With the awakening of national consciousness in the early years of the last century, a few notable efforts were made in British India to improve the system of education prevalent in India during that time. Gujarat Vidyapeeth (Sabarmati ashram) started by Mahatma Gandhi, Shantiniketan to bring the cultures of the East and West into universal harmony, Jamia Milia and the Gurukul Kangdi for preserving the cultural heritage of the nation keeping with the requirements of the modern age.
Inspired by the same spirit, Rajasthan Vidyapeeth was founded on 21st August 1937 by a renowned litterateur, educationist, a noted Gandhian, Reformer, Social Activist and a Freedom Fighter in true sense late Manishi Pandit Janardan Rai Nagar to uplift the downtrodden common masses in the Southern Rajasthan, in particular, besides running various educational activities. Still the mission of the institution is to uplift the society, community development, vitalizing democratic values and restoration of culture through education.
The Government of India and UGC conferred it the status of ‘Deemed-to-be University’ in 1987. Since then, it has been spreading the fragrance of a number of courses, including professional ones, for the benefit of our society. It offers under-graduate, post-graduate and research courses in the areas of Science, Humanities, Commerce, Social Sciences, Management, Social Work, Teacher’s Education, Homeopathy, Physiotherapy, Computer Science, Agriculture, Pharmacy, Law, Tourism and Hospitality and others besides being actively involved in Adult & Continuing Education, Community Work and Archaeological Work. It is guiding objectives have invariably been to provide research based qualitative education through preservation of our rich socio-cultural values. The University is all set to lay strong foundations of quality education.
The University has had the honour of having illustrious people like Padmabhushan Dr. Karan Singh (Jammu-Kashmir), Mahapandit Rahul Sanskrityayan, Late Shri Bhopal Singh (Maharana of Mewar) and Shriyut Srimannarain as its Chancellor. Our Present Chancellor is Honourable Prof. Balwant Rai Jani.
Under the leadership of our Honourable Vice-Chancellor Prof. Col. S.S. Sarangdevot, Janardan Rai Nagar Rajasthan Vidyapeeth (Deemed-to-be University) has received ‘A’ grade from NAAC in 2016 and achieved the status of a highly recognized university in the field of Education.
The eminent persons who visited Vidyapeeth include Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru, Shri Jai Prakash Narain, Shri Vinoba Bhave, Smt. Indira Gandhi, Dr. Rajendra Prasad and Dr. Radha Krishnan, Prof. Natrajan, Shri Chandi Prasad Bhatt, Shri Chandra Prakash Dwivedi, Shri Upendra Kushwaha, Shri Gajendra Singh, Shri Karan Singh of Kashmir etc. Col. James Tod completed his historic book ‘Annals and Antiquities of Rajputana’ during his stay in the campus of this Institution.
With the vision of “equitable knowledge empowerment of masses by blending the modern means with conventional values, execution of problem-oriented research leading to policy interventions and extension services linked with quality improvement in life of the deprived classes and marginalized group, especially tribal population”, the university has the strength of more than 10000 students and then 1000 faculty members. Seekers of good education come from all over India, mostly from around 500 km. area of Rajasthan. We have 3 campuses in Udaipur all three are big enough covering area of about 78 acres.
The University has received many awards few of them are National Excellence Award 2015 for Community Services Excellence, Public Folk and Cultural Award by Hon’ble President of India; FICCI Award for working in the field of Rural Development; and National Child Development Award by Hon’ble President of India. The University also got good ranks at national level by IIRF and Unirank. The University has also achieved University of the year 2021 from the academic insight and created a record of maximum participations in an online quiz while lockdown period of India due to COVID-19.
The University emphasizes to prepare student centric, job-oriented curriculum, which may be flexible in terms of their contents and according to the students’ quality. All the courses of the University are approved by the UGC. University is providing professionally trained personnel in the fields of labour and industrial relations, rural welfare, family and child welfare. One of the criteria, which are adopted in revising curriculum, is socio-economic status of tribal people could move upward. The University is unique in its kind who is focusing more to uplift tribal people than urban.
JRNRV has a strong focus on research, and is committed to prepare competent and better researchers, therefore, to promote the research the University has included publishing of at-least one research paper, in a better journal, in its curriculum at PG level. JRNRV is publishing 13 research journals. University has started annually “best research award” of Rs. 25,000/- and a certificate for their faculty members to motivate them towards better research. The University initiated steps for collaboration with other International Universities to promote global collaborative research. The faculty members are also encouraged by participating in research-oriented trainings, faculty development programs, workshops, etc. Dean (Research) is the in-charge of all university level research activities.
Teaching and learning at JRNRV develops the intellectual skills and self-reliance that equips our students to deal with complexity and uncertainty and to question and analyze existing orthodoxies. In addition to providing high-level subject-specific skills and knowledge, such teaching ensures these are “transferable” skills which provide value throughout life.
Library of Institute of Rajasthan Studies of the University has a useful collection of rare books and old manuscripts in Sanskrit, Prakrit, Dingal, Hindi and Rajasthani Languages. A museum of archeological antiquities is also developed for better research and teaching.
Janardan Rai Nagar Rajasthan Vidyapeeth founded its core institutions before independence and earlier of independence with unique and noble ideas in education at the National Level. These institutions served especially the youth, farmers of the tribal area of the southern Rajasthan. We provide literacy and non-formal education programme for neo literate and adults in rural areas, promotes Cultural & Folk Dances & Music, and the study of Rajasthan Culture, Language and History, and make special provision for the study of the Cultural, Educational, Social, Economic and Developmental needs of the Tribal of the Region. We have taken up the education for creative citizenship in urban areas to foster the civic sense and strengthen the democracy through broadcasting news and social awareness programmes. Our institutes also provide literacy and vocational based programme for rural youth and artisan and also training of officials and non-officials and people’s representative of Panchayatiraj Institution to strengthen democracy. The University has also adopted about 200 villages for Community Welfare in these villages as laboratory for community services and education.
The University is keen to prepare all-round development of its students; co-curricular activities are one of the major areas by which we achieve this goal. Over the past decade, JRNRV has greatly expanded its co-curricular activities. We have hosted All India Cross Country event for the year 2013, and further a number of sports events at national level. We have also organized other National level tournaments like Kho-Kho (M & W) in 2014, Handball (M & W) in 2016 and Boxing Tournament in 2018 for men and women. In 2021, after the COVID, we have organized national level Powerlifting Tournaments and for the year 2022-23 we have received approval of Hockey Tournament of West Zone by AIU, which is going the be held very soon. The journey is continuous.
The University is the largest provider of adult education in Southern Rajasthan and Lifelong Learning to several people of this area. The University’s lifelong learning activities also encompass the professional development work, and many of these courses are custom-made to suit an individual’s needs. Our Community Centers also offer various training programmes at all levels. Major extension works which are being done include, anganwadi training, panchayat raj training, literacy programmes, adult and continuing education programme, life skill education programme, women empowerment programme, vocational training, awareness programmes on current issues, research on community related issues, mobile library, community awareness programmes, training to farmers and rural youth for self-employment generation. and research on women related issues.
