PSSOU’s Review and Verdict by CollegeDekho

Campus at a Glance

Pandit Sundarlal Sharma (Open) University is a utate University that is located in Chhattisgarh, Bilaspur and was established by the Governor of Chhattisgarh in 2005. The university was named after Pandit Sundarlal Sharma, a well-known freedom and social justice fighter in the Chhattisgarh region. PSSOU campus has a list of regional centres in Bilaspur, Jagdalpur, Kanker, Raipur, Ambikapur, Durg, and Jashpur.

PSSOU is recognised by the University Grants Commission (UGC) and National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE). Further, it has been accredited by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) with an A+ grade. It is the foremost university in India and a highly regarded centre for teaching and research. 

Pandit Sundarlal Sharma (Open) University is the only institution providing education in Chhattisgarh, Bilaspur through an open and distance education system. The university is providing education to remote and tribal areas so that more and more individuals can get the benefits of education. People from remote and tribal areas deprived of higher education can pursue their higher studies through PSSOU. In addition to the UG, PG and doctoral courses, an interested candidate can also pursue a diploma and certificate course from PSSOU. 

PSSOU focuses on activities beyond academics, which is evident from its infrastructure, extracurricular activities and national & international collaborations. Let’s find out more about PSSOU and see if it is suitable for you in terms of academics, course fees, infrastructure, etc. 

PSSOU NIRF Ranking

PSSOU could not make it to the NIRF Ranking list. However, the institution has been ranked 14396th among all universities in the world, ranked 5524th among universities in Asia, and ranked 1188th among universities in India by Webometrics. 

• Webometrics ranked PSSOU 1188th in India.
• Webometrics ranked PSSOU  5524th among the top universities in Asia.
• Webometrics ranked PSSOU 14396th in the world.  

Our Take:

PSSOU did not make its place on the NIRF Ranking List. However, the institution has been ranked by Webometrics. To secure a place on the NIRF list, the university needs to improve its placements, take care of the number of students they are admitting and increase its faculty members. Getting ranked in NIRF will enhance university reputation and also increase its popularity among students. 

PSSOU Academia & Batch Size

PSSOU has 7 faculties and 20 departments that provide 26 courses. PSSOU offers certificate, diploma, UG and PG courses. The university has around 23577 students and the faculty count is 50. The number of students as compared to the faculty members is quite high. As students get to complete their courses through distance education, the number of teachers might be less. 

PSSOU Courses Offered

The university has 7 faculties and offers courses at certificate, diploma, UG, PG and doctoral levels. Some of the PSSOU Bilaspur courses are B.Com, MA, BBA, BSc etc.  

PSSOU Course Fees

PSSOU is a state university and the fee structure is affordable, however, the admission fees may vary depending on the course and the programme level that students choose. The course fees of Pandit Sundarlal Sharma (Open) University can be paid through Credit Card/ Debit card, UPI/ ID, Bank Transfer, or Demand Draft. Students can deposit the Pandit Sundarlal Sharma (Open) University fees via offline mode also by directly visiting the admission office. Find here the course fees of PSSOU:

Scholarship

According to the rules of Pandit Sunderlal Sharma (Open) University, Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh Government provides scholarships to scheduled caste and scheduled tribe students. The scholarship benefit is provided directly to the students of the state in their bank accounts. Students get the scholarships based on their economic status and academic merit. 

 Students of PSSOU are offered several scholarship programmes. Apart from scholarships, the university also financially helps the students with various fellowship and award programmes. PSSOU scholarship facilities for UG and PG courses help the students with financial assistance and reward them for their academic performance. The scholarships are given to students by the state and central governments based on the last qualifying exam. The university also has a PSSOU scholarship cell to provide its students with every required financial assistance. To obtain the PSSOU scholarship, the students have to fulfil the criteria and become eligible for them.

• Merit-cum-Means Scholarship: Merit-cum-Means scholarship is available for deserving students whose family's gross income does not exceed INR 2,50,000 per annum. 

To apply for the PSSOU scholarship, students have to check the status of Aadhaar Authentication (e-KYC) by their login. Students whose Aadhaar Authentication (e-KYC) has failed are given a one-time opportunity to correct their Aadhaar details. Students must provide an active bank account number which is seeded to their Aadhaar number as only Aadhaar-based payment would be done for crediting scholarship amount in the bank account linked to the Aadhaar number. 

