GetMyUni's Verdict on Allahabad University

Parvathy Krishnakumar

“Popularly known as the ‘ATM of IAS Officers’, Allahabad University is an ideal place for those aspiring to get government jobs and qualify for Civil Service Examinations. Yet, the activities of student politicians hinder the regular classes and academics of the others.”

Known as the ‘Oxford of East’, Allahabad University has an eminent reputation for creating an environment for students preparing for Civil Services and government jobs as they have cultivated a large number of IAS aspirants. 

The university is well known for its students’ politics and the active participation of the students in debates, elections, and other related activities. Till a few years ago, most of the top-ranked students in CSE were from Allahabad University.

Due to the increasing number of politically inclined students, the university crowd has become more competitive than before. Because of a charged campus environment, the students are exposed to a lot of highly intellectual peers. 

Table of Contents

• Multidisciplinary Courses at AU
• Easy-Going Professors
• Traditional Infrastructure with Modern Facilities
• Multiple Hostels for Boys and Girls
• Memorable Campus Experience
• Subpar Job Placement History
• Collective View of Allahabad University

Multidisciplinary Courses at AU

Being a central university, Allahabad University offers numerous courses in different fields through its institutes and colleges. The university avails students of undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral level programs in various specializations under each domain. 

There are two kinds of programs available at the university, namely government-aided and self-finance. Admission to government-aided courses is purely based on merit and the qualifying marks of the students in entrance examinations. Whereas the admission to self-finance programs is more lenient compared to the aided programs.

The university offers several bachelor’s programs in subjects, including Engineering, Arts, Science, and Vocational Studies. Students who have obtained top scores in the JEE Main examination are provided with admission to Engineering programs. 

Contrary to the undergraduate programs, the university offers a wide variety of postgraduate programs in multiple specializations under different disciplines. The main courses offered at the postgraduate level include a master’s degree in Science and Arts subjects, among others.

The university has managed to provide the required facilities for students who intend to pursue higher studies in different fields by giving them multiple options to choose from. 

Easy-Going Professors

Allahabad University has the best professors in each department, who are highly educated and experienced in their respective fields. Yet, due to the active student politics scenario, some of these professors tend to be laid back and do not take classes seriously. In such cases, the students can complain to the Heads of the departments, who are known to take immediate action. 

There are strict senior professors alongside careless assistant professors. There is a lack of professors in certain departments. Students in the past have mentioned that the faculty members are helpful to those students who seek their assistance. They also pressure students to appear for the Civil Services examination.

It is recommended that the students approach the professors, even if they seem strict, as this helps the former to gain more knowledge and learn the topics in depth. The faculty members are of great help to the students pursuing their research programs as well. 

Traditional Infrastructure with Modern Facilities

Allahabad University has a beautiful, lush, green campus with traditional infrastructure. Each department has a unique building surrounded by trees and lawns. The university campus has all the required facilities along with a great atmosphere for the students to learn and have a wholesome campus experience. With fountains and park benches around the campus, students are able to gain knowledge in a scenic environment. 

The university offers several facilities, which include a central library, computer centre, hostel accommodation, and other amenities to enhance the overall experience of its students. It has multiple laboratories for different departments to provide practical learning experiences to the students.

Most laboratories are well-equipped with the required instruments and devices. However, students in the past have had complaints about the lack of maintenance and facilities in certain laboratories, such as the Physics lab. Besides that, the laboratories have assistants to help the students with their experiments and learning. 

The Athletic Association is an active group in the university which plays an important role in promoting the physical well-being of the students. They provide the essential facilities for different games and sports activities on the campus.

The university has a spacious canteen that serves clean and affordable food. The canteen is a main leisure spot for students as well as teachers. The residential students have access to the canteen till night as well.

Multiple Hostels for Boys and Girls

Allahabad University provides housing facilities for the students in hostels included in the university campus. There are 9 hostels for male students and 6 hostels for female students. The hostel rooms are well-furnished, with access to all essential amenities.

Students are provided admission to the hostels on a first-come-first-serve basis. According to the students who have stayed in these hostels, the community built here are versatile with students from different backgrounds, and the peer learning experience is irreplaceable.

The university ensures the safety and security of the students through 24/7 security personnel and CCTV surveillance. The hostels also have faculty members as warden, superintendent and assistant superintendent to help students with different matters related to their accommodation.

All these hostels comprise separate messes where clean and hygienic meals are provided for breakfast, lunch and dinner in spacious and well-maintained dining halls. The mess charges are included in the hostel fees. The hostel fees are nominal and can be afforded by all students. 

The fee structure is the same for all the hostels, which is tabulated below.

Memorable Campus Experience

As mentioned earlier, Allahabad University is famous for student politics, and most of them here are student leaders who are involved in different activities to help their fellow students. Elections are happening throughout the year, with protests and marches that include violence.

The student crowds are great speakers and debaters, mainly in Hindi. Rallies, presidential debates, and extravagant parties for hostellers are a regular part of the campus.

The academics at the university are quite strict with marks, but almost all students are studious and work hard to score high marks in the examinations and competitive exams. This makes the academic atmosphere more competitive than the other universities. 

There are multiple clubs and associations in the university through which each student can pursue their interests. These clubs organize different events throughout the year, where the aspirants are given opportunities to showcase their talents and skills. National Cadet Corps (NCC) and National Service Scheme (NSS) are active in the university, where even the faculty members participate regularly.

Diverse and Inclusive Campus

Another beneficial aspect of being part of the university is its multicultural crowd, where students from all parts of the country are involved in different activities. It is easy for aspirants from different backgrounds to find and make friends and get involved in great conversations. 

As the tuition fees at the university are very low compared to other universities, students from all walks of life have the chance to get a quality education. The gender ratio at the university is proportional, with an almost equal number of male, female and other gender students being part of the crowd. The students are given equal opportunities regardless of their background.

Dress Code for Specific Departments

Certain departments in the university, such as Engineering and Management, have requisite uniforms for its students. In the case of the other disciplines, there is no uniform. However, the students are expected to follow the dress code, which includes rules related to the length of their pants/trousers, sleeve lengths, etc. Mostly, the rules are very lenient and not imposed on the students.

Subpar Job Placement History

As most of the students are more interested in pursuing IAS and government jobs, the placements through the university are fewer than expected. Numerous students have acquired government jobs by qualifying for PSC exams and cleared CSE. Yet, the average salary packages offered by private companies are less. 

According to the past years’ placement records, the average salary packages offered to students from B.Sc, B.Com, BA and PG courses were at INR 4.80 LPA, and the highest salary packages were offered to students from BFA, BA LLB and B.Tech courses with INR 6.50 LPA.

Some of the top recruiters that have employed students from the university are as follows.

• Tata Consultancy Services
• Tech Mahindra
• Nokia
• Reliance Jio
• Ingograin
• Indian Army
• Prism Johnson Limited.

Collective View of Allahabad University

Overall, Allahabad University, also known as the University of Allahabad, is an ideal institution for students who aspire to pursue Civil Services or a career in politics. Students who are talented speakers, especially in Hindi, have different platforms to participate in events and programs organized by the student communities. Another attractive feature of the university is the culturally diverse crowd on the campus and hostels.

The pros and cons of studying at Allahabad University are as follows:

*Source: uoa_official Instagram