Rabindranath Tagore dreamt of a dreamland in Santiniketan, a creative space where knowledge could be viewed in a different frame. The frames of poetry, language, art, and music have been a key to Tagore's idea. The ideology of society and humanity existed and was reflected in his ideas. The philosophy behind Visva-Bharati is its idea of being a pilgrimage for education and culture. It mirrors the Tagorean philosophy of holistic human and social Development. It is a sanctified place of learning embraced in a serene environment in the lap of Nature, where Rabindranath founded a school for children at Santiniketan in 1901. Around this ideology, the edifice of an alternative ideological University developed through careful organization and conscientious accomplishment of Tagorean ideas and ideals. Under the alternate model of education, this seat of learning offers classes in the open air in the shade of trees, where children and Nature enter into a mutually symbiotic relationship

B. Uniqueness / Strength of the University

• Holistic and Nature-Based Education (Tagore’s vision of connecting learning with Nature and life’s natural growth through “open-air class” from kindergarten to PhD and beyond, etc.):
• Emphasis on Arts and Creativity (Tagore believed that a nation’s cultural Heritage, including music, dance, and fine arts, is crucial for self-expression)
• Integration of Indian Traditions and Global Standards
• Community and Rural Reconstruction/Development
• Universal Harmony and Cultural Exchange
• Global Center of Knowledge
• Unique Educational Philosophy
• UNESCO World Heritage Site
• True Center of Indian Knowledge System
• Crafts and industries
• Village welfare
• Belief in Scientific Methods for Agriculture
• Sustainable Development through Co-operatives

C. Existing Infrastructure and Learning Resources

• The total land area of the University campus is 1128.895 acres
• Constructed area Academic buildings: 57,725 sq m.
• Administrative buildings: 5,275 sqm.
• Common facilities buildings: 13,635 sq m.
• Pearson Memorial Hospital (Health Centre): 2,404 sq m.
• Other facility: 14,318 sq m.
• 828 permanent teaching staff (including schools) sanctioned positions available
• 1800 (sanctioned) Non-teaching staff position available.
• Eleven thousand four hundred twenty-eight (11428) students are studying in different teaching departments of the University.
• The University offers two hundred ninety-six (296) courses at various levels.
• Central Library with a repository of 8 68,000 printed books, 1,15,000 plus e-books, more than 250 Newspapers, Magazines, and Print Journals, 13000 online journals (Through ONOS)
• Twelve Bhavana Libraries and twenty-eight Departmental libraries with Intranet and Remote access facilities for faculty and students.

Additional Infrastructure :

• One Computer Centre and Computer laboratories are attached to various departments.
• Optical fiber network and Wi-Fi-enabled campus both at Santiniketan and Sriniketan
• Placement cell and Student Counseling Centre under the Directorate of Students Welfare
• Lipika Manuscriptorium with a huge repository of manuscripts
• Rabindra Bhavana Museum
• Bangladesh Bhavana (The Treasure of resources for Research on Nazrul and Bangladesh)
• Community College and Community Library in nearby villages
• The University promoted a Self-Help Group in the villages near Sriniketan
• Laboratories in seven Core Science Departments and three Applied Sciences Departments
• Fourteen hostels, including exclusive hostels for women and tribal students
• Five Auditoriums and Multiple Conference, Seminar, and Community Halls
• Six Sports Nodal Complex and Playgrounds
• One Swimming Pool of International Standard
• One International Standard Filmography Studio.
• Fifteen Heritage building (as a UNESCO World Heritage site)
• One Multi-Gymnasium
• One Language Laboratory attached to China Bhavana
• One Yoga and Meditation Center

