University of Mysore

University of MysoreThe University of Mysore is a public state university located in Mysore, Karnataka, India. The University was founded during the reign of Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV, the Maharaja of Mysore. The university opened on 27 July 1916, with the first chancellor being the Maharaja of Mysore and the first Vice Chancellor being H. V. Nanjundaiah. The University became the first outside the domain of the English administration in India, the sixth University in India as a whole, and the first ever University in Karnataka. It is a state University of the affiliating type, and became autonomous on 3 March 1956, when it gained recognition from the University Grants Commission. The University encompasses 122 affiliated colleges and five constituent colleges (forming an aggregate of 53,000 students). In addition, the University has 37 postgraduate departments, eight specialised research and training centres and two postgraduate centres that together offer about 55 regular academic programmes to 3,500 students. It also runs a number of employment-oriented diploma courses and certificate programmes. The Mysore University Library comprises over 800,000 books, 2,400 journal titles and 100,000 volumes of journals. The main campus features an amphitheater, an auditorium, a swimming pool, and hostel accommodation for men and women. As of July 2013, the University of Mysore was accredited "Grade A" by National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), [1] while its academic staff was ranked amongst the top 5 across India
It is the 6th oldest university in India and the oldest in the state of Karnataka. It was established in 1916 by the then Maharaja of Mysore, Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV, after two of his educational experts C. R. Reddy and Thomas Denham, undertook a five-year study of higher education around the world. The structure of the university was designed after a thorough analysis of the functioning of those universities that had as their chief aim the promotion of original research (University of Chicago), those that laid emphasis on the extension of knowledge among the people (University of Wisconsin), and those that combined intellectualism with an educational system calculated to give training for political and social life (University of Oxford and Cambridge). H. V. Nanjundaiah who played a key role in establishing the university was elected by the Maharaja of Mysore to run the University as the first Vice Chancellor, and he held the post until his death in 1920. Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvarayya, the Dewan of Mysore at the time, also played a major role in its promotion. It was inaugurated on 27 July 1916. Maharaja College of Mysore and the Central College of Bangalore, which were previously affiliated to Madras University, became part of the new university. The Act was amended in 1933 and 1939 to make the senate representative of public life and to establish the academic council responsible for the academic affairs of the university. During the reorganization of Mysore state 1956, the Mysore University Act was passed, which made the university an autonomous body. In 1960, the university's graduate centre was set up in the picturesque environs of the Kukkarahalli lake. The national poet and the Jnanpith Award winner, K. V. Puttappa (Kuvempu), a former Vice-Chancellor of the University, christened this campus `Manasagangotri', meaning the eternal spring of the mind. Bangalore University was carved out in 1964 starting with Central College, Bangalore and the University Visvesvaraya College of Engineering. Mangalore University was formed out of the colleges in Dakshina Kannada in 1980. The act of 1956 was replaced by Karnataka State Universities Act, 2000 which came into force on 13 Sep 2001. Under the new act the senate has been abolished. It is one of the oldest university in India.
The university direction was made prominent towards basic science. The university has introduced an Integrated M.Sc courses in physics, chemistry, and Biochemistry. The University also has tied up with various Chinese universities for resource sharing and training in information technology education. The university has also initiated a next generation I-School at its campus. ISiM was conceptualised and established in 2005. The International School of Information Management (ISiM), has been initiated with the collaboration of a few US universities and IIIT- Bangalore. Faculties from partnering institutions teach in this Institute. ISiM, already has secured grants from Ford Foundation and several industries for various projects. Another development has been the setting up of the Third Sector Research Resource Centre (TSRRS).The Research Resource Centre has been set up with a grant from the Ford Foundation. The aim of the centre is to provide centralized infrastructural facility for researchers pursuing their studies in the area of Civil Society. TSRRC aims at pursuing and supporting research, training and consultancy in the area of Third Sector. Developing and offering Diploma and Masters program in the area of Non Profit Management is another area of focus. Recently the department of law in the university was incorporated into the Mysore University School of Justice (MUSJ). Continuing with the initiative of the university to introduce five-year integrated courses to produce professionals with in-depth knowledge, the MUSJ has introduced a programme leading to a degree in Law, in a bid to enhance the quality of legal education in Karnataka. Setting up of a National Centre for History of Science, Digital Library, Centre for International Programmes, School of Life Sciences, IT Division, Joint Campus with Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, Patent Awareness Cell and Entrepreneurial Park in Science & Technology are the main initiatives of the University. In the last five years, an Archeological and Folklore Museum has been established in the Jayalakshmi Vilas Mansion with the donation from the Infosys Foundation. University Evening College University Evening College has been an integral part of the University of Mysore. It is one of the four constituent colleges of the university. It has been a Kalpavriksha for the rural and the poor students. It is a Kamadhenu for the underprivileged students who, due to several reasons, cannot continue their studies after pre-university in day colleges. In other words, it is a place for those who cannot pursue their studies on regular basis. In accordance with the motto of the University “Nahi Jnaanena Sadrisham”, this college has been catering to the educational needs of youngster as well as middle aged aspirants. University Evening College was established in 1965 at the campus of Maharaja College, a premier college in Mysore. The evening college has the credit of enlightening thousands of students since its inception. Under their guidance and patronage of the above mentioned dignitaries, the college has grown into a well-known, regular college in Mysore. The college’s success is the result of their vision, foresight and constructive imagination. The college has been like a boon for those hard workers who desire to have graduate degrees in B.A., B.Com and B.B.M while earning their livelihood. Having studied in the college, now, many of them have occupied very important positions in different professional fields. Nagathihalli Chandrashekar, a renowned Kannada film director, studied in the college. There are poets, litterateurs, teachers, professors and top ranked administrative officers who had the benefit of studying in the evening college. The college is planning to celebrate its golden jubilee in 2015. The N.S.S (National Service Scheme) unit of this evening college has been dynamic for the last six years under the supervision of Dr. Parashuram, a distinguished faculty in the department of Kannada of the college. Over these years, the unit has successfully organised several programmes of wide ranging. In 2009-10, the unit was given the Mysore University NSS award and NSS state award. Through the NSS unit, the college has created a space for the students to participate, enlighten and create a consciousness among the public about social, economic, cultural, lega and environment issues of society. The college boasts of N.C.C (National Cadet Corps) unit too. National Cadet Corps is a Tri-Services Organization, comprising the Army, Navy and Air Force, engaged in grooming the youth of the graduate colleges in Mysore into disciplined and patriotic citizens. Over the last several years, it has been very active under the able incharge of Dr. Diwakar C, a distinguished faculty of the department of Political Science of the college. 

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