PDUSU Review and Verdict by CollegeDekho

Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya Shekhawati University, previously known as Shekhawati University, is a public university located in the village of Katrathal, within the Sikar district of Rajasthan, India. It's about 15 km (9.3 miles) away from Sikar. The university serves the educational needs of students from the Shekhawati region. It was officially founded in 2012 through the Shekhawati University, Sikar Act, 2012, passed by the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly.

The university provides a range of traditional programs in arts and sciences, business, education, and engineering. These include BCom, BA, and BSc degrees with options in Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and Physics. Additionally, postgraduate course offerings encompass MSc, MA, and MCom. Notably, the university is recognized and accredited by the UGC and by NAAC.

Having said that, students studying at Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya Shekhawati University have identified and reported several significant drawbacks and loopholes. Most students believe that the university's infrastructure is inadequate, particularly in terms of hostel facilities, classrooms, and laboratories. Many students have expressed dissatisfaction with hostel maintenance, limited classroom facilities, and out-of-date laboratory equipment. Furthermore, they have observed that the calibre of the teachers varies among disciplines. 

After carefully weighing the positives and negatives of PDUSU, we present our insights into student life at PDUSU. This assessment aims to help students in making an informed decision by considering both the benefits and drawbacks.

PDUSU Recognition and Accreditation

PDUSU is recognised and accredited by the following organisations:

• PDUSU is recognised by the University Grants Commission (UGC), which is the statutory authority of the Government of India responsible for the coordination, setting, and maintenance of university education standards in India.
• PDUSU has been recognised by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), which is an autonomous agency formed by the UGC to examine and certify higher education institutions in India. NAAC has awarded PDUSU a 'B' grade, which is considered satisfactory.
• PDUSU is a member of the Association of Indian Universities (AIU) in addition to various national recognitions and accreditations.

Our Take:

It is important to emphasise that in India, a university's legitimacy and adherence to quality standards are dependent on recognition and certification by authorities such as the UGC and NAAC. PDUSU's recognition and accreditation demonstrate its adherence to the government's quality requirements. However, we feel that, while recognition and accreditation are important, they should not be the only criteria for selecting a university. Additional elements, such as rankings, also play a pivotal role. PDUSU is prominently absent from various national rankings, such as NIRF, and it has not yet made an impression in international rankings either. This factor should be taken into account when prospective students make their selections.

PDUSU Academic Courses & Faculty 

Academic Courses: The university offers a variety of programs and degree courses in different fields of study, including:

• Arts
• Commerce
• Science
• Engineering
• Technology
• Law
• Management
• Education
• Pharmacy

Some of the popular undergraduate and postgraduate programs that PDUSU offers are:

Our Take:

Although the university claims to be dedicated to providing its students with a first-rate education that will help them thrive in their chosen careers. We have come across students' reviews stating that the courses and curriculum taught at PDUSU often lack practical relevance or do not prepare them well for real-world challenges. Students have also complained that certain courses are out of date, excessively theoretical, and do not give enough practical experience. Furthermore, when compared to other universities, PDUSU continues to offer conventional courses and degrees and has not made strides in introducing and providing contemporary courses for its student body, which is a big bummer! 

Faculty: PDUSU states that its faculty and professors are well-informed and approachable to students. They educate using a combination of lectures, seminars, practical sessions, workshops, and, on occasion, online courses. The institution has around 100 faculty members, according to the PDUSU website. This figure, however, includes both full-time and part-time faculty. There are fewer full-time faculty members. 

Our Take:

The calibre of faculty and professors at PDUSU differs from one department to another and even among individual instructors. Certain students have commended the faculty for their expertise, supportiveness, and commitment to teaching. Conversely, there have been grievances regarding disengaged and underqualified faculty members, impacting the learning experience due to a lack of practical industry insights.

PDUSU Infrastructure

PDUSU's primary campus is situated in an urban environment and provides a range of facilities to its students. These facilities and infrastructure encompass a library, computer lab, hostel, conference room, and auditorium. Moreover, the university offers facilities for sports, a reading room, a yoga room, and a gym.

• Library: The PDUSU library is accumulated with the latest volumes covering a broad spectrum of subjects including art, science, commerce, law, and general knowledge. It offers membership for e-resources and subscriptions to both national and international peer-reviewed e-journals.

• Canteen: The PDUSU campus houses a well-maintained cafeteria right within the campus premises.

• Sports: PDUSU offers a variety of indoor and outdoor sports. Indoors, students can play carrom, table tennis, and chess. The campus has well-equipped football and cricket fields, as well as a hockey field and courts for handball, volleyball, and badminton. In addition, the campus contains a huge playground in front of the administration building and hosts all major sporting events.

• IT/Computer Centre: PDUSU's computer centre manages campus networking and internet services with efficiency. It provides students and faculty with both wired and wireless Internet access. The facility, which is outfitted with the most recent system and application software, operating systems, and utility software, provides all students and staff with access to the internet for academic and research reasons.

• Hostels: PDUSU's on-campus accommodation is adequate and provides basic amenities for both males and females. Clean rooms with 24-hour clear water, power, and adequate dining facilities are provided. The best thing is that accommodations are reasonably priced.

• Auditorium: For events and seminars, the University even has an auditorium.