D. Opportunities

• Medical Facilities: The University has two Hospitals, a) Pearson Memorial Hospital and b) Dinabandhu Andrews Hospital. Pearson Memorial Hospital has emergency and consultancy services, indoor patients care, minor surgeries, pathology services, male and female wards, and isolation units: 35 beds. Despite this, Santiniketan – a haven and cultural space for elderly citizens staying in the adjoining areas – and by extension, Visva-Bharati, still require a serious medical care upgrade. On the other Hand, the University is keen to transform the other Hospital, i.e. Dinabandhu Andrews Hospital, to Ayush Hospital, for which huge monetary involvement is required.
• Heritage Site Management: UNESCO has inscribed the Ashram area of the Visva-Bharati as a Heritage Site" on 17 September 2023. Now, it is the University duty as a whole community to take appropriate steps to uphold the height of the Heritage Site and manage the tangible and intangible items accordingly. In managing a century-old heritage site, funding is one of the biggest issues for the University, which is searching for funders.
• ICT-enabled Classrooms and ICT facilities: Though there are several ICT classrooms and many audio-visually enabled teaching-learning spaces, including laboratories, studios, and the like, Visva-Bharati is aiming at a 100% ICT-enabled teaching-learning system in the next five years. Further, to access e-resources and other academic works, the university ICT infrastructure (Desktop, Laptop, Tablet Kindley, UPS, printer, Alternative Power Back-up system, etc., etc.), including Renewable Energy, is to be upgraded, and for which funding is a basic constraint.
• Internet and Wi-Fi connectivity 24×7: Visva-Bharati enjoys widespread internet facility and almost twelve hours of Wi-Fi connectivity. This is not enough as the University has entered an online class mode. Students, teachers, and administrative staff require more responsive and stable connectivity with greater bandwidth, additional Internet Service Providers, and Wi-Fi connectivity around the clock.
• Laboratory Facilities and Equipment, Consumables, etc.: Though there are more than adequate laboratory facilities, equipment, and consumables, it is found that students would require more such infrastructural teaching-learning spaces and aids as basic amenities.
• Hostel Accommodation and Infrastructure: Though Visva-Bharati has over thirty hostels, including two very big hostels, and two more hostels are already underway, the University, primarily a residential institution, needs more hostels, especially for international students, visiting researchers, and project fellows. Further, hostel boarders must have filtered drinking water, which is why many high-capacity Aquaguard purifiers are needed as basic amenities.
• Water Treatment and Renewable Energy: There is a great possibility of developing rainwater harvesting to preserve the water resources, and introducing solar panels as renewable energy not only saves the recurring expenditure of the University but also helps to create a green campus. But, because of insufficient funds, the plan is impossible to execute.
• Maintenance of Heritage Site: It is a fact that a part of the ashram area of Santiniketan has been inscribed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO on 17 September 2023. Now, the University is experiencing a crisis of funds to maintain the Heritage Site and uphold the Heritage. Therefore, without the financial support from society, it is a great question of how the University will restore the stigma of Heritage!
• Revenue Generation: tied up with the lack of funds, Visva-Bharati, already having generated some revenue from the museum and sales of books, still needs to create more to be in a strong position financially. The University is looking into commercializing its Product, including agro-products, and the University needs financial support to proceed.
• Lack of Funds: Visva-Bharati has already taken loans from HEFA, yet this is inadequate. Visva-Bharati must look into ways, avenues, and funding agencies for resource mobilisation. These funds would have gone a long way in rectifying the weaknesses and helped us meet the challenges by acting upon the opportunities.

E. Appeal for Donation

Given the above, attention of stakeholders is invited to contribute/donate in the form of cash and or kind and involve as a member of the holistic Development of the century-old Institution, a National Pride, and founded by Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore.

Stakeholders of donation/contribution: There is ample scope to participate in the Development of Visva-Bharati as an Individual, Alumnus, association, Government institutions, Departments, Social workers, Trustees, NGOs, and Corporate Agencies. The donor/contributor may enjoy the Tax Deduction U/S 80G upon donation.

• Management of Heritage Sites
• Welfare of the Student/Scholars
• Construction and maintenance of the Hostels for Students/Scholars with basic amenities
• Development of the Ayush Hospital on the campus
• Facilitating Green Initiatives toward an Eco-friendly campus
• Conservation and Preservation of Trees Plants
• Beautification of the Campus
• Development of Sports Complexes
• Facilitate Rural Reconstruction through the Development of the Adopted Villages
• Tribal Women Empowerment of the surrounding villages
• Development of the Library Resources, Facilities, including ICTs
• Development of the Campus Transport facilities for the university community
• Construction and maintenance of University Guest Houses
• Sustainable Development (by constructing public lavatory systems with drinking water for the tourists)

🔹 Further, the University will do what is necessary to acknowledge the donor/contributor in a due manner for donating/contributing an amount of Rs ten lakh or more, in cash or kind

Contact:

Public Relation Officer, Visva-Bharati, Santiniketan-731235 Email: pro@visva-bharati.ac.in Phone: +91 9874348049

Librarian, Visva-Bharati, Santiniketan-731235 Email: librarian@visva-bharati.ac.in Phone: +91 8653599090