The
University of Gorakhpur is a teaching and residential-cum-affiliating University.
It is situated at a distance of about 2 kilometers form the downtown to the east
and almost walking distance from railway station to the south. Although the idea
of residential University at Gorakhpur was first mooted by Dr. C.J. Chako, the
then Principal of St. Andrews College, then under Agra University, who initiated
post-graduate and undergraduate science teaching in his college, the idea got
crystallized and took concrete shape by the untiring efforts of Late Pt. S.N.M.
Tripathi. The proposal was accepted in principle by the first Chief Minister of
U.P., Late Pt. Govind Ballabh Pant, but it was only in 1965 that the University
came into existence by an act passed by the U.P. Legislature. It actually started
functioning since September 1, 1957, when the faculties of Arts, Commerce, Law
and Education were started. In the following year, 1958, the faculty of science
came into being. Faculties of Engineering, Medicine and Agriculture came into
existence in later years. Late Mahant Digvijay Nath also made valuable contribution
in the formation of the University. The Madan Mohan Malviya Engineering College.
At
one stage the federal jurisdiction of the University was spread over colleges
in Gorakhpur and the adjoining erstwhile twelve districts with about 125 affiliated
colleges. In 1973, when the Gorakhpur University Act was replaced by uniform piece
of legislation called the U.P. Universities Act, about two dozed colleges located
in five districts were transferred to the newly created Avadh University with
headquarters at Faizabad. The jurisdiction of the Gorakhpur University was drastically
curtailed further in its headquarters at Jaunpur. At present, with the establishment
of new colleges and the creation of new districts, there are 123 colleges located
in five districts of Gorakhpur Division.
In the beginning the University had
its own teething troubles. But due to the zeal, untiring efforts and foresight
of its founding fathers and the then faculty members, it has come of age having
completed more than forty years of a most meaningful existence. It now has neat
and attractive campus spread over an area of about 300 acres with well-planned
teaching and residential campuses. In the beginning the University was housed
in two buildings the Pant Block (inaugurated by late Pt. Pant) and the Majithia
Block (named after Sir Surendra Singh Majithia, who made a significant donation
to the building through his family trust). Several other buildings came up during
the following decades : they include the Central Library, the Arts Block, the
Administrative Block, the Law Faculty, a Student's Union building, a Gymnasium
hall, a Health Centre, a Computer Centre and Research Buildings for Chemistry,
Zoology, and Botany. Besides, there are separated Buildings for Commerce and Education
Faculties and also for Home, Science, Geography, Psychology, Sociology, Hindi,
Ancient History, Fine Arts and Music, Political Science and Adult Education. A
huge building comprising several big rooms besides and imposing auditorium, referred
to as Deeksha Bhavan, presently houses the separate girls' wing for the undergraduate
classes along with its use as an examination centre. Two separate building housing
a branch of Allahabad Bank and a sub-Post Office are also part of the University.
Samajiki Manviki Bhawan - was built about seven years ago. Besides the general
maintenance and repair work, and the general beautification of the campus on a
large scale, some hectic construction activities are also currently going on in
the University. Buildings of Department of Business Management and of Biotechnology
have been constructed. Additional lecture halls have been added in the Arts Faculty
Building.
In the residential zone, we have more than 125 quarters for teachers
and officials of the University and about the same number of the non-teaching
staff. There are several hostels - four boys and one complex with three wings
for the girls' - which have facilities of reading-cum-TV room, games, etc. The
students living in the city are attached to the Delegacy which looks after their
interests and provides facilities to them in extra-curricular activities.
The
academic culture of the University evolved out the cross fertilization of diverse
traditions of teaching and research. The seniors who gave a start to the institution
came from varying University backgrounds. What has thus been delivered to us is
a most liberal tradition of academic pursuit, a tradition rich in content and
intellectual stimulating. True to our motto, we have always believed in the free
quest of knowledge and have consistently refused to live under anything like an
inbred orthodoxy. Among the illustrious faculty members who distinguished themselves
in their own fields were elevated as Vice Chancellor and served more than once
are.
Prof. Mehrotra, R.C. for Allahabad & Delhi
Universities
Prof. Misra, R.S. for Kanpur and Lucknow Universities
Prof.
Pande, G.C. for Allahabad and Rajasthan Universities
Prof. Rastogi, R.P. for
B.H.U. for two successive terms
Prof. Sharma, D. for Gorakhpur and Indore Universities
Cont..
