Osmania University is a collegiate public state university located in Hyderabad, Telangana, India. Mir Osman Ali Khan, the 7th Nizam of Hyderabad, issued a firman calling for its creation on 29 August 1917.[2] It is the third oldest university in southern India, and the first to be established in the erstwhile Kingdom of Hyderabad.[3][4][5] It was the first Indian university to use Urdu as a language of instruction,[2] although with English as a compulsory subject.[6] As of 2012, the university hosts 3,700 international students from more than 80 nations.[7]

Osmania University
Motto in English
Lead us from Darkness to Light
TypePublic
Established1918; 106 years ago (1918)
FounderMir Osman Ali Khan
Accreditation
Academic affiliations
ChancellorGovernor of Telangana
Vice-ChancellorProf. Kumar Moglaram Senior Professor, Department of Civil Engineering
Academic staff
445[1]
Students10,280[1]
Undergraduates1,989[1]
Postgraduates5,091[1]
3,200[1]
Address
Osmania University Main road, Amberpet
,
Tarnaka, Secunderabad, Hyderabad
, ,
India

17°24′40″N 78°31′44″E / 17.411°N 78.529°E / 17.411; 78.529
CampusUrban
Websitewww.osmania.ac.in
Osmania University is located in Hyderabad
Osmania University
Location in Osmania University
Osmania University is located in Telangana
Osmania University
Location in Telangana
Osmania University is located in India
Osmania University
Location in India
Osmania University is located in Asia
Osmania University
Location in Asia
Osmania University is located in Earth
Osmania University
Location in Earth

Osmania is one of the largest university systems in the world with over 300,000 students on its campuses and affiliated colleges. The Osmania Medical College was once a part of the Osmania University System.[8] However, it is now under the supervision of Kaloji Narayana Rao University of Health Sciences.[9][10][11]

History

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Students dressed in sherwani at the University College of Arts, c. 1939–1945.
 
B. E. Vijayam addresses students with the arts college in the background, c. 1973.

In 1917, Sir Akbar Hydari, in a memorandum to the Education Minister, emphasized the need to establish a university in Hyderabad with Urdu as the medium of instruction, "as it is the language of the widest currency in India".[12] On 26 April 1917, the Nizam of Hyderabad Mir Osman Ali Khan issued a firman to establish the Osmania University.[13]

The university began functioning in 1918 in a building adjacent to the Nizam College at Basheerbagh.[14] Arts and theology were the only two faculties offered, and the first batch consisted of 225 students and 25 faculty members.[15]

The government invited Patrick Geddes and Edwin Jasper to set up a permanent campus of the university.[16] Geddes surveyed prospective locations and presented his report in 1923.[13] Jasper drew up the building plans and the Nizam laid the foundation stone for the campus on 5 July 1934.[13] After Jasper left Hyderabad, the state architect Zain Yar Jung supervised the construction of the campus.[17]

Post-Independence (1947-present)

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After independence and the accession of Hyderabad State in 1948, the university fell under the purview of the state government. After the election of the first state government, the central government announced plans to convert Osmania University into a central university with Hindi as the medium of instructions. However, this led to protests and with pressure from the Mulki agitation, the plan was dropped.[18] Eventually, English replaced Urdu as the medium of instruction, and the Nizam's crown was also removed from the university seal.

 
The Nizam Mir Osman Ali Khan at the inauguration of "Osmania University Arts College", c. 1937.

Seal

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The original seal featured the Nizam's crown as the crest, along with the phrase Noorun Ala Noor. It also contained the hadith, "I am the city of knowledge and Ali is its gate".[19]

The present emblem contains inscriptions in Telugu and Sanskrit. The new logo has the Urdu letter Ain in between.