Our Take:

As per our research, we believe that the overall infrastructure at Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya Shekhawati University is somewhat satisfactory, but it could be improved for a better student experience. The university has a well-maintained campus with a variety of facilities as mentioned above. However, several students have expressed dissatisfaction with PDUSU's infrastructure, particularly in terms of hostel facilities, classrooms, and laboratories. Many students have complained about poor hostel maintenance, insufficient classroom facilities, and out-of-date laboratory equipment. In short, compared to other public universities in India, PDUSU's infrastructure is average. Some public universities have better infrastructure than PDUSU too. 

PDUSU Placements 

Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya Shekhawati University maintains a placement unit that assists students in finding employment following graduation. PDUSU placement cell claims to collaborate with businesses to organise industrial tours, internships, and student projects. This allows students to obtain real-world experience while also networking with possible employers. The placement cell also keeps an up-to-date database of firms and job openings. This allows students to research firms and select the ones that best suit their interests and skills.

Our Take:

Almost 75% of students at PDUSU secured positions in reputable companies with decent salary packages. The campus actively facilitates this process by providing information and recommendations to companies regarding potential candidates and suitable job openings. The selection process typically involves a written test, followed by technical and HR interviews. In the year 2020, the highest salary offered was INR 35,000 per month, which was satisfactory. On the other hand, the lowest salary offered was INR 12,000 per month, presenting a downside. The average salary recorded for the year was INR 18,000 per month which is a little alarming.

PDUSU Diversity & Demographics

Let's take a look at the gender participation and demographics of each course at PDUSU to help students make informed decisions about their studies.

Course Wise Gender Participation as per NIRF 2023 

Our Take:

According to the statistics on Course Wise Gender Participation at PDUSU University, undergraduate courses are predominantly male-dominated, with 68% male students and 32% female students, while postgraduate courses are predominantly female-dominated, with 32% male students and 68% female students. This implies that there is a gender imbalance in course selection at PDUSU, with more male students pursuing UG courses and more female students pursuing PG courses.

Course Wise Demographic Representation as per NIRF 2023 

Our Take:

Based on the Course Wise Demographic Representation, it is evident that all students enrolled at PDUSU University for both undergraduate and postgraduate courses hail from within the state. This underscores the university's prominence as the go-to choice for higher education, especially for students residing in Katrathal village within the Sikar district of Rajasthan.

PDUSU Location 

As previously mentioned, Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya Shekhawati University, formerly known as Shekhawati University, is a state-affiliated institution nestled in Katrathal village within the Sikar district, approximately 15-20 km away from Sikar, Rajasthan, India. The location of the PDUSU campus has both pros and cons for students.

Pros 

• The campus is in a calm and pleasant setting that is favourable to study.
• Sikar's cost of living is quite low, making it an affordable destination to study.
• The campus has excellent road and rail connections to the rest of the country.
• The school is close to a variety of tourist sites, including the Shekhawati area, which is noted for its forts and havelis.

Cons 

• Because the institution is located outside of the city centre, students may have to drive a long distance to reach facilities like as stores, banks, and restaurants.
• Sikar is a small town that does not have the same extent of services and opportunities as larger cities.
• Sikar's climate can be extreme, with hot summers and cold winters.

Our Take:

Overall, the PDUSU campus location provides both advantages and disadvantages. Before making a well-informed choice about continuing their education at PDUSU, students should properly evaluate these considerations and their level of expectations. Though the cost of living in Sikar is relatively low, making it a more reasonable place to study than many other cities in India, but the region is small and does not provide the same level of services and opportunities as major cities like Delhi, Mumbai, and Bangalore. 

PDUSU: Expectation vs Reality Verdict!

Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya Shekhawati University is a public university in the Indian city of Sikar. It was established in 2012 and provides undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in the arts, business, science, engineering, and technology. PDUSU is accredited by the UGC and NAAC, and it promises to provide its students with a high-quality education at a reasonable cost. In addition, the institution promises to place a high emphasis on research and innovation.

According to student ratings and critiques, PDUSU's reality falls short of its expectations in certain areas, such as:

• The PDUSU campus is located on the outskirts of Sikar, approximately 15-20 km from the city centre. Students may find it difficult and costly to reach utilities such as stores, banks, and other places as a result of this.

• PDUSU provides a variety of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, although some students have claimed that the courses are out of date and unrelated to the present job market. Others do feel that these courses are too conventional for the present scenario. 

• The infrastructure at PDUSU is deemed adequate, but there is room for improvement. Criticisms mainly revolve around subpar hostel facilities, classrooms, and laboratories, as reported by some students.

• PDUSU provides various avenues for student engagement, including extracurricular activities, sports, and research opportunities. Nevertheless, a faction of students feels that these opportunities are constrained and are not uniformly accessible across all departments and faculties.

• The faculty at PDUSU has received mixed reviews. Some students appreciate their expertise, helpfulness, and dedication, citing them as knowledgeable. Conversely, concerns have been raised regarding disinterested and underqualified faculty members, reflecting the need for improvement in this aspect.

• An important factor, placement opportunities, reveals a considerable difference between anticipation and actuality. While the institution promises to give good placements, real data and student comments show that there is still space for growth.

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