Gauhati University

University rankings
University rankings
General – international
QS (Asia) (2023)	601–650
Times (World) (2024)	1000-1200
General – India
NIRF (Overall) (2024)	57
NIRF (Universities) (2024)	40

Gauhati University
Motto	Vidyayo Sadhayeta
Motto in English	Achievement through Learning/Knowledge
Type	Public state university
Established	26 January 1948; 76 years ago
Founders	Gopinath Bordoloi; Krishna Kanta Handique; Birinchi Kumar Barua;
Accreditation	NAAC
Academic affiliations	UGC; AIU; ACU;
Chancellor	Governor of Assam
Vice-Chancellor	Nani Gopal Mahanta
Academic staff	341 (2018)
Administrative staff	1167 (2018)
Students	5411 (2018)
Undergraduates	1290 (2018)
Postgraduates	3721 (2018)
Doctoral students	398 (2018)
Location	Guwahati, Assam, India; 26.1537°N 91.6634°E
Campus	Urban, 650 acres (According to University prospectus 2024-2025)
Acronym	GU
Website	www.gauhati.ac.in

Gauhati University also known as GU, is a collegiate public state university located in Guwahati, Assam, India. It was established on 26 January 1948 under the provisions of an Act enacted by the Assam Legislative Assembly and is the oldest university in Northeast India.^[4] As of 2024, Gauhati University is esteemed as the 40th-ranked institution in India according to the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF), securing its position within the top 100 educational institutions.^[5] It is accredited with a grade of 'A+' by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council in its 4th cycle of accreditation on 5 July 2024.^[6]

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Starting with 18 affiliated colleges and 8 Post Graduate Departments in 1948, Gauhati University, today, has 39 Post Graduate Departments, besides IDOL (Institute of Distance and Open Learning), a constituent Law and Engineering College. It has 341 affiliated colleges offering undergraduate and post graduate courses in the faculties of Arts, Science, Commerce, Law, Engineering and Technology. Gauhati University is a member of the Association of Indian Universities and the Association of Commonwealth Universities respectively.^[7]

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Accreditation

The University currently holds a National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) with a CGPA of 3.32, which corresponds to an "A+" grade.^[8]

History

Vice-Chancellors

Krishna Kanta Handique 1947 – 1957
Surya Kumar Bhuyan 1957 – 1960
H. C. Bhuyan 1960 – 1962
Phanidhar Dutta 1962 – 1962
Harold John Taylor 1962 – 1965
M. N. Goswami 1965 – 1971
S. C. Rajkhowa 1971 – 1974
H. K. Barua 1974 – 1979
J. M. Choudhury 1979 – 1986
D. P. Barooah 1986 – 1991
N. K. Choudhury 1991 – 1996
Hiralal Duarah 1996 – 2001
G. N. Talukdar 2001 – 2006
Amarjyoti Choudhury 2006 – 2008
Okhil Kumar Medhi 2008 – 2013
Mridul Hazarika 2013 – 2019
Pratap Jyoti Handique 2019 – 2024
Nani Gopal Mahanta 2024 – present

The first public demand was made at the annual session of the Assam Association held at Sivasagar in 1917. In 1940, the Government appointed S. K. Bhuyan as Special Officer with the task of collecting relevant information on the selection of site and related matters.^[9] The university was established by an act of the State Legislature: the Gauhati University Act 1947 (Assam Act, XVI of 1947) of the government of Assam in 1948. The first court meeting of the university was held on 26 January 1948, which is considered the foundation day, at the old Sudmerson Hall of Cotton College, Guwahati.^[10]

Gauhati University started functioning as an affiliating, teaching and residential university in a few temporary buildings in Guwahati, with K.K Handique as the first vice-chancellor, Phanidhar Dutta, Sailandhar Rajkhowa and Sarat Kumar Dutta were selected as the registrar, treasurer and secretary of university classes, respectively. The emblem of the university, selected from among many submitted, was designed by Tripureswar Mukhopadhyay, a textile designer of Ahmedabad. Two Sanskrit words inscribed on it – Vidyaya Sadhayeta (meaning achievement through learning) – indicate the motto of the university.^[7] It had 17 affiliated colleges and eight Post Graduate Departments on its establishment.^[9] The university which started functioning from the city center was shifted to the present campus in 1955–56.