 
The university postage stamp released by the government of India on 15 March 1969

Campus

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The University College of Arts and Social Sciences has an architectural heritage structure similar to College of Sultan Hassan in Cairo, Egypt.[20]

The Main campus is a chief intellectual centre in Hyderabad, and its alumni and faculty members include many distinguished individuals, including former Prime Minister of India P. V. Narasimha Rao. Admission to Main campus departments of Genetics, Biochemistry, Biotechnology, Chemistry, Engineering, Management, and Law is highly competitive.[21] The state government has appointed Prof S.Ramachandram as vice chancellor of the university. The university is accredited by the NAAC with an 'A+' Grade and conferred with the status of 'University with Potential for Excellence' by the UGC, New Delhi.[22]

The University Colleges are located in begumpet university. There are ten such colleges: the University College of Arts and Social Sciences, University College of Commerce & Business Management, University College of Technology, University College of Engineering, University College of Law, University College of Science, Institute of Advance Study in Education, and PG College of Physical Education. The university offers courses in Humanities, Arts, Sciences, Social Sciences, Law, Engineering, Medicine, Technology, Commerce and Business Management, Information Technology and Oriental Languages. In 2001, Osmania was awarded five-star status by the National Accreditation and Assessment Council (NAAC) of the University Grants Commission, part of the Government of India.[23]

The university has a campus of nearly 1600 acres (6 km2) with 300,000 students (counting all the campuses, constituent affiliated colleges and district centres) making it one of the largest higher education systems in India. Nearly 5000 faculty and staff are employed at Osmania.[24] It attracts students from across the nation as well as from other countries.[25]

Organisation and administration

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The College of Engineering was one of the top 15 engineering schools in the country in 2012[26][27]

Constituent colleges

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Osmania University is a confederation of university colleges, constituent colleges, and affiliated colleges. The constituent colleges of the university include:[28]

Other Autonomous Centers

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Affiliated engineering colleges

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The affiliated engineering colleges of the university are mostly scattered throughout the GHMC area and offer various undergraduate and post-graduate engineering courses.[29] The affiliated engineering colleges include (in no particular order):

 
Chaitanya Bharathi Institute of Technology is affiliated to the Osmania University
 
The College of Law is one of the top 15 law schools in the country[30]

Academics

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Admissions

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Osmania is a non-profit university which is funded and managed by the government. Admissions into the Bachelor of Engineering, Masters and Doctoral programs in main campus is on a merit basis, evaluated by national entrance examinations (EAMCET, GATE, BCFSBTGMES-N&D, TSLAWCET, O.U. PhD Entrance Exam, DOST etc.) for each of the courses offered.

Library

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The University Library

The University Library is the main library of the university and it was founded in 1918 along with the university. It has close to 500,000 books and more than 6000 manuscripts, which includes rare palm leave manuscripts. It also has various journals, government documents, etc. The main library coordinates a library system, which connects the libraries in the entire campus and other constituent college libraries.[31][32][33]

Rankings

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University rankings
General – international
QS (World) (2023)[34]1201-1400
QS (Asia) (2023)[35]401–450
Times (World) (2023)[36]1201–1500
Times (Asia) (2022)[37]301–350
Times (Emerging) (2022)[38]301–350
General – India
NIRF (Overall) (2024)[39]70
NIRF (Universities) (2024)[40]43

Osmania University has ranked 1201–1400 in the world and 401–450 among universities in Asia category by the by the QS World University Rankings of 2023.[34][35] The Times Higher Education World University Rankings ranked it 1201–1500 globally in the 2023 ranking[36] 301–350 in Asia in 2022[37] and 301–350 among Emerging Economies University Rankings 2021.[38]

In India, the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) ranked Osmania University 43rd among Indian universities and 70th overall in 2024.[40][39]

Research

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The research activities are funded by various autonomous agencies of the government of India. Foreign students are also admitted to the university via UFRO (University Foreign Relations Office) that allots admissions with minimum criteria. Indian students living overseas Non-resident Indian are also admitted through UFRO that are usually ineligible to get admissions via the entrance exams quota.

