Brief Profile of MSUB:
Brief Profile of The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda
(NAAC Reaccreditated ‘A+’ Grade with CGPA 3.43)
The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda (MSU) is recognized as one of the premier institutions of higher learning and research in the country. Since its inception in 1949, the University has demonstrated a keen interest and a commitment to the sustenance and promotion of an environment, favourable to the growth and development of an academic excellence – a commitment that forms a part of the rich legacy of the institution.
Educational institutions which preceded the Maharaja Sayajirao University and which went on to form a part of its foundational legacy, included the “Baroda College”, one of the oldest centers of learning in Western India, founded in the year 1881 by His Highness Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III. The enlightened ruler in the year 1909 established the “Kala Bhavan”. His Highness Maharaja Pratapsinhrao Gaekwad pursued the idea of establishing a University and on the recommendation of a committee, the Government of Baroda, in its order No. (R) 169-39 dated 21st February 1949, decided to establish a Residential University at Baroda. The bill for establishment of the University was passed by the Legislative Assembly and received the assent of His Highness Maharaja Pratapsinhrao Gaekwad on April 29, 1949, and the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda came into existence on April 30, 1949.
The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, a State University with English as its medium of instruction is a premier unitary residential University, established on 30th April, 1949 recognized by Government of India under the Indian Universities Act, 1958.
The University has been assigned ‘A’ Grade by National Assessment and Accreditation Council with CGPA of 3.16 in the year 2016. It has one main and 6 satellite campuses, spread over 274.81 acres of land.
The University comprises of 111 Departments under the umbrella of 14 Faculties, 3 Constituent Colleges, 8 Institutes and 13 Centers of Specialized Studies, wherein more than 46,000 students pursue higher studies under the care and supervision of more than 1450 highly qualified and experienced teaching staff.
The University has 16 Hostels, Health Centre, Sports Ground, Convocation Ground, Press and Stationery Unit, Guest House as well as other academic and administrative units spread across the campus. Besides, there are 9 Multipurpose Auditoriums, 8 well equipped Seminar Halls, 2 Open Air Theatres, an Amphitheatre, a Play Box, an Art Gallery, an Arboretum, a Botanical Garden, several lecture theatres and conference rooms. The Archaeological Museum in the campus has a collection of Harappan unicorn seals, holy relics of Lord Buddha, Toraman, terracotta Buddha images and other articles. The University has an Astronomical observatory set up in 1939 to promote the field of Science, which holds an 8-inch refractor telescope.
The University offers a wide range of academic programmes from early childhood to Under-Graduate and Post-Graduate levels including Ph.D., with Choice Based Credit System (CBCS) for students to select value added subjects of their interest, other than Grant-in-Aid academic programmes. The University also offers innovative Science and Technology programmes in the field of Cell and Molecular Biology, Nanotechnology, Petroleum Geology, Medical Biotechnology, Bioinformatics, Disaster Management, Embedded Systems, Packaging Engineering, Welding Technology etc through some cutting edge research centers like Centre for Biotechnology, Prof. Bharat Chattoo Genome Research Centre, Centre for Molecular Genetics, Cluster Innovation Centre, Centre for Excellence in Polymer and Siemens Centre of Excellence for industry automation. Other than that, a number of socially relevant job and knowledge oriented academic programmes are also on offer by the University like M.E. in Microelectronics & VLSI Design, Master of Urban and Regional Planning, Post-Graduate Diploma in Strategic Human Resource Management, P. G. Diploma in Food Service Management as well as Bachelor and Master of Design. University also offers Certificate Courses in Temple Management, Diet and Healthy Living, Sports Nutrition, Fitness Management, etc.
The University interacts extensively with the Industry and the civil society in the curriculum development and updation process. The University has signed MOU’s with International Universities/Institutes like University of Cambridge, University of Laval, University of Stuttgart, University of Cornell, Ithaca, University of South Carolina, Keio University etc. for the exchange of students and teachers which adds to the enrichment of curriculum from global perspective.
