SNDT Women's University

History

The year 1896 marked the beginning of a new era in the history of women’s education in India when Bharatratna Dhondo Keshav Karve established an ashram for widows and helpless women at Hingne near Pune. He realized that to make these women self-sufficient, -reliant and -confident, schooling was essential at the ashram. Karve launched a programme of schooling there, which latter became a regular school for girls and women. In a society governed by age-old customs and conservative attitudes towards women, an institution of this type was bound to face social and economic difficulties. He had a dream of establishing a women’s university. His friends sent him a booklet on the Japan Women's University in Tokyo. In December 1915 Karve, in his presidential address to the National Social Reform Congress in Bombay, announced his decision to shape his dream into reality. On 2 July 1916 the first college started with the enrollment of five students; it gradually took shape as a women’s university. Karve did not wait for the government permission for funds.

In 1920 the university was named Shreemati Nathibai Damodar Thackersey Women’s University.

In 1936, the headquarters was shifted to Bombay. The university continued to grow, providing higher education to more and more women. In 1951, the university was granted statutory recognition and was renamed as Shrimati Nathibai Thackersey Women’s University now popularly known as SNDT Women’s University. The recognition came along with rare privilege of having a jurisdiction across the country.

On 5 July 2016 University marked completion of 100 years of its existence. It was the first Women's University in India and South East Asia.

University profile

Today, the University has an enrolment of over 70,000 students. It has three campuses, located at Churchgate, Santacruz-Juhu, Pune. The university has 39 university departments, 15 faculties. There are 174 undergraduate colleges and 8 institutions recognized for PhD degree. The university continues to manage three secondary schools for girls, which it had inherited. The university is actively involved in teaching, research and extension. SNDT is the first university in Maharashtra to obtain a five-star rating from the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) of India in the year 2000 and was reaccredited with A grade in 2015

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Collaborations

The university has collaborated with state and central governments, industry, national and international organisations to develop and conduct academic programmes, undertake research and work with the community. The partners include the government of Maharashtra, ministries of the government of India, University Grants Commission, UNICEF, British Council, Association of Commonwealth Universities and Swedish International Development Agency.

Colleges/university Departments

SNDT Women's University has 39 university Departments, 13 institutions and 174 colleges as of 2016. The University celebrated 100 years in July 2016. Following are some of the Departments and institutions of the university.

Courses

In the academic year 2015-16, university offered 250 academic programmes from Diplomas to PhDs. There are `5 faculties underwhich varied academic programmes are offered.

within Faculty of Communication & Media Studies apart from BMM prgorammes at four colleges, PG programmes are offered at Juhu and Pune Campuses.

AT PV Polytechnicat Juhu Campus

For the list of courses visit http://sndt.digitaluniversity.ac/Content.aspx?ID=1.

Notable alumni