HNGU's Review and Verdict

Campus at a Glimpse

Founded as the North Gujarat University in 1986, the university was renamed as Hemchandracharya North Gujarat University (HNGU) in 2003 to honour the great philosopher, thinker and Jain acharya Hemchandracharya Suri. It was especially built to cater for the needs of North Gujrat students covering five districts, Patan, Mehsana, Banaskantha, Sabarkantha and Aravali. Due to this, the student body of HNGU is composed of 99.9% of students from the home state. To counter this challenge the university signed an MOU with Warsaw University of Life Science, Poland. In 2023, two students from Poland completed an Internship at HNGU.

The campus boasts 2 constituent colleges, 7 centres, and 15 postgraduate departments along with 577 affiliated colleges. It was accredited by the National Accreditation and Assessment Council (NAAC) with a grade ‘A’ during 2nd cycle of accreditation in 2016. As a multidisciplinary university, it offers 245 academic programmes at Degree, Diploma and Certificate levels. 

On the flip side, Patan University mentions several weaknesses such as a lack of university-industry connections, limited interaction with foreign institutions, meagre budget allocation by the government, delay in timely actions, and shortage of permanent faculty. Apart from this, the university was surrounded by various controversies in the past as per news articles. Let’s unwrap the complete details about HNGU’s weaknesses and strengths in this article. 

HNGU Academia & Batch Size

Academic Courses:

HNGU not only offers traditional courses but also advanced courses in different fields of study, including:  

• Arts
• Commerce
• Education
• Engineering
• Home-Science
• Homeopathy
• Law
• Management 
• Medicine
• Rural Study
• Science
• Vocational Study

As per the official website, the university offers about 29 UG, PG, Diploma and certificate programmes. Here is the complete list of courses offered by HNGU: 

Batch Size:

Based on the NIRF 2023 report, the course-wise student intake of HNGU is mentioned below. 

Our Take:

Indeed! HNGU offers a wide range of courses including multiple value-added programmes. As per our research, the syllabi of all the courses have been updated following the CBCS guidelines. The university has also successfully incorporated field projects, quizzes, seminars, project work, internships and research projects into the curriculum to encourage experiential learning. However, HNGU can take further steps towards enhancing teaching quality and increasing collaborations at the global level for the growth of students. 

HNGU Infrastructure

The campus of Hemchandracharya North Gujarat University spreads across 221 acres of lush green area with excellent infrastructure and facilities. Let’s have a closer look at the details below. 

Classroom and Labs: Classrooms at HNGU are ICT-enabled and labs are fitted with ample equipment. As per students’ reviews, the classrooms and labs are spacious and well-furnished. 

Auditorium and Seminar Halls: The university has three AC auditoriums with a seating capacity of 800, 400 and 150. Along with that, two seminar halls with a seating capacity of 400 and 200 to organise different events. 

Library: North Gujarat University has a huge three-storied library having a collection of 88,450 books and other reading materials. Other facilities of the library are UGC Infonet, INFLIBNET, computers and Wi-Fi. Along with that, reading room facilities are available for students and staff. 

ICT and Internet Facilities: HNGU has adequate ICT facilities including high-speed internet access across the campus, adequate computers, projectors and smart boards. 

Hostel: Separate hostel facilities for boys and girls are available on the HNGU campus. The hostel fee appears affordable which is roughly, INR 5 K to 7 K per year as per the university’s website. 

Activities: HNGU conducts various extracurricular activities such as cultural events, sports activities and extension activities such as NSS and NCC. Some of the favourite events of students are garba night on Navratri and tech-fest. 

Cafe/Hang-out: The North Gujarat University has canteen facilities dearly enjoyed by the students based on their feedback. However, the hangout places near the university are limited. 

Our Take:

The university has a well-maintained large and green campus with suitable infrastructure for academic, administrative and residential purposes based on our research on multiple platforms such as official website, social media and review sites. Moreover, the hostels of HNGU are affordable for outstation students belonging to lower economic families. 

HNGU Internships and Placements 

Internships:

According to the student’s input, HNGU Patan provides ample internship opportunities to its students. The university not only invites several companies for internships but offers opportunities in its departments as well. However, Patan University hasn’t released any information about the opportunities offered on its official website. 

Placements: 

Based on the NIRF 2023 report, HNGU achieved a 32% to 88% placement rate depending on the courses. Let us discover the course-wise details of HNGU placements for 2022 below. 

Statistics: 

Comparative Analysis:

Major Recruiters:

• TCS
• Infosys
• IBM
• EY
• Wipro
• Fortis Hospital 

Our Take:

At a glance, the placement rates and median salary of HNGU look like a bag of mixed pebbles. On one hand, the median salary of INR 50 K offered to PG (1-year) students represents the downside. On the other hand,  the median salary of INR 3.30 LPA offered to PG-Integrated students appears satisfactory. Surely, the placements are not the best but they are decent for the local students of North Gujarat. 

HNGU Diversity & Demographics

Let's have a look at the demographics of HNGU based on the NIRF 2023 report below for better analysis.  

HNGU Student Population:

HNGU Gender Representation:

Quick Analysis:

Our Take:

• HNGU's student body, with 99.9% of students from the home state, suggests that it is completely a regional university. This is likely due to its location and founding mission to especially serve the students of North Gujarat. 
• Meanwhile, the gender representation of HNGU is impressive with 47.5% of females and 52.5% of male students. 

HNGU Faculty/College Administration & Management

Faculty: 

HNGU has a faculty strength of 96 including permanent and temporary staff as per the NIRF 2023 report. The majority of teachers hold PhDs with 10+ years of experience. The faculty are qualified and extremely supportive as per students’ reviews. The teachers provide proper guidance to students and foster comprehensive learning. However, the student-faculty ratio at HNGU stands at 32:1 which doesn't adhere to the guidelines of UGC and should be worked on. 

Administration and Management:

HNGU boasts of its effective leadership under the vice-chancellor and executive council of the university. Additionally, It has created a decentralised process of participative management including various councils, committees and subcommittees. However, past controversies related to mismanagement and poor administration suggest that not everything is as rosy as it appears! 

Our Take:

As per research, HNGU Patan’s administration and management were found involved in various controversies related to corruption, misconduct in the recruitment of faculty and mismanagement in examinations in the past. However, no new negative news was found circulating online in 2023. It appears that the university has learned to take cautious steps to avoid controversies. Overall, the faculty, administration and management seem qualified and efficient at present. 

HNGU Location: 

The Hemchandracharya North Gujarat University is located in Patan, Gujarat. The nearest railway junction is Patan Rail junction situated 10 minutes away from the campus. The closest bus stand is located 1.8 km from the campus known as New Bus Station. 

HNGU: Expectation vs Reality CLD Verdict!

Hemchandracharya North Gujarat University is a well-known university in the North Gujarat region. It has a well-developed infrastructure, qualified faculty and a genuine intent to provide balanced education at the district level. It has become a go-to destination for students of Patan and adjacent districts due to its affordable fees, academia and facilities. 

However, HNGU is not for students looking for a vibrant student environment, robust exposure and placements. The university provides adequate opportunities but not the best! 

Our Final Checklist!