On India’s 79th Independence Day, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Hyderabad (UoH), Prof. B J Rao, hoisted the National Flag at Prof. Gurbaksh Singh Maidan in the University campus, in the presence of Deans, Heads, Faculty, Registrar, Officers, students and staff. Prof. B J Rao paid rich tributes to the leaders who brought independence, and to the institutional leaders, who laid the foundation to the excellence of the University, which is now among the Top in India and abroad.
Excerpts of the speech by Prof. B J Rao:
As we commemorate India’s 79th Independence Day, the University of Hyderabad reflects on its legacy of academic excellence, innovation, and social engagement. Over the past 50 years, our institution has transformed into a thriving intellectual zone, fostering a culture of empowerment, inclusion, and excellence.
Academic Achievements
Our research endeavors have garnered global recognition, with notable achievements in the QS World University Rankings 2026 and the WEEK HANSA Research Survey 2025. We’ve successfully managed 178 projects worth ₹161.90 crores, spanning cutting-edge fields like Quantum Science & Technology and healthcare innovation. Our faculty and students have published approximately 700 research papers in high-impact international journals.
Innovation and Incubation
The ASPIRE incubation center has empowered breakthrough ideas, translating science into solutions for society. With over 43 resident startups and 17 virtual incubatees, ASPIRE has secured over ₹100 crore in grants and investments, generating 500+ high-skill jobs. Strategic partnerships with leading institutions like HDFC Bank and Aurobindo Pharma Foundation demonstrate industry confidence in our ecosystem.
Institutional Excellence
The University of Hyderabad has leveraged its Institution of Eminence (IoE) status to create new infrastructure, upgrade existing equipment, and support research. Notable developments include the Interdisciplinary Research Centre, Human Resource Development Centre, and state-of-the-art hostels. The IoE program has enabled significant advancements in research and faculty development.
Global Engagement
We’ve intensified internationalization efforts through strategic planning and global academic engagements. Key partnerships include collaborations with Heidelberg Institute of Global Health, Flinders University, and Japan’s JST. Our active MoUs with 15 universities worldwide foster global academic partnerships and cultural exchange.
Student Welfare and Campus Life
Student welfare remains a priority, with our Dean Students’ Welfare office offering counseling, orientation programs, and peer mentorship. Accessibility improvements and social engagement initiatives promote inclusive education and community empowerment.
Priorities Looking Ahead
As we move forward, our priorities include:
– Achieving consistent publication output in Q1–Q2 journals
– Expanding representation in subject-specific international rankings
– Strengthening industry partnerships and skills development
– Deepening international student mobility
– Enhancing infrastructure for student mental health and inclusion
– Leveraging digital platforms to share research, outreach, and achievements
Let’s reaffirm our commitment to national service through education, innovation, and social engagement. Together, we’ll elevate the University of Hyderabad into a global exemplar of excellence, equity, and impact.
Let’s unite and leverage our collective strengths to propel India onto the global stage, showcasing our nation’s talent, innovation, and resilience. Together, we can achieve greatness and make India a beacon of excellence worldwide.
Prof. J Anuradha, hoisted the National Flag at the Golden Threshold campus of the University.
Later the campus school students’ patriotic song and dance program was a heartfelt tribute to the nation. With vibrant performances, they showcased their musical talent and love for the country. The students’ energetic renditions of iconic patriotic songs, left the audience mesmerized.
Their performances were a celebration of India’s freedom struggle, cultural richness, and unity in diversity. The program concluded with the National Anthem, filling every heart with renewed patriotism and pride for India.
=========================================================================================================
Full Independence Day address 2025 of Prof. B J Rao
Dear faculty colleagues, officers, staff, students, children, alumni, and honoured guests, warm greetings to all as we come together to celebrate India’s 79th Independence Day. As we unfurl the tricolour, let us reflect on the sacrifices and dreams of our founding visionaries—and renew our commitment to transform their ideals into action for VIKSIT BHARAT.
Legacy of 50 Years: From Foundation to Eminence
While our Golden Jubilee may be behind us, the first fifty years of UoH have built a strong foundation. Established under the visionary leadership of Prof. Gurbaksh Singh, our institution has transformed into a thriving intellectual eco-system, especially for FIRST GENERATION LEARNERS from all corners of the country, in a campus where our LAND also is a BIODIVERSITY hot-spot.
Our campus is buzzing with excitement as new students have joined us and academic activities are in full swing, accompanied by vibrant freshers’ welcome programs. I’m delighted to announce that we’ve successfully admitted up to about 85% and now heading towards 90% of our student seats, with more potential additional joinings anticipated soon.
Academic Excellence & Global Recognition
Our research continues to earn global acclaim. In the QS World University Rankings 2025, our citations per faculty has improved to a ranking of 335, an improvement over 372 rank of 2024, anchoring our scholarly visibility. Our citations per paper and papers per faculty is way above global median. Our global ranked top 7 subject streams being: English Language & Literature: 251-300; Linguistics: 301-350; Sociology: 301-375; Chemistry: 451-500; Economics: 501-550; Physics: 601-675; Biological Sciences: 651-700. Our best global rank so far in the history of UoH was 101-120 for Performing Arts in 2024.