The Centre for Life Long Learning and Extension offers 36 short term and 22 long terms courses on Ancient Indian studies, Art and craft, Human Social Development, Language Proficiency, Computer Education, Hotels/ Cookery, Personal Grooming etc.
Smt. Hansa Mehta Library is the Central Library in addition to 13 constituent libraries and 25 Departmental libraries with over 8 lakh books/periodicals and above 14000 digitized Dissertations/Theses. It has the single largest air-conditioned reading room which can accommodate about 1600 readers at a time and the library is open to the readers 14 hours a day.
The All India & Central Services Training Centre conducts classes for preparation of UPSC, State PSC and SSC pattern examination and provides guidance for exams like NDA, CDS, IB, SHO, Police, RBI and other banks.
The MSU has one of the largest Hostel Campuses in western India with 12 Boys’ and 4 Girls’ Hostels with all modern amenities. Hostel admission is an online process from application to allotment of room to the students.
The University Health Centre provides routine medical treatment to the students and staff of the University and has a physiotherapy unit, a Pathology Laboratory and Marg Counselling Centre.
The University has a magnificent union pavilion overlooking a large ground with outdoor facilities like an athletic track, a cricket ground, hockey and football fields, two tennis courts, two basketball courts, four volleyball courts, two kabaddi grounds, malkhamb, a kho-kho ground, a handball court and a swimming pool. Indoor facilities include table tennis hall, badminton court, gymnasium and a multipurpose hall.
The University has developed student digital life-cycle through MKCL. When students are admitted in their first year, they get a unique 14-digit Permanent Roll Number (PRN) which continues forever. The University has also adopted Online Admission Application System and every year it gets admission queries of nearly 45,000 students across the globe. The University introduced reforms in the examination system and all faculties have been brought under MSU Examination Portal (MEP) system. The University fees’ collection and other record keeping systems being online are of great help to the students. The recruitment process of teaching and non-teaching staff is also through online job portal. The University has started student facilitation centre from where students get all academic and research enquiries taken care at one place. The Student’s Facilitation Centre provides the information related to admissions, courses, application forms, generation of examination forms & hall tickets, results, counselling and queries related to students’ life cycle in the University.
Office of Career Advancement for Students looks after the counselling, training, placement and imparts training for soft skills and coordinates with the agencies for arranging the placement drive. The Faculties of Social work and Management Studies have achieved 100% placement. An overall average 65% placement is the normal trend On and Off campus. The Directorate of Students’ Welfare disburses scholarships to the students of economically weaker sections.
An Incubation Centre and Start Up Centre set up at the campus encourages the spirit of innovation and provides a platform to the youth for exploration and implementation of innovative ideas and their conversion into start-up ventures. Some of the academic, social & technical events like Prerna, Paramarsh, Footprints, BBA Baazigar, Cyberia, Yuvaantas etc. are initiatives exclusively planned and managed by the students. They have gained prominence and popularity not only in the state but across the country as well. Office of Alumni Affairs of the University also engages in compiling information about various alumni associations, organises monthly interacting sessions in various departments across the university, coordinates the reunions, collects details of eminent alumni and helps in Alumni registrations. Xplore MSU – A Heritage Walk initiated for the first time in the history of the University gained interest amongst large public. Institute of Leadership and Governance has also been established in University which primarily focuses on training and trans-disciplinary aspects of leadership as well as on studies on good governance structures, practices and processes which is highly essential today. The University promotes students’ participation in various processes and therefore conducts students’ election and students regularly participate very actively to develop their leadership qualities.
The University has always been in a pioneering position in implementing the policy issues regarding education. It rose to the occasion during the recent pandemic by conducting a large number of on-line programmes and switching over to the online mode of teaching and evaluation successfully. The University organised numerous programmes to propagate the letter and spirit of the National Education Policy and has taken significant strides towards its effective implementation.
All these aspects make The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda one of the leading Institution in the area of Higher Education and Research.
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