Pondicherry University

Hostel facilities are available on the campus for boys and girls. Students from distant places will be given preference on a first-come, first-served basis. The university has a hostel for foreign students that can accommodate more than 30 students. Girls are given rent free accommodation. All physically challenged students get free education including free board and lodge in hostels. The university provides free transport off the campus and within the campus.

• C V Raman Research Scholars Hostel
• Subramania Bharathiar Hostel
• Bharathidasan Hostel
• A S C Hostel
• Ilango Adigal Hostel
• Tagore Hostel
• Kamban Hostel
• Valmiki Hostel
• Kannadasan Hostel
• Kalidas Hostel
• Kabirdas Hostel
• Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan Hostel
• Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Hostel
• Sri Aurobindo Hostel

• Yamuna Hostel
• Cauvery Hostel
• Saraswathy Hostel
• Ganga Hostel
• Kalpana Chawla Hostel
• Madame Curie Research Scholars Hostel
• Women Studies Hostel
• New Girls Tower Hostel (active from 2019)

• Transit Hostel
• Foreign Student's Hostel

The hostel is used by South Asian, European and many more countries students, taking programmes like PG in South Asian Studies and French, German and others.

The entire Academic structure was reorganized during the tenure of Prof J. A. K. Tareen who not only established over 20 new departments, established new school and started over 80 new programs. The university has 14 Schools and 52 departments distributed across Pondicherry and Karaikal campus. Each School is headed by a Dean and each Department has its own Faculty and Supporting Staff working under the Head of the Department. They are also provided with separate buildings which house their Laboratories and Libraries.The following is the list of the Schools/Departments/Centres:

• Tamil Language & Literature

School of Management

• Department of Management Studies
• Department of Commerce
• Department of Economics
• Department of Tourism Studies
• Department of Banking Technology
• Department of International Business

Karaikal Campus

• Department of Management
• Department of Commerce
• Department of computer science

Ramanujan School of Mathematical Sciences

• Department of Mathematics
• Department of Statistics

• Computer Science & Engineering
• Electronics Engineering
• Centre for Pollution Control & Environmental Engineering
• Coastal Engineering
• Geological Technology
  

  Centre for Pollution Control and Environmental Engineering

Department of Physics

Department of Chemistry

• Department of Physics
• Department of Chemistry
• Department of Earth Sciences
• Department of Applied Psychology

Department of Earth Science

Department of Biotechnology

• Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
• Biotechnology
• Ecology & Environmental Sciences
• Ocean Studies and Marine Biology (Port Blair)
• Food Science & Technology
• Centre for Bioinformatics
• Department of Microbiology

Humanities Block-2

• English and comparative literature
• French
• Hindi
• Sanskrit
• Philosophy
• Physical Education & Sports

Humanities Block-1

• Anthropology
• Archaeology
• History
• Politics and International Studies
• Social Work
• Sociology
• Centre for Women's Studies
• Madanjeet Singh Institute of South Asia Regional Cooperation - Centre for South Asian Studies*
• Centre for Study of Social Exclusion & Inclusive Policy*

These centres were established during XII plan when Prof J A K Tareen was vice chancellor.

• School of Education
• Centre for Adult and Continuing Education

• Library & Information Science
• Department of Electronic Media and Mass Communication

• Centre for Nano Science & Technology
• Centre for Green Energy Technology

The Central Instrumentation Facility (CIF) was established in the university as the University Science Instrumentation Centre (USIC) in 1992 under the UGC Plan Scheme. It housed three facilities – Mechanical Shop, Glass blowing Shop and Electrical Shop, to provide support in the repair and servicing of scientific equipment. Fabrication of components for experimental setups is undertaken.

The USIC has executed design, development and fabrication works ranging from custom designed sample holders/cells to electronic instrumentation and control modules.

In 2005, the centre was reorganised into Central Instrumentation Facility under the School of Physical, Chemical and Applied Sciences and analytical instruments are added to provide analytical service, in addition to the workshop facilities.

The Mechanical workshop is equipped with heavy duty lathe, milling machine, vertical drilling machine, welding units, sheet bending machine, shears in addition to hand tools, accessories and measuring instruments. The department has fabricated sample cells, metallic and non-metallic elements for sample handling/preparation, acrylic column stands, fume hoods, and an acid distillation unit.

The Glass Blowing Shop repairs glassware and fabricates customised glassware. It is equipped with burners, lathe, grinding machine, annealing furnace, and tools.

The Electronic Shop has laboratory test and measuring instruments, soldering stations, and component testers, to trouble shoot faculty instruments and set them right. Electronic components are maintained in the store for quick replacement.

Assistance is provided to students in wiring and testing the circuits for their experimental or project work. Design and fabrication of instrumentation and control modules are taken up to meet customised requirements.

Teaching and research are its primary functions as in other Central Universities. It has 200 affiliated colleges located in Union Territory of Puducherry (Pondicherry in Tamil Nadu, Karaikal in Tamil Nadu, Mahé in Kerala and Yanam in Andhra Pradesh), Union Territory of Lakshadweep, Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands.Pondicherry University reached the pinnacle of its growth during the XI plan when Prof J. A. K. Tareen was the Vice Chancellor. It is India's fastest growing central university with effective and efficient all round growth and development in Students, Faculty, Infrastructure, Teaching programmes, Research projects, and students seeking admissions. The Faculty are from 28 states and 8 union territories. Some of the Socially relevant achievements of XI plan are rent free hostels to girls, Free education and free hostels to all physically challenged, free transport to students, physically disabled student's friendly buildings and special library for visually challenged. In 2012 Prof J. A. K. Tareen received from president of India, the best Institution award for PU. The Pondicherry University was established by an Act of Parliament (No. 53,1985) with the following objectives:

1. to disseminate and advance knowledge by providing instructional and research facilities;

2. to make special provisions for studies in French and for integrated courses in Humanities and Sciences in the educational programmes, and

3. to take appropriate measures for promoting inter-disciplinary studies and research.