Our Take:

Being a state university, PSSOU fee structure is affordable in comparison to other universities so that students from below the poverty line have access to quality education. There are a lot of courses that students get to study in the distance mode. Students get to study certificate, diploma, UG and PG courses at PSSOU. The scholarship facility that students get from PSSOU also helps them to pursue education. The UG and PG courses at PSSOU are in demand as many students prefer to work and complete their studies via online mode. 

PSSOU Infrastructure

PSSOU has an excellent infrastructure with administrative buildings, academic buildings, examination buildings, bank, library buildings, canteen, officer's buildings, furnished hostels, guest house, and teaching and non-teaching lodgings. With a well-planned infrastructure, students are willing to be admitted to the university. There are also three helipads available in PSSOU for important visitors arriving by helicopter. PSSOU has a lush green campus, with beautiful trees and blooming plants. There are two tiny ponds on each side of the university's main entry gate, which improves the water level in the surrounding region as well as the beauty of the campus. Take a look at the facilities provided at PSSOU campus.

Hostel 

PSSOU hostels are spacious and well-furnished. Every hostel of PSSOU has live-in wardens and a faculty member who assists with the accommodation. The hostels have limited capacity, this means that getting admitted to PSSOU doesn’t ensure guaranteed hostel accommodation. PSSOU offers accommodation to students based on various factors. To get information on hostel facilities, students need to contact Dr Ratnakar Pandey, Program Coordinator and Incharge of the Hostel.

PSSOU Bilaspur Hostel Details

 Cafeteria 

The university also has cafeteria facility for its students. The objective of the cafeteria is to protect students by reducing the risk of foodborne illness, with proper sanitary conditions, and preventing adulterated food. From the very beginning of the university in 2018, the university cafeteria has been operating efficiently. The cafeteria is an on-demand food service that provides dining, vending, coffee and more solutions. But, PSSOU cafeteria is more than snacks, drinks, and fresh food as it gives the students exactly what they want, when and where they want it.

Guest Room/ Waiting Room

The university has a guest house and waiting room facilities for visiting faculty and students' family members. The guest houses that are there inside the PSSOU campus accommodate guests of the PSSOU workshops, seminars, conferences, and training programmes, organised by the university, its centres, or departments.

Library 

The PSSOU library is spread across an area of 691.16 square meters. In Bilaspur, there are network of libraries and the PSSOU library is also a member of the network as it grants access for searches of entire networked catalogues and inter-library loans. Students get to study at the library and access the PSSOU study material to improve their research and get help in their studies.

Computer Room

The library also has a computer lab in one part. The lab is well-advanced, furnished and fully equipped with computers. The university has an internet connection that helps students use the computer lab for their research work. Students can easily use the free digital library and other online study materials from the computer lab.

Banks/ ATMs

PSSOU Bilaspur has a banking facility for the students. The Bank of Baroda, Birkona branch (Pandit Sundarlal Sharma (Open) University campus was established in the year 2016. It functions from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM from monday to friday and on 1st and 3rd saturdays. It is well equipped with modern facilities with 5 staff including branch manager. Through this bank, students of distance education programmes can pay their fees online and the bank also provides e-banking. The bank has set up one Automatic Teller Machines (ATM) near the bank. 

Laboratory facilities

The university has laboratory facilities for Research/ Statistical Database, Media Laboratory/Studios, Science Laboratories (for Botany, Chemistry, Physics, Zoology) etc. The laboratories are equipped with modern facilities and allow students to get in-hand practical knowledge.  

Regional Study Centre

Pandit Sundarlal Sharma (Open) University has quite a few regional study centres where students can go and clear their doubts or get help for any study-related problems. Find below the list of the regional study centres:

Our Take:

The university has a well-rounded educational environment with facilities such as a computer lab, science lab, library, hostels etc. PSSOU also has a bank within its campus which helps the students and faculty members to access it whenever required. The students are quite satisfied with the infrastructure of PSSOU. Despite being a distance university, PSSOU offers decent facilities to students. 

PSSOU Internships & Placements

The placement cell of Pandit Sunderlal Sharma Open University, Bilaspur was established in the year 2016. The main objective of forming the PSSOU cell is to provide significant employment opportunities to its students as per their academic qualifications. It is also the function of the placement cell to connect the right candidate with the right employer. The placement cell will work as a bridge between the students and the employer for their benefit. 

