Banastahali University – An Overview

The second-best Indian women’s university, the Banasthali University ensures overall development of the individual. The following post explores the institute in detail.

Foundation History

Established in 1935, the Banasthali University is the second university in India, dedicated exclusively for women. The university offers undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral studies only to women students. The university is situated in the Tonk district of Rajasthan nearly 72 kilometres away from Jaipur. A unique aspect that sets the university apart from the rest is its rural ambience that is absolutely conducive for simple living. The institute strictly abides by the philosophy of balanced Panchmukhi system of education aims at providing for the integrated development of an individual’s personality.

The institute has a solid establishment history. PanditHiralalShastri, the founding father of the institute, resigned from his post of Secretary in the Home and Foreign Department in Jaipur in 1927; he chose the remote village of Banasthali to begin his work in the service of people. In 1935, he founded the university in memory of hid deceased daughter Shantabai. The institute began with only 6 girls provided coaching in the mud huts provided by JiwanKutir. The name BanasthaliVidyapith was accepted only in 1943. The same year, learner courses were introduced in the college. By 1983, the UGC granted the institute the status of a Deemed University. From its rudimentary beginnings, today the institute has emerged as one of the leading institutes within the country.

Overview and Courses

Banasthali University (BU) has already been granted the status of a deemed university and the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) has accredited the institute with an ‘A’ Grade (Five Star Rating). With an aim of providing the best five-fold education, BU focuses on the five significant aspects—Physical, Aesthetic, Practical, Moral and Intellectual.

Those who want to apply in this university can choose from multiple courses. Whether it is about pursuing a Bachelors’ of Engineering or opting for a Doctor of Philosophy, BU offers a multitude of degrees and courses. There are certain criterions that the institute abides by in order to admit its students. The process is as given below:

Admissions are open to women students regardless of all social and national barriers. Once you have secured admissions, a student has to reside within the campus. However, if a student’s residence lies within 25 kilometres of the college or she happens to be the daughter of any of the staff members, she can be exempted from availing the hostel facilities. Major faculties operating within the institute are:

•     Faculty of Science and Engineering
•     Faculty of Fine Arts
•     Faculty of Education
•     Faculty of Home Science
•     Faculty of Management Studies
•     Faculty of Humanities
•     Faculty of Social Sciences

The institute abides by the concept of Five-Fold Education that aims at the amalgamation of spiritual values of the East and the Scientific Values of the west. Since the focus of the institute is the overall development of the individual, BU focuses on multiple interdependent components that require equal attention. If we explore the concept a little more, we will get to analyse the following: – Physical education programme includes swimming, shooting, riding and much more; aesthetics combine music and dance classes; practical and moral segments comprise multiple activities arts and crafts, learning to respect every religion; similarly on the intellectual front, environmental studies are also emphasized upon to a great extent.

Currently, at the postgraduate level, the institute offers courses like MSc in Bioinformatics, Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Applied Microbiology. Students can also pursue professional courses like MBA and MCA on a full-time basis. These courses are conducted on a semester basis. Alternatively, from 2004 onwards, all other courses pertaining to Humanities, Social Sciences and Home Science have begun to be run on a semester basis.

Apart from academics, the institute offers loads of activities that ensure the overall development of the individual.

Author Bio: Sampurna Majumder is a professional writer and a passionate blogger. Currently she is writing content for several websites such as Shiksha.Com that cover latest trends related to education in India such as courses and admission in various universities.