Pondicherry University was ranked 801-1000 in the world by the Times Higher Education World University Rankings of 2020[10] and 251-300 in Asia.[11] The QS World University Rankings of 2020 ranked it 301-350 in Asia.[9] It was ranked 81st in India overall by the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) in 2020[13] and 58th among universities.[14]

University Library

The university library, named after Ananda Ranga Pillai, was established in September 1986 with one deputy librarian and two assistant librarians. It was moved to the present locale as an independent building in July 1990. The Library is renowned for its disabled friendly modern infrastructure (80,000 sq. ft), fully air-conditioned, WIFI enabled, services for the Visually Challenged among the proactive services with RFID technology and 24/7 remote access to a collection of 4.97 lakhs, of which print is 2.22 and 2.7 lakhs of e-resources (e-books, e-journals, e-databases, e-theses, Academic Online Videos, Video Talks etc.)[15]

SPECTRA has been working to increase queer visibility and awareness in the university campus and beyond. It also provides a safe space for LGBTQIA students to share their experiences and discuss issues faced by the community. SPECTRA was founded on 15 August 2014 and has been conducting events ever since. One of the first Campus Pride events in India was organized successfully in 2018 at Pondicherry University by SPECTRA.[16]

The Earth sciences Club was founded in September 2013. It conducts field trips, screen documentaries, organize debates, quizzes, treasure hunts and so on so forth. It is also involved with organising the annual event "Mrittika" in Department of Earth Sciences.

The students have started the Pondicherry University Quiz Society (PUQS) in June 2012.[17] The inauguration of PUQS was held on 1 August 2011 in Pondicherry University/Lecture Hall Seminar-I. The event was inaugurated by Director of Education of the Pondicherry University, Prof M Ramadass.[18] The first quizmaster of the show was Nikhil Kurien Jacob. The tagline of the Quiz Society is "It's all about Quizzing."

The Pondicherry University Maths Club was inaugurated on in July 2011. The club encourages students to take up research in mathematics. The club activities includes seminars by students and eminent professors, mathematical workshops, quizzes, fun with mathematics, and paradoxes.

Reflections is an annual event hosted by the Department of Physics. To honour Sir C V Raman and his contributions to the scientific world, India celebrates 28 February as the National Science Day.

"Reflections" is the programme celebrated on National Science Day to bring out the talents of young minds. It popularises science through events, competitions and sharing of ideas.

IMPACT is a students technical association in Department of Electronics Engineering. A National level technical symposium is being organized by students of Electronics Engineering under IMPACT association once in every academic year.

Pondicherry University had a [19] run by the students. It was formed during 2010 with 40 members on board. The students performed in every function in and around the campus. A studnet organisation named "Crossroads" took the initiative to start cultural activities inside the campus.

FUCOMPU (Future Computing]), organised by the department of Computer Science is back, this year bigger, and better.

FuCompu is one of the initiatives taken by the Computer Science department aimed at nurturing and fostering students for the real world challenges that lie ahead of them.

Puduvai Vaani, the Community Radio Station(CRS) established by Pondicherry University with the support of UGC located in National Capital Territory of Delhi, India. It works under FM 107.8 MHz a frequency which is currently extended to a catchments area of 20 km radius from the University campus. The test transmission of Puduvai Vaani – Community Radio Station was started on 23 August 2008. This was yet another initiative by Prof J. A. K. Tareen. It was inaugurated by Shri V. Narayanasamy, Hon’ble Union Minister of State for Planning & Parliamentary Affairs on 27 December 2008 in the presence of Shri P.Chidambaram, Hon’ble Union Home Minister. The full-time transmission started on 1 January 2009.

Puduvai Vaani's aim is to create awareness among the people to improve their nature of life style. Puduvai Vaani, a well equipped public broadcaster, helps to awaken, inform, enlighten, educate and entertain all sections of people. It includes special programmes on women empowerment, communal harmony, health and education. The neighbourhood locality consists of fishermen villages. Puduvai Vaani conducts (once in a couple of years) summer camps on Radio Production for the children (preferably school goers) and women from the locality. Various workshops are conducted to enhance their talents. Their performances, both individual & group, are recorded and aired. CRS also includes its service on the practical session for the students of Department of Electronic Media and Mass Communication. Furthermore, students from other departments are encouraged to participate and create radio programmes for the community.

Official Silver Jubilee logo

SJ campus

The valedictory of the silver jubilee celebrations of Pondicherry University was held on 18 October 2010. Dr C Rangarajan, Chairman of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister of India, delivered the keynote address. Lieutenant governor of Puducherry, Iqbal Singh, who was the Chief Rector of the University, was present at the function. Professor J. A. K. Tareen,Vice Chancellor presided over the function. Souvenirs (coffee mug and desktop calendars) for students and faculties were given out and a brochure was released to mark the event. Prof J. A. K. Tareen, Vice chancellor was the architect of the Coffee Table Book and other souvenirs. The Silver Jubilee Campus on 110 acre extended land is yet another marvel created by Prof J. A. K. Tareen providing over a million square feet of extra space for Social Sciences, Humanities, Media, and Languages, who were for 20 years squeezed in pigeon holes in one building.