Vikram University's Review and Verdict by CollegeDekho

Campus at a Glimpse

Spread across 330 acres of land, Vikram University was established in Ujjain on March 1, 1957. With a B++ grade from NAAC, the university is UGC-recognised. Infrastructure-wise, students are entitled to smart classrooms as well as basic classrooms, laboratories, auditoriums, seminar halls, hostels, and sports among others.

Course-wise, the university offers a total of 1443 courses at the diploma, undergraduate, postgraduate, and PG Diploma levels, including PhD, certificate and value-added courses. Admissions are done both on the basis of entrance exams and on the basis of merit. Vikram University has a total of 350 non-teaching staff, out of which 170 of them are on a contract basis. Regarding teaching staff the total count is 161, with a decent student-to-faculty ratio of 1:20.

However, NAAC accreditation from A grade to B++ grade is one major downfall the university has faced in the recent past. Additionally, the student protests and admission-related controversies have tarnished the university’s reputation, which is evident not to mention that the student's feedback was the same.

Vikram University Ranking

NIRF Ranking: Not a participating member!

Our Take:

The university has not taken part in the NIRF Ranking 2023. Also, it has not received any ranks from other ranking bodies which indicates that the university needs to work on itself given that it is an affiliating university with over 150 colleges functioning under the university.

Vikram University Academia and Batch Size

Academic Composition

Vikram University academia is a mix of classroom learning, assessments and projects. According to the university’s Self Study Report 2022, 75% of programmes have adopted the Choice-Based Credit System(CBCS)  where students can select their preferred courses.

Batch Size

Batch-wise, the demand ratio of students given in the Vikram University AQAR 2019-20 are:

Our Take:
It is evident that the numbers are pretty decent. However, the following data is from 2019-20 when the university had an A grade from NAAC. Students further highlighted the fact that the graph has shown a downfall and as a result, the university was downgraded to a ‘B++’ grade.

Vikram University Fees

Vikram University course fees range between INR 8,021 and INR 64,690. The fee structure of Vikram University courses is cited below:

Our Take:

Even though the students have found the fees to be decent, on further investigation we came across a video where agriculture students of the university protested demanding a separate department and proper facilities against which the university has charged an amount of INR 58,000. Here is a snippet of the same.

Source: YouTube

In terms of student satisfaction, the following data was collected from the IQAC analysis report 2019-20

However, as per the online student satisfaction survey regarding the teaching-learning process, the percentage was very low at only 3.23%.

Vikram University Infrastructure

Classrooms

Students in the university are provided with 230 ‘old-school’ classrooms comprising boards, podiums, benches and desks and 21 ICT-enabled classrooms.

Auditorium

The university has four auditoriums and one open-air auditorium. All five auditoriums in Vikram University are used to organise cultural and academic events from time to time.

Library

The university library is called the Maharaja Jiwaji Rao Library. Founded in 1957, the university boasts about having a special collection on Kalidas, Tulsi, and Gandhi among numerous others. The university also has an Information and Library Network Centre. The resources available in the library in numbers are cited below:

Sports

The students have access to playgrounds and a gym. All the sport-related events in the university are taken care of by the Department of Physical Education and Sports.

Hostel

The university website has seven hostels, four for boys, one for girls and two hostels for the SC/ST post-metric students of SC/ST within the campus controlled by Deptt. Of Tribal Welfare, Govt. of M.P.

Our Take:

Students have expressed the following concerns regarding the accommodation facilities provided by the university:

• Provided hostel facilities are not adequate
• Poor-quality mess food has caused health ailments in students.
• Cleanliness is another major issue, especially in the hostel washrooms.
• Classroom facilities provided are not adequate. No proper cleanliness is maintained in the classrooms.
  

Vikram University Internships and Placements

Internships

Regarding the internships, the university has released the following data in its AQAR Report 2019-20; showcasing the number of students enrolled in the same:

Our Take:

The numbers are quite low and it is evident that not every student gets the opportunity for internships given that the total number of final-year students for the same year was 1358.

Placements

For placements, the university has not released any year-wise data. The following data is retrieved from the university website representing the overall course-wise placements for the past few years:

Our Take:

When asked about the Vikram University placement scenario, students have expressed that they are not provided with adequate placement opportunities. They further added that the companies that visit the university are not renowned and the salary offered by them is meagre as well. A dedicated and active placement cell is required at the university to provide job opportunities to students.

Vikram University Diversity and Demographics

Vikram University is a co-ed institution and claims to have students from all over India. According to the university website, Vikram University promotes an anti-ragging environment, with a dedicated anti-ragging committee consisting of six members.

Here is the gender ratio index and diversity representation of Vikram University:

Vikram University: Gender Ratio Index

Our Take

With 36.2% of women in UG, 50% in PG, 51% in PG Diploma courses and 57% in certificate courses, the gender ratio is fairly satisfactory. Diversity-wise, the percentage of students outside Madhya Pradesh is nil which indicates that students do not prefer Vikram University as compared to its contemporary universities within the state.

Vikram University Faculty and Administration/Management

As per the AQAR Report 2019-20, the following data on faculty has been retrieved:

The following data has been retrieved from the official website. The table below displays the department-wise faculty members teaching both UG and PG courses available in Vikram University:

Our Take:

The student-to-faculty ratio for the year 2019-20 was at 1:7 with a total of 1192 students, which is good. However, in 2022, the total faculty count was 161, and the student-to-faculty ratio was at 1:20. School of Studies in Foreign Languages and the School of Studies in Continuing Education, the faculty count is 0, which is alarming!

There were discrepancies seen in the admission procedure as well. As per news sources, a B.Com student was granted admission to M.Com despite having failed two subjects.

Source: YouTube

Administration-wise, students have voiced that despite having a grievance redressal cell, the functioning is skimpy. A few students have also highlighted that the faculty and staff hiring process is not transparent leading to failing education quality because of inefficient teachers.If news is to be believed, a System Engineer, citing the development of Integrated University Management Software at Vikram University, was alleged to have demanded money in the name of fellowship payment. The System Engineer and Fellowship Nodal Officer were made IT Nodal Officers.

Source: Patrika

Vikram University Location

The university is located in Madhav Bhawan, University Road, near Vikram Vatika in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh. It is at a distance of only 4 km from Ujjain. The closest railway station is Ujjain Railway Station located at a distance of 4.4 km. The nearest airport is Raja Bhoj Airport located at a distance of 60 km from the university campus.

Our Take:

The university's location is advantageous due to its convenient commuting options. Situated along Kothi Road, the university's surroundings are suitable for students.

Vikram University Expectation vs Reality - CollegeDekho Verdict

Within its vast campus, the university was once a name with outstanding repute. There is no doubt that the university is updating itself as per the latest curriculum and trends, however, students have expressed that the university needs a lot of improvement, especially in areas, like:

• Getting digitally advanced.
• Improving the classroom and hostel facilities.
• Bringing transparency in the admission procedure.
• Improving the functioning of the placement cell.
• Proper management regarding examination schedules. Students have commented that the university changed the exam timetable just two days before the semester exam without any prior notice.
• Last but not least, maintaining the accreditation grade. An important factor that students consider when choosing their preferred university.

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