Notable alumni and faculty

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Notable alumni of Osmania University include 9th Prime Minister of India P. V. Narasimha Rao,[21] Jaipal Reddy, cabinet minister, 16th and last Chief Minister of united Andhra Pradesh with Telangana Nallari Kiran Kumar Reddy, CEO Adobe systems Shantanu Narayen and senior advocate Subodh Markandeya.

Other alumni include spiritual guide and founder of Shrimad Rajchandra Mission Dharampur, Pujya Gurudevshri Rakeshji,[41] pro chancellor of khaja bandanawaz university Syed Muhammad Ali Al Hussaini, former Indian Cricket team captain Mohammed Azharuddin, cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle, novelist Venkatesh Kulkarni, author and poet Sneha Narayanan, PDSU founder George Reddy, former Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil, former governor of the Reserve Bank of India Yaga Venugopal Reddy, chemist Garikapati Narahari Sastry, Metallurgist and former Vice Chancellor of Banaras Hindu University Patcha Ramachandra Rao and physicist Raziuddin Siddiqui. Rakesh Sharma, cosmonaut and the first Indian to travel in space, was a graduate of Osmania.[42] Karan Bilimoria, founder of Cobra Beer, Member of the House of Lords, and the seventh Chancellor of the University of Birmingham earned his Bachelor of Commerce degree from Osmania in 1981.[43] Rafi Ahmed, a well-known virologist and immunologist graduated from Osmania University in 1968.

