JADAVPUR UNIVERSITY

Jadavpur University was established in 1955, but its origins go back another half-century. In 1905, the National Council of Education, Bengal, was set up by a group of patriotic Indians including Rabindranath Tagore and Aurobindo Ghosh, catalyzed by the organizational genius of Satish Chandra Mukherjee. Its objective was to provide modern Western-style education – especially the technical education which the British were purveying so sparingly – to Indian youth under Indian control with the interests of the nation in mind.

Such an institution could only come into its own after Independence. The nascent Jadavpur University burgeoned under the inspiring guidance of the first Vice-Chancellor, Triguna Sen. Gradually, its core Faculty of Engineering and Technology came to be matched by the Faculties of Arts and Sciences. Today, Jadavpur University would be counted one of India’s top ten universities by any count, often among the first three or five. It has consistently received the highest grades from the National Assessment and Accreditation Council. It is one of India’s first ‘Universities with Potential for Excellence’ as determined by the University Grants Commission. It has wide interaction, including student and faculty exchange and joint research programmes, with leading institutions across India and the world in all areas covered by its activities.

Today the University has 37 departments grouped under three Faculties. The faculty strength is approximately 850, with around 11,000 students on two campuses. The University also offers a range of short courses and training programmes, and outreach programmes in many parts of West Bengal. It has also just set up a separate Faculty for Interdisciplinary Studies as a home for the 21 Interdisciplinary Schools that are a unique feature of the University. The School of Cultural Texts and Records, home of the Bichitra project, is one such School. The University also has 41 independently managed Centres for study and research.

For full details of all aspects of University life and activities, visit the University website at: www.jaduniv.edu.in