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Journalism of Courage
The Gujarat University celebrated its 59th Foundation Day on Sunday. A musharia — Dil Thi Adil Sudhi — was organised to mark the event.
The foundation of the university was laid on November 11, 1950. However, it had started functioning a year before on November 23, 1949, when the state was part of Mumbai.
Throwing light on how the university came into existence, Vice-Chancellor Parimal Trivedi said: “Much before 1949, when the university was incorporated under the Gujarat University Act of the state government ‘as a teaching and affiliating university’, the concept of the university was conceived in the minds of several public-spirited and learned men like Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Patel, Acharya Anand Shankar B Dhruva, Dada Saheb Mavlankar, Kasturbhai Lalbhai and several others. But it came into existence after independence.”
The incorporation of this university was result of decentralisation and reorganisation of the university education in the then Bombay Province, he said. “During the first year of establishment, around 26 colleges were affiliated to the university with 16,000 students. Out of this, 2,100 students were from Ahmedabad alone. Now, 356 colleges are affiliated to the university with a strength of 2,61,849 students,” Trivedi added.
The Gaekwad family of Vadodara wanted to establish the Gujarat University in Vadodara. But Kasturbhai Lalbhai insisted that it should be established in Ahmedabad. Lalbhai donated his land to set up the university.
In 1949, a 12-member committee was constituted with stalwarts like the first home minister of Independent India, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, and the first Speaker of Lok Sabha, Dadasaheb Mavlankar as members. Patel was a member of the GU trust, said Trivedi.
A Gujarat University Bill was passed in the Bombay Legislative Assembly on September 10, 1949. On November 21, the then governor signed the bill. On November 23, 1949 the government published an official journal and the GU came into being, Trivedi added.