Notable former faculty members of the university include Bhadriraju Krishnamurti, Dravidianist and linguist, and founder of linguistics department at the university, physicist Suri Bhagavantam, and linguist Masud Husain Khan.[citation needed]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e "NIRF 2022" (PDF). Osmania University. Archived (PDF) from the original on 10 July 2022. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
  2. ^ a b Roger L. Geiger (2009). Curriculum, accreditation, and coming of age of higher education. Transaction Publishers. pp. 154–155. ISBN 978-1-4128-1031-9. Archived from the original on 22 August 2022. Retrieved 16 October 2011.
  3. ^ "H.E.H. Nizam Mir Osman Ali Khan" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 September 2012. Retrieved 21 August 2012.
  4. ^ History Archived 22 February 2008 at the Wayback Machine oucde.ac.in
  5. ^ "INSA". Insaindia.org. Archived from the original on 21 February 2014. Retrieved 21 August 2012.
  6. ^ "Osmania University first to teach in blend of Urdu & English". The Times of India. 27 February 2017. Archived from the original on 17 July 2018. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
  7. ^ "Hyderabad: Osmania University tells foreign students to keep off drugs". ibnlive.in.com. Archived from the original on 2 September 2012. Retrieved 1 September 2011.
  8. ^ "About OMC". Osmania Medical College. Archived from the original on 4 October 2013. Retrieved 3 October 2013.
  9. ^ "Modi accorded warm welcome in Telangana". The Hindu. 8 August 2016. Archived from the original on 22 August 2022. Retrieved 14 October 2018.
  10. ^ "Telangana starts disaffiliation of colleges under NTR health university". The Times of India. 11 February 2016. Archived from the original on 20 February 2019. Retrieved 14 October 2018.
  11. ^ "Warangal prison will now host a university". 21 July 2016. Archived from the original on 17 June 2018. Retrieved 14 October 2018.
  12. ^ Akbar, Syed (23 April 2017). "OU architect was Nizam's emissary before merger". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 5 November 2019. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
  13. ^ a b c "How the Osmania University came about". The Hindu. 28 January 2019. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
  14. ^ "Osmania University first varsity in India to introduce Urdu medium". The Times of India. 22 February 2017. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
  15. ^ Mohan, Saadhya (6 May 2022). "In Limelight for Denying Entry to Rahul, Osmania University Has a Rich History". TheQuint. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
  16. ^ "Arts College building, a hand-me-down architectural gem". The Hindu. 8 April 2017. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
  17. ^ "Arts College: a historic masterpiece". The Hindu. 8 October 2012. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
  18. ^ "When Nehru dropped Hindi bombshell & Osmania University erupted". The Times of India. 18 March 2017. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
  19. ^ "Dispute over logo at Hyderabad's Osmania University". Deccan Chronicle. 22 January 2017. Archived from the original on 9 October 2019. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
  20. ^ "A slice of Egypt in Hyderabad". The Hindu. Chennai, India. 14 February 2011. Archived from the original on 19 May 2011. Retrieved 12 December 2011.
  21. ^ a b "P. V. Narasimha Rao – A Profile". Indian PM's official website. Archived from the original on 28 March 2009.
  22. ^ "Osmania University ranked 6th among top ten universities" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 June 2012. Retrieved 21 August 2012.
  23. ^ Team indiaresultszone.com (25 November 2007). "Ranking of University | India". Indiaresultszone.com. Archived from the original on 5 June 2012. Retrieved 21 August 2012.
  24. ^ "About Osmania University". Osmania University. Archived from the original on 4 October 2013. Retrieved 3 October 2013.
  25. ^ Aarti Dhar (15 July 2012). "News / National : Still a small global campus". The Hindu. Chennai, India. Archived from the original on 17 August 2012. Retrieved 21 August 2012.
  26. ^ "Overall Ranking of Top Engineering Colleges" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 31 May 2012. Retrieved 21 August 2012.
  27. ^ Special Correspondent (23 July 2012). "Cities / Hyderabad : Osmania University computer science students placed high". The Hindu. Chennai, India. Archived from the original on 29 August 2012. Retrieved 21 August 2012. {{cite news}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  28. ^ "Osmania University Constituent Colleges". osmania.ac.in. Archived from the original on 26 December 2018. Retrieved 29 June 2019.
  29. ^ "Affiliated Colleges List Under Osmania University". Osmaina University. Archived from the original on 15 September 2013. Retrieved 1 October 2013.
  30. ^ "Outlook Rankings: NALSAR, Hyderabad ranked the best law school in the country; followed by NLSIU, Bangalore and NLIU, Bhopal". Barandbench.com. Archived from the original on 17 January 2013. Retrieved 21 August 2012.
  31. ^ "University Library". Osmania University. Archived from the original on 5 October 2013. Retrieved 3 October 2013.
  32. ^ Parasa, Rajeswari (18 May 2019). "Osmania University renames library after Dr B R Ambedkar". Deccan Chronicle. Archived from the original on 6 June 2019. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
  33. ^ Ramu, Marri (6 June 2019). "PIL against changing name of Osmania varsity library". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Archived from the original on 22 August 2022. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
  34. ^ a b "QS World University Rankings 2023". QS Quacquarelli Symonds Limited. 8 June 2022.
  35. ^ a b "QS Asia University Rankings 2023". QS Quacquarelli Symonds Limited. 8 November 2022.
  36. ^ a b "World University Rankings 2023". Times Higher Education. 2022.
  37. ^ a b "Asia University Rankings 2022". Times Higher Education. 2022.
  38. ^ a b "Emerging Economies University Rankings 2022". Times Higher Education. 2022.
  39. ^ a b "National Institutional Ranking Framework 2024 (Overall)". National Institutional Ranking Framework. Ministry of Education. 12 August 2024.
  40. ^ a b "National Institutional Ranking Framework 2024 (Universities)". National Institutional Ranking Framework. Ministry of Education. 12 August 2024.
  41. ^ "Gurudev Rakesh Bhai". Spiritual Science Museum. Puremindz. Archived from the original on 16 March 2022. Retrieved 21 July 2022.
  42. ^ "Nizam College fete from tomorrow". The Hindu. 19 February 2008. Archived from the original on 4 March 2008. Retrieved 1 October 2013.
  43. ^ "Lord Bilimoria appointed as Chancellor of the University of Birmingham". Birmingham University. Retrieved 17 December 2014.
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