In the present scenario, it is seen that companies demand candidates who are ready to be employed in the shortest period of time. The university guarantees support to the visiting companies by making its infrastructure/ resources available at each stage of the placement process and will continue to act as an interface between the companies and the students/ alumni. The university tries to have campus placements throughout the year at the headquarter, regional centres, study centers and corporate campuses. The university tries to organise placement camps so that students can find suitable placements. 

Nothing can be found about the internship opportunities for the students. Since this is an open university, no internship opportunities are provided by the college as such but there are teachers who will make you industry-ready. 

Placement

The PSSOU placement cell prepares its students in such a way that get placed in various organisations, from political and social agencies, institutions, and academic institutions to PSUs, corporate sectors, etc. PSSOU Placement Cell (PSSOUPC) works actively to conduct workshops, seminars, placement camps, guest lecture training, and trade fairs with the goal of bringing the recruiters and students under one roof.

The placement cell of PSSOU provides considerable job opportunities for its students. Under the placement cell, several programmes are organised to develop the skills of the students so that they are hired by top companies. The cell also encourages students to get employed in reputed government institutions, non-government institutions, and other organisations. Students can find the placement dates of 2022 below so that they can understand the salaries offered to them. The PSSOU placement data is provided below in the table with the number of recruiters, offers, salary packages, etc.

PSSOU Placement Highlights 2022

PSSOU Top Recruiters

The companies that recruit students of PSSOU are given below:

Our Take:

After going through the placement record, we can say that the salary offered to candidates are very less. However, the majority of the companies do not accept degrees that have been achieved through distance courses. The best part of the university is that it also plans to help its alumni find employment in suitable places. PSSOU should focus more on placement and prepare its students to get placed at top companies with a good pay package. 

PSSOU Diversity and Demographics

PSSOU is a recognised open university in the country as it provides all-around academic excellence and unmatchable dedication to diverse and appropriate research subjects. Every year, the university awards hundreds of UG and PG degrees, displaying the integrity and importance of the university's research work. Several research works have been carried out across a wide range of fields of Languages, Sciences, and Humanities in collaboration with several organisations and institutions at both national and international levels.

PSSOU Bilaspur Demographic Representation

PSSOU Bilaspur Gender Ratio

Our Take:

Although the university focuses more on admitting students from low-income groups and backward areas, the majority of the students are from Chhattisgarh. There is one area where the university needs to focus. Furthermore, the university does not have international students, which is understandable as it is a distance university. When we look at the gender representation at the campus, PSSOU has a male-female ratio of 10:8, which is commendable. 

PSSOU Faculty/ College Administration & Management

Each department of PSSOU has assistant professors who are in charge of teaching the students. There are almost 2-3 assistant professors in all departments such as the Department of Education, Department of English, Department of Computer Science, etc. However, the number of students when compared to the faculty members available in the university is very high. The teachers are known to be helpful and prepare the students to be ready to face the industry. 

Our Take:

Increasing the headcount of faculty members should be the top priority of the university. According to students feedback, teachers are helpful and prepare the students for the job market. With increase in faculty, the studies can also be managed in a better and efficient way. 

PSSOU Location

The campus is located at Bilaspur Koni-Birkona Road, Post-Birkona, Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh. PSSOU campus is spread over 70 acres of land. The University has a well-planned infrastructure including an administrative building, examination building, academic building, library building, bank, canteen, furnished hostel and guest house, officer's buildings, and teaching and non-teaching accommodations. The university also has three helipads for distinguished guests who visit the university by helicopter.

The PSSOU campus has a green campus with lots of trees and flowery plants. On both sides of the main gate of the university, there are two small ponds which beautify the campus and also increase the water level of the area. 

PSSOU Expectation vs Reality CollegeDekho Verdict

The university asks for feedback from the students as the NAAC evaluation is conducted in Pandit Sunderlal Sharma (Open) University. If PSSOU gets a good rank, the reputation of the university will increase, as well as the reputation of the university officers, teachers, employees and students will also increase which in return will help the students to get placements in good companies. 

Pandit Sunderlal Sharma (Open) University is not a famous open university like other distance universities. The students from the state of Chhattisgarh are majorly admitted to the university as a result there is an imbalance in the student diversity. PSSOU should focus on admitting students from different states of India. The university has a placement cell, but the salary received by the students is very low. 

The students get a chance to apply for scholarships, there is a reservation for backward community students and the limited number of teachers that the university has is knowledgeable and helpful. 

Final Review Checkbox!