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Campus

The university is in Jalukbari in the Guwahati city area. The campus has a hillock on the southern side and the Brahmaputra river flows on the northern side. The campus area has been developed into a small township, now known as 'Gopinath Bardoloi Nagar'. It has about 6000 population including 3700 students residing in the hostels.^[11]

Apart from the residential quarters of teachers, officers and employees, there are 22 halls of residence for students. The necessary civic amenities such as health service, water supply, street lighting, internal roads, guest house, post and telegraph office, a branch of the State Bank of India, United Bank Of India, canteens, a market, parks, playgrounds, auditorium, indoor stadium, etc. are on campus.^[12]

The university is 10 km from the Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport on National Highway No. 37; 5 km from Kamakhya Railway Station; and 10 km from Guwahati Railway Station as well as from the bus stop near the Cachari (D.C. court) at the heart of Guwahati City. The capital complex of Assam at Dispur is 22 km from the university. The university is easily accessible from the Guwahati city; Guwahati has road, rail and air links from all parts of the country. A large number of bus services from parts of Assam have their station at Adabari bus stand which is 2 km from the campus.^[13]

To automate their internal processes, Gauhati University has chosen Kalingasoft's flagship Education ERP solution, Greycells. This implementation has resulted in the complete automation of the university's academic, administrative and financial processes.

Library and regional center

The North Eastern Regional Centre (NERC) of the Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR) is in the Gauhati University Central Library Extension Building. Along with Bangalore ICHR Regional Centre, this is the only regional centre in GU so far.

The university's Krishna Kanta Handique Library is a designated 'Manuscript Conservation Centre' (MCC) under the National Mission for Manuscripts established in 2003.^[14]

The library is the largest in Assam, holding about 850,000 books, magazines, and journals in its collection. It also hosts about 5,000 valuable priceless manuscripts, some more than 300 years old.^[15]

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Controversy

On 30 June 2024, the Assam Crime Investigation Department (CID) and local police arrested nine individuals, including three government officials, in connection with a mark sheet scam at Gauhati University. The scheme involved manipulating students' marks for a fee, with claims that the rates reached ₹16,000 for individual papers and up to ₹100,000 for all papers in a semester.^[16]

Concerns were raised by the Postgraduate Students’ Union, prompting Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to call for an investigation. The CID, assisted by university authorities, conducted raids in multiple locations, leading to the arrests of individuals identified as Azizul Haque, Krishan Krishnamurti, Ismail Hussain, Alomgir Khan, Moinul Haque, Hamezuddin, Abul Baser, Aminul Islam, and Shivtosh Mahato.^[17]

The vice-chancellor of Gauhati University, Pratap Jyoti Handique, indicated that the mastermind behind the operation is an employee of the Integrated University Management System (IUMS). The investigation, initially focused on Barpeta, revealed further complexities, leading to ongoing inquiries and the possibility of additional arrests.^[18]

On 30 September 2024, Gauhati University temporarily closed two boys’ hostels—RCC-1 and RCC-2—following a violent clash between students on 27 September, a day after the postgraduate elections.^[19] The incident resulted in injuries to both students and security personnel, with some requiring intensive medical care.^[20]

According to a notice issued by the university, the situation escalated due to the involvement of outsiders, leading to serious injuries. As a result, the administration ordered the immediate closure of the two hostels. Alternative accommodation arrangements were made for the residents of RCC-1 and RCC-2 in other hostels within the university campus.^[21] The students were given a 48-hour window, ending at 4 pm on 2 October, to relocate, with the university providing transportation facilities to facilitate the move.^[22]

The district administration and local law enforcement were called upon to maintain peace and security on the campus. The university, in its statement, emphasized its commitment to ensuring the safety of its students and preventing further incidents.^[23] Wardens from other hostels were instructed to assist in the relocation process and ensure that mess facilities were available for the displaced students. The relocation was required to be completed by 2 October, and a final list of relocated boarders was to be submitted by 5 October.^[24]

On 15th November 2024, a staff member of Gauhati University was detained on allegations of extorting money from students. The accused, identified as Ankur Barman, was apprehended from the university premises. Barman, who was employed in the office of the Controller of Examinations, allegedly demanded money from students in exchange for providing various services. Police investigations indicated that he had been involved in such activities for an extended period. A police official from the Jalukbari Outpost confirmed the arrest, stating that Barman was detained for extorting funds from students and remains in custody.^[25]^[26]^[27]

On December 2, 2024, Gituraj Lahkar, an employee of Gauhati University, was arrested by Jalukbari Police on charges of accepting a bribe. According to the allegations, Lahkar had accepted Rs 1,800 from a female student for securing her admission. The student filed an FIR at the Jalukbari Police Station, leading to the arrest.^[28]

