GetMyUni's Verdict on VBU

Midhun Hari

“The Vinoba Bhave University, Hazaribagh is one of the most prominent centres of academia and education in the state of Jharkhand. However, in terms of placement and quality of education, the University has a long way to go.”

Vinoba Bhave University, Hazaribagh, is one of the most prestigious universities in Jharkhand and is located about 100 km from the state capital, Ranchi. The University offers many courses, both in traditional and vocational courses, across several disciplines. The courses are very affordable, as it is a state-funded university - receiving its funding from the Government of India and Jharkhand State. The university is in international collaboration as a member of the IBIES consortium.

That being said, the University has a long way to go in terms of improving the quality of its education. Many students have expressed their dissatisfaction with the University curriculum. This has been a major matter of criticism from the students as they say that the syllabus does not emphasise enough on the practical aspects.

Another aspect that the University needs to improve is the placement of the students. The placement rate at the University is relatively low, and the average packages offered to students are sub-par.

Table of Contents

• Diverse Choices in Courses
• Supportive Faculty
• Sufficient Infrastructure
• Poor Placement Record
• Enjoyable Student Life
• Final Verdict

Diverse Choices in Courses

VBU offers various courses across various disciplines at the UG, PG and PhD levels. The UG and PG courses are shown in the traditional and vocational subjects. While the affiliated colleges offer UG, PG and PhD courses, only PG and PhD courses are offered at the VBU campus. Additionally, several diploma and certificate courses are offered at the VBU campus.

Affordable Fee Structure

The courses at Vinoba Bhave University are relatively affordable. As a state-run university, it does not get as exorbitant as many private colleges. Moreover, concession in fees applies to students belonging to the SC and ST reservation categories.

Need for Curriculum Updation

Looking at the syllabus for various courses offered by the University, one may feel that it needs some updating. The students also have often pointed out that while the curriculum has been updated in the past, it needs to be updated more frequently.

Supportive Faculty

The Faculty at VBU are well-qualified and have good teaching experience. The students have found the teachers to be helpful and resourceful. However, depending on the department, there may be a shortage of teachers. This often results in overworked faculty and students finding it hard to approach teachers.

Sufficient Infrastructure

Vinoba Bhave University can be said to have sufficient infrastructure facilities to cater to the student’s academic and extracurricular growth. The campus is kept clean and hygienic and is well maintained. The beautiful campus has a park with a lake view.

The classrooms at the University are spacious, and some are equipped with the latest technological teaching aids. The entire campus is Wi-Fi enabled as well. Moreover, the central library at VBU is well-curated and is fully automated, having KIOSK/RFID e-Resources /INFLIBNET facilities. 

Furthermore, each department has practical labs equipped with all the necessary instruments. The labs are well-maintained, and the equipment is kept in good condition.

The Biotechnology lab, for instance, has instruments such as Shaker Incubator, UV-Visible spectrophotometer, ELISA reader, PCR, UV Torch, Gel Doc and more.

As for the security of the campus, staff has been employed to this end, and the campus is very safe for the students. In addition to the security staff, the campus is also under CCTV surveillance around the clock. Furthermore, the campus also has a health centre, a canteen for tasty food and some chit chat.

Ample Sports Facilities

The VBU campus offers its students facilities to keep them active and fit during their studies at the University. The campus has an outdoor grounds complete with a pavilion for all the sports activities. It also has an indoor stadium for various sports and a gym to keep the students physically fit.

Inadequate Hostel Accommodation

The VBU main campus has 2 girls hostels and a newly constructed boy's hostel. The hostel rooms are well furnished, and the common areas have recreational facilities. The mess provides food to the students staying in the hostels. The hostels are very affordable for the students as well.

However, the number of beds in the hostels is relatively low, and students are often forced to find their stays outside the campus. Cheap student accommodation is available around the university campus.

As for the affiliated colleges, more than a few colleges lack hostels. However, many of them are in the process of building new hostels.

Poor Placement Record

One of the aspects that VBU has to work towards improving significantly is its poor placement record. Across the PG courses at the university campus and affiliated college and the UG courses in the affiliated colleges, the college has a very poor record. The exact statistics for the different courses are not available; however, as per the reports from students, very few of them get placed, and the packages that are offered are meagre. 

The University does have a dedicated placement cell that works towards inviting companies for recruitment at the college. However, the placements that are offered are subpar in both quantity and quality. Some analysis even shows that the average packages offered at the University have decreased over the years. Hence, this is a very strong point of disappointment for the students. 

Enjoyable Student Life

The students, generally, greatly enjoy their time at VBU. Several cultural fests and sports events are conducted throughout the year. The students are able to showcase their talents and have fun while doing it during these events. A lot of cultural events are also organised to keep the students engaged.

However, the student diversity at the university is low as most of the students are from the state of Jharkhand. The university is attended by students from all economic, religious and cultural backgrounds. VBU mandates all students to have a minimum of 75% attendance in all the subjects to be allowed to attend the final exams.

Dress Code

There are no strict rules regarding dress code that students must follow, although they are expected to dress modestly and appropriately. However, a government college under the University made news after they made a particular dress code mandatory, which instigated protests from the students.

Final Verdict

Vinoba Bhave University has a long way to go to become a premier university. The University has its merits and, at the same time, things it needs to improve significantly. For students looking to start their careers and continue their academics at the University:

*Source: vbu.hazaribagh Instagram