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Education
"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
These words of Jawaharlal Nehru embody in them the
guiding principle of Pune University. Established in 1948, the University has since become
one of the leading centres for research and teaching in the country. The 400 acre campus
is located in the North Western part of Pune. The placid environs and state of the art
facilities provide it's numerous students with an ideal atmosphere to pursue research in
various areas of Science, Arts, Commerce and Languages.
The University houses 40 departments which provide a wide array of
academic programs. Though a young centre,
the University has made a significant impact in various areas of research and teaching,
and continues to strive
for excellence.
The University of Pune ( formerly known as University of Poona ) was
established under the Poona University Act,
passed by the Bombay Legislature on 10th February, 1948. In the same year, Dr.
M. R. Jayakar assumed office as
the first vice chancellor of the University.
Shri B.G.Kher, Chief Minister and Education Minister,
Govt. of Bombay, took a keen interest in setting apart a
beautiful campus for the University. As a result of his efforts, a campus extending over
411 acres was allocated to
the University in early 1950.
Initially the University had a jurisdiction extending over 12 districts of Western Maharashtra. However, with the establishment of the Shivaji University, Kolhapur, in 1964, the jurisdiction of the University was restricted to 5 districts, namely Pune, Ahmednagar, Nasik, Dhule and Jalgaon. Out of these, two districts - Dhule and Jalgaon are attached to the North Maharashtra University established in August 1990
During the year 1949, there were only 18 colleges
affiliated to the University, with an enrollment of over 8000
students.Thereafter, the number of colleges increased, and in 1994-95, the University had
41 post-graduate
departments, 209 affiliated colleges and 118
recognized research institutions, with an enrollment of 1,70,000 students
for both the
under-graduate and post-graduate courses in different faculties.
70 research institutions have been recognized by the University for research. These include institutions of national importance like the National Chemical Laboratory (NCL), MACS, CWPRS, NIV, Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics, Deccan College among others.
Since its inception, the progress of the University of Pune has been inextricably linked with the efforts of an illustrious list of Vice-Chancellors.