Department of Human Rights and International Humanitarian Laws, Saurashtra University Rajkot

The Department of Human Rights began as an independent Center within the Department of Law in 1997 when there were only six universities in the whole country offering a course in Human Rights. As a Department it was established in 2001 and even today partment it was established in 2001 and even today holds the distinction of being the only few such department in western India. It offers LL.M course specialization in Human Rights and International Humanitarian Laws with a total intake capacity of 30 out of which 15 seats are self financed. Department has started PhD programmed since 1997. Total 26 students have been awarded their Ph.D. It has sound infrastructure with a separate building of its own with computer and internet facilities with Library. It has a highly qualified and competent team of faculties who use multi-media techniques in their teaching. The Department constantly endeavors to spread the awareness about human rights in the society through incorporating the latest issues of Human Rights in its syllabus and organizing field trips by its students and discharges its social obligation by mandatory program of extension activities for different target groups for promotion and protection of human rights. The Department has close association with such reputed institutes. The Saurashtra University was created on a rigorous demand, for a separate university out of Gujarat University (Ahmedabad), from the eminent educationists and freedom fighters of the Saurashtra region. The demand was more prominent after the creation of Gujarat state on May 1, 1961. The Saurashtra University Act was passed by the Legislative Assembly of Gujarat in the year 1965(Gujarat Act No. 39 of 1965). Saurashtra University, established on 23rd May, 1967, having two headquarters in the initial stage i.e. Rajkot and Bhavnagar. After the incorporation of the Bhavnagar University, Rajkot became the sole headquarters of the Saurashtra University. The campus of the University is spread over 363 acres of land. The present jurisdiction of the University includes Amreli, Jamnagar, Rajkot, Surendranagar, and Morbi districts. It has 29 Post Graduate Departments on its campus and 238 affiliated colleges. The University has important seats of learning spreading knowledge in the respective fields i.e. Nehru Chair, Baba Saheb Ambedkar Chair, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Chair, Swami Dayanand Saraswati Chair, Gulabdas Broker Chair, etc. The University runs a centre of learning and research in the name of Shri Zaverchand Meghani i.e. Meghani Lok Sahitya Kendra. The University in collaboration with Commissionerate of Industries, Government of Gujarat, and Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, has started National Facility for Drugs Discovery (NFDD) in the year 2009. The NFDD is a state of art centre of research and innovation. Later in the year 2014, the NFDD was transformed into Centre of Excellence (COE). COE is actively involved in generating funds from industrial consultancy.