The University has faced ongoing challenges related to delays in examination results and the issuance of certificates. These delays, which have persisted for years, have led to dissatisfaction among students and alumni, impacting their academic and professional pursuits. Many students have reported waiting extended periods for their exam results, with some still awaiting results from semesters completed over a year ago. For instance, a student pursuing a BA LLB program expressed concerns about not receiving results for their third semester, which hindered their academic progress. The issue is not restricted to undergraduate students. Alumni have also raised concerns about delays in obtaining necessary documents such as degree certificates and transcripts. These delays have affected many individuals who require these documents for higher education or employment opportunities. Some former students have reported difficulty in reaching the university’s administration, with complaints about the lack of response to emails and calls. The Post Graduate Students’ Union (PGSU) has been vocal about these issues, citing systemic problems such as an outdated university portal, a shortage of permanent faculty, and slow processing of results by the Controller of Examinations. These inefficiencies, according to the union, have led to confusion and disruptions in students' academic journeys. The University has acknowledged these challenges. Officials have attributed the delays to factors such as outdated systems, staff shortages, and procedural bottlenecks. Despite assurances of improvements, including plans for digitization and process streamlining, many students and alumni remain skeptical, noting that the situation has not significantly improved over the years. Experts suggest that modernizing the university’s digital infrastructure and improving administrative efficiency could address some of these challenges. Enhancing staff training and ensuring adequate personnel might also help alleviate the operational issues contributing to the delays. While the university's leadership has committed to addressing these concerns, the delays in results and certificates continue to tarnish its reputation. Stakeholders, including current students and alumni, have called for greater transparency and accountability, with many urging the university to take concrete steps to resolve the longstanding issues. The situation highlights the need for systematic changes to ensure timely processing of academic records and certificates, which are critical for students’ future opportunities.^[29]

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Enrollment Initiatives

On December 1, 2024, the university implemented various initiatives aimed at reducing brain drain and increasing its gross enrolment ratio. One such measure includes introducing second-shift classes after 2 pm to accommodate more students. The university currently receives around 24,000 applications for postgraduate courses but can only admit about 1,800 students. After introducing the afternoon shift, it is expected that the number of seats will increase from 1,800 to 3,600. The university is also planning to introduce new courses and collaborate with experts across different fields to enhance educational opportunities. Brain drain remains a significant challenge in Assam, with many students leaving for higher studies and often not returning due to limited opportunities in the state. To tackle this, the university has recently appointed around 1,000 new college teachers, 70% of whom are from Assam but had studied outside the state. Additionally, The University is working on expanding its infrastructure and educational offerings. The university is in talks with the National Institute of Electronics & Information Technology (NIELIT) to establish a campus at its premises, which would enhance Information Technology education. There are also ongoing discussions with several other institutes for potential academic collaborations. To further improve the quality of education, the university is bringing in experts in various fields. Notably, retired Lt Gen Rana Pratap Kalita, former GoC in C of Eastern Command, has been approached to teach in the Political Science department due to his expertise in geopolitics. These steps are part of University's broader effort to enhance academic offerings, retain local talent, and improve the overall educational environment in Assam.^[30]

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Disciplines

Courses

Gauhati University offers a diverse range of postgraduate programs, including 23 courses in Master of Arts (MA), 21 courses in Master of Science (MSc), 5 courses in Master of Technology (MTech), 3 courses in Master of Medical Laboratory Science as well as programs in Master of Commerce (MCom), Master of Library and Information Science (MLISc), Master of Laws (LLM), MSc in Nursing, and Master of Tourism and Management (MTM).^[31]

Admission Process

The Gauhati University Post Graduate Entrance Test (GUPGET) is a mandatory examination for students seeking admission to various postgraduate disciplines. The test consists of 100 multiple-choice questions (MCQs), each carrying 1 mark, leading to a total of 100 marks. The exam includes a negative marking scheme, where 0.25 marks are deducted for each incorrect answer. The examination duration is 2 hours. For admission into the various postgraduate programs, including MA, MSc, MCom, and others, 70% of all seats are reserved for graduates of Gauhati University, while the remaining 30% are open to graduates from other universities. At the end of the exam, invigilators collect both the answer sheets and the question papers from the candidates to ensure the security and confidentiality of the exam content, thereby keeping the questions undisclosed for future.^[32]

For students belonging to the General Category (Unreserved category), a minimum score of 50 marks is required to secure a seat in their chosen discipline.^[33] The registration fee for the GUPGET is Rs 1000 per subject.^[34]