Veer Narmad South Gujarat University (VNSGU)

The vision of Veer Narmad South Gujarat University, as envisaged in the University Act, is to contribute to the field of higher education in the region and enable its inclusive development in all walks of life by making available trained personnel in s of life by making available trained personnel in various branches of human knowledge, keeping in mind the larger goals of nation-building. The University is committed to maintain high standards in both undergraduate and postgraduate teaching, promoting research and undertaking the requisite extension activities that would reach out to every section of society. Veer Narmad South Gujarat University has endeavoured to be an institution of excellence in higher education since its existence, keeping in view the regional needs and the emerging trends in the global scenario. A semi-urban University located at Surat city, the University has a campus spread over 210 acres. The University, re-accredited ‘B++’ grade with 2.86 CGPA on 4 Points scale by the National Accreditation and Assessment Council in 2022, is also accredited with ‘A’ grade with 3.02 CGPA in 2017. The university was originally established under the South Gujarat University Act, 1965 passed by the Gujarat State Legislative Assembly. It became functional from the academic year of 1966 and was incorporated as a University on 23 May, 1967. Recognized by the University Grants Commission in 1968, it was renamed as Veer Narmad South Gujarat University in 2004 after the great Gujarati poet Narmad, Narmadshankar Lalshankar Dave. The mandate of the University is to meet the developmental needs of the seven districts and two Union Territory in the region and attempts at realizing their potential in every walk of life ranging from technology, business, industry and commerce to language, culture, and fine arts. The basic objectives of the University as envisaged by the University Act are: When Dr. C. D. Deshmukh, the then chairperson of the University Grants Commission, visited Surat in December 1960, the same document was submitted to him. In February 1961 a submission entitled South Gujarat University : A Tentative Phased Programmed for its Establishment and Development was handed to the Education Minister. Further, at a meeting of this committee held in August 1962 a representational committee was appointed to explain the need, feasibility and urgency of the demand for a separate university for South Gujarat to the Education Minister. This committee popularly came to be known as the Lalbhai Committee after its Chairperson Shri L. R. Desai, Vice-Chancellor of Gujarat University who continued to chair first, the Evaluation Committee of 1964 and later, the Advisory Committee appointed under Veer Narmad South Gujarat University Act, 1965. The passing of this Act and the Saurashtra University Act was the outcome of these concerted efforts which led the Gujarat government to accept it in principle in 1964 and to set up a ten member study team to go into the question thoroughly from all angles. In addition to the many general recommendations for the efficient and effective organization of courses and administration in the new university [to cover the districts of Bharuch, Surat, Dang, valsad (including areas under foreign dominie which have or may later join this territory) ] this committee made very far-sighted recommendations for specific courses of study signally suited to the nature and development of the region. Among the course recommended were : Rural Studies, Microbiology, Forestry, Textile & Manmade Fibre Technology and Petrol Technology & Petrochemicals. Such recommendations reveal not only academic acuity but also foresight about the directions in which the economic development of the region was to move and a sense of commitment to the geographical and occupational composition of the region under the jurisdiction of the new university. After Veer Narmad South Gujarat University Act was passed by the end of 1965, in August 1966 the government of Gujarat appointed Shri Chandravadan Chunilal Shah as the first Vice-Chancellor and Shri Priyadatt Motiram Joshi as the first Registrar of the University. Thus the University was incorporated during the Third five-year Plan period. A temporary office of the University started functioning on the premise of the Sarvajanik College of Education from August 18, 1966 which was moved to the Non-residential Students’ Recreation Hall of Sir K. P. Commerce College in December 1966. Around the same time, through the appointment of one office superintendent, one assistant accountant and one junior stenographer the office became fully functional. In July 1967 the office moved to the Khandwala Bungalow in Athwa Lines and it was here that the first academic departments of the University became operational during the Fourth Plan period. The construction of buildings in the university campus started during the Fourth Plan period. The administrative office of the university and the Central library moved to the campus in 1976 while the teaching departments moved to the campus during the period 1977 to 1981.