Shivaji University

Shivaji University is established on 18th November 1962 in Kolhapur in the name of the legendary Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.  The University was inaugurated at the hands of the then President and senior educationist Dr. S. Radhakrishnan. Since its inception, the University has been working to meet the higher educational needs of the students in South Maharashtra and North Karnataka. The journey of the university started with 34 affiliated colleges, 5 departments and merely 14,000 students. Today it has been expanded to 276 affiliated colleges, 34 Departments, 10 Chairs, 19 Centers, 2 Schools and 220 various courses. Along with the teaching-learning process, the University has established its reputation in the field of research and development not only at national but at the international level, also. That is why, in the fourth re-accreditation cycle of NAAC (Bangalore) in the year 2021, Shivaji University received ‘A ++’ grade with 3.52 CGPA points. Shivaji University is ranked at band 251-260 in the BRICS World Rankings. Similarly the University is ISO 9001: 2015 certified.

1. The magnificent equestrian statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and the Main Administrative Building: While travelling on the old Pune-Bangalore highway, one can have a magnificent view of the Main Administrative Building of Shivaji University. The magnificent equestrian statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the attractive circular garden around it and the three-storied Main Administrative Building in the background captivate the visitors as they enter the University campus. This place is one of the most photographed places in Kolhapur.
2. S. Khandekar Memorial Museum: Kolhapur is the Karma Bhoomi of Jnanpith award winning senior litterateur (Late) V. S. Khandekar. Khandekar’s memorial museum has been set up at Shivaji University. It contains a replica of the room where he used to write, his literary works, collection of his various awards including the Jnanpith award. V. S. Khandekar memorial museum situated in V.S. Khandekar Bhasha Bhavan and the statue of Khandekar in front of it, has become a place of inspiration to many aspiring writers and students.
3. Walk through ‘Lead Botanical Garden’: The Department of Botany of the University, with the help of the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests, has set up a Lead Botanical Garden on an area of ​​six acres. It cultivates many rare species of plants across the country, including the Western Ghats, especially. More than a hundred species of palm trees are an attraction of this garden. It is an important Center for botanical research and conservation. The University has started a ‘Walk through Lead Botanical Garden’ initiative for curious citizens and students. Under this initiative, the students are given detailed scientific information about the plants in the garden by the experts of the department, thus inculcating the knowledge and love about plants into their minds.
4. Jalyukta University: Shivaji University has gained a reputation as a self-reliant University in terms of water since 2017. The university stores every droplet of rain into its various reservoirs and utilizes that water to meet its year-round needs. Many curious people from all over the country visit to see the ‘Water-rich University’ project of storing 33 crore liters of water implemented by the university. University has gained accolades from the experts, media and the society for this initiative. Dr. Rajendrasinh Rana has also visited and praised the initiative. The lake near the Department of Music is a very popular among the photographers and students. This place has become the ‘Sunset Point’ of the University.
5. Peacock View: Shivaji University has planted over 13,000 trees in its 853 acre area. Therefore, the University campus has become the Lung of Kolhapur city. More than 1200 peacocks live in this area. One can easily have glimpses of freely wandering peacocks in the mornings and evenings. Apart from this, 126 species of birds, nearly 60 species of butterflies can be seen in the area in different seasons. This is the place of venomous and non-venomous snake species, also.
6. Balasaheb Khardekar Knowledge Resource Center and the Library: Barr. Balasaheb Khardekar Knowledge Resource Center is one of the biggest libraries in South Maharashtra. The library has about five lakh books. It contains five thousand rare books published between 1716 A.D. and 1950 A.D. Puranas, Dharmashastras, Vedanta, Yogashastra etc. are conserved in the archives section of the Center. 6923 manuscripts on various subjects are also conserved here. Barr. Balasaheb Khardekar, Bhai Madhavrao Bagal, Dhananjay Kir and other famous personalities have donated over 50,000 rare books which are listed in this library. There is also a collection of old newspapers, historical coins and stones found in excavations at Brahmapuri (Kolhapur). A rare original copy of the Indian Constitution is another important treasure in this library. A well-equipped Resource Centre of Inclusive Education is specially set up for the benefit of Divyang (differently abled) students is also worth a visit. The garden in front of the library with ample study space for the students is also a popular place for reading and discussion.
7. Laboratories: The University has well-equipped laboratories in the Departments of Physics, Zoology, Botany, Chemistry, Environment Science, Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Electronics, Computer Science, Engineering Workshops along with other state-of-the-art equipment. These are the must visit laboratories for enthusiastic students and researchers. The state-of-the-art scientific equipments at the University Science Instrumentation Center (USIC) and its Common Facility Center (CFC) are also worth a visit.