Dharmsinh Desai University

College Road,

Nadiad – 387 001.

Gujarat. India

Dharmsinh Desai Foundation was established at Nadiad in Gujarat, by an eminent Parliamentarian and a social worker, Late Shri Dharmsinh Desai. This Foundation was established to develop institutions that would improve the quality of life for the people in and around Nadiad. Though it has schools, colleges, public library and hospitals under its umbrella, this note will essentially focus on the development and subsequent impact of Dharmsinh Desai University (DDU). From an affiliated college, started in 1968 as Dharmsinh Desai Institute of Technology (DDIT), offering Degree and Diploma in Chemical Engineering, DDU has now become a trusted name amongst a variety of stake holders, namely, students, their parents, researchers, academicians, employers, other academic institutions offering higher level education, National level Institutions and State & Central Government agencies. The key milestones it has crossed in the past 40 plus years of its existence are addition of Degree courses in Civil Engineering (1981), Electronics and Communication Engineering (1981), Computer Engineering (1985), Instrumentation & Control Engineering (1985), and Information Technology (1999). Further it also added undergraduate programmes in Commerce (B.Com in 1980 under Dharmsinh Desai Institute of Commerce), Computer (BCA, 1999), Management (BBA, 1999), Dental Sciences (2005), and Pharmacy (2006). It also added Post Graduate level programmes like M.E in Chemical Engineering (1981), M.E in Electronics & Communication (1986), M.E in Civil Engineering (1986), MCA (1987), MBA (1994), M.E in Instrumentation & Control Engineering (2002), and M.E in Computer Engineering (2002). Doctoral level programmes in Engineering/Technology, Management, Pharmacy, Physical Sciences and Social Science were initiated in 2001. DDU is in the process of adding a Master’s Programme in Dental Sciences, Master’s Programme in Pharmacy and also an undergraduate programme in Medical Sciences leading to MBBS, in the coming 2 years. DDU (erstwhile DDIT) became the first Autonomous Institute in Gujarat State. Later, in the year of 2000, it was awarded a status of ‘Deemed University’ by Government of India, in recognition of its commendable standards in Academia. In April 2005, the Government of Gujarat declared this Institute as a ‘State University’.