient of the 2014 National Medal of Science; Vistasp Karbhari, civil engineer and the eighth president of the University of Texas at Arlington;[19] Suhas Patankar, professor at the University of Minnesota, and pioneer in the field of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and finite volume method; C. Kumar N. Patel, inventor of the carbon dioxide laser, recipient of the 1996 National Medal of Science and vice-Chancellor for Research at the University of California, Los Angeles;[20] and Vinod Scaria, bioinformatician, who is known for sequencing the first Indian genome. V. S. Huzurbazar served as the first head of the statistics department.

Kalpesh Veer, novelist; Prem Londhe, writer; Ashutosh Agashe, businessman-cricketer; and Shrikant Walher, singer, novelist, playwright and recipient of the 2001 Sahitya Akademi Award, are alumni of University of Pune as well.

See also

References

  1. "Motto in English – Pune University Emblem Details". University of Pune. Retrieved 22 July 2011.
  2. "University of Pune". topuniversities.com. Retrieved 7 August 2015.
  3. "It's Savitribai Phule Pune University". Times Of India. Retrieved 7 August 2014.
  4. 1 2 3 "Pune University History". Pune University. Retrieved 21 September 2013.
  5. "The University of Pune Campus". University of Pune. 2010. Archived from the original on 29 September 2011. Retrieved 29 September 2011.
  6. http://www.naac.gov.in/
  7. "Pune university to be renamed after Savitribai Phule". The Times of India. 8 July 2014. Retrieved 22 July 2015.
  8. http://www.unipune.ac.in/university_files/THE_ranking3.htm
  9. "List of Affiliated Colleges and Institutions". Pune University. Retrieved 22 September 2013.
  10. 1 2 "Departments List". Pune University. Retrieved 22 September 2013.
  11. http://www.sakaaltimes.com/NewsDetails.aspx?NewsId=4872853759362593029&SectionId=4924098573178130559&SectionName=Top%20Stories&NewsDate=20140809&NewsTitle=University%20of%20Pune%20renamed%20as%20Savitribai%20Phule%20Pune%20University%20(SPPU)
  12. "Visually impaired get taste of radio broadcasts". Times of India. 22 March 2009.
  13. http://www.unipune.ac.in/university_files/vidyavani.htm
  14. Welcome to Department of Foreign Languages
  15. http://cecunipune.in/
  16. "Facilities". Pune University. Retrieved 21 September 2013.
  17. "Vice-Chancellors List". University of Pune. Retrieved 11 January 2012.
  18. "New Permanent Representative of Yemen Presents Credentials". United Nations. 13 August 2014. Retrieved 8 August 2015.
  19. "Vistasp Karbhari takes helm as eighth president of The University of Texas at Arlington". PR Newswire. 1 June 2013. Retrieved 21 September 2013.
  20. "C. Kumar N. Patel". The American Institute of Physics. Retrieved 21 September 2013.

Coordinates: 18°33′08″N 73°49′29″E / 18.5523°N 73.8246°E / 18.5523; 73.8246

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