The University of Hyderabad has reaffirmed its position as a center of innovation and academic excellence, driven by several notable achievements. We are proud to lead the nation as the Hub of the prestigious ANRF-PAIR project, a five-year initiative with a ₹100 crore outlay, where UoH is the HUB and SIX other institutes as the Spokes (Osmania Univ, Yogi Vemana, SV University, CU-Karnataka, Mahatma Gandhi Univ Kottayam & Kannur Univ, Kannur). This project unites around 180 investigators to address frontier challenges in healthcare and shape our future technologies. Additionally, our collaboration with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited under its CSR program has propelled us into Digital Twin research and skill development.
Key Highlights:
Ongoing Projects: We currently manage a diverse portfolio of approximately 178 projects, valued at ₹161.90 crores, spanning cutting-edge fields like Quantum Science & Technology, catalysis, genome editing, and sensor technology.
Patents: We have around 75 patents at different stages, with 50 granted and 25 published, particularly in nanotechnology, advanced materials, and healthcare innovation.
Research Publications: We’ve achieved a remarkable milestone with approximately 700 research publications in high-impact international journals so far this calendar year.
Innovation & Incubation Ecosystem
On this occasion of Independence Day, we celebrate not just our nation’s freedom, but also the spirit of innovation that drives India’s progress. At the University of Hyderabad, ASPIRE stands tall as a national leader in deep-tech incubation where our startups have collectively secured over ₹100 crore in the form of grants and investments, launched 20+ commercial products, and generated 500+ high-skill jobs—with 45% of these ventures led by women entrepreneurs, underscoring our commitment to inclusive innovation.
Institution of Eminence
The University of Hyderabad has leveraged the Institution of Eminence (IoE) status, granted by the Government of India in 2019, to catapult itself into the best and highest leagues nationally and globally. With an investment of over ₹600 crore, the university has focused on creating new infrastructure, upgrading existing equipment, and research support. Under IoE funding, infrastructure development is nearing completion— Interdisciplinary Research Centre, new hostels, research centres, labs, HRDC, LHC, Admin Building and guest houses will soon uplift campus life. The IoE program has also enabled significant advancements in research and faculty development as exemplified by increased research output.
In addition, a research cluster on AI applications in the health sector has been established, promoting interdisciplinary research. Non-NET PhD scholars have received publication-based performance incentives, and PG students have been recognized for their academic achievements with cash awards. Additionally, the IoE program has funded over 100 national and international conferences and supported the appointment of post-doctoral research fellows. Moreover, the IDC is going to unveil a new CO-WORKING SPACE model for innovation involving public-private partnerships.
IQAC
The university has implemented a strategic system to elevate our global rankings. Moving forward, only Scopus and Web of Science publications will be counted for promotions and recruitment. This decisive shift ensures that every single publication by our faculty and students directly contributes to our institutional standing. As part of our commitment to sustainability, we have completed a comprehensive energy audit across campus. Informed by its findings, we will soon implement targeted measures to align our operations with the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
In recognition, no of subjects enlisted by the QS ranking is increasing, the University believes that if these changes are implemented, more subjects from the University may get recognised and ranked by ranking agencies. This requires a concerted effort by all stakeholders, including faculty and research scholars.
Internationalisation
The University of Hyderabad (UoH) has intensified its internationalization efforts through strategic planning and global academic engagements in 2025. A pivotal meeting on January 21, 2025, brought together key stakeholders, including the Vice-Chancellor, Deans, Heads of Departments, and the Office for International Affairs (OIA), to formulate strategies for attracting international students. Recommendations included:
Leveraging National Policies: Utilizing NEP 2020 and UGC’s supernumerary quota to attract international students
Academic Programs: Offering cluster courses, winter schools, and dual degree programs, Engaging international alumni for potential collaborations. These efforts have been complemented by visits from key international partners.
NEP Implementation
The university is working on the complete implementation of NEP 2020. While most provisions have been implemented, norms for lateral entry into the second year of the PG programme will be worked out during this year, and we will be ready by the next admissions. This will be possible with the cooperation of all the academic units.
CDLTR
The Centre for Digital Learning, Training & Resources has, with the cooperation of faculty members, launched over 30 online General Education Courses as required by the NEP 2020. Over 2000 students of the university have taken these courses in the last year. Beginning this year, the GECs will be offered to students of the Integrated programmes. Launching these courses online has reduced a huge burden on timetabling and physical resources. If faculty members are able to launch their electives online, it will further reduce the complex work on the central timetable and our physical resources.
Recruitments
As part of the ‘Mission Mode Recruitment’ – an initiative of Govt. of India to fill up the vacancies in various Ministries and Departments, the University has conducted the meetings of the Selection Committee(s) in the month of June 2025 and 13 faculty were issued appointment letters in the Rozgar Mela held on 12 June 2025. Promotion/placement orders were issued under the Career Advancement Scheme to 30 Faculty members.
Further, the University has completed the non-teaching recruitment for Group A, Group B and C for 88 posts. Such an effort is happening at UoH after a gap of 13Y.
The University is planning to take up the recruitment process soon in respect of remaining Teaching, Non-teaching vacant posts and the process will be ongoing.
Student Welfare & Campus Inclusivity
Student welfare remains a priority. Our Dean Students’ Welfare (DSW) office offers counselling, orientation programmes, stress management and resilience workshops, and peer mentorship—ensuring student well-being which is of high focus for UoH. Accessibility improvements like campus-wide wheelchair infrastructure and the CIS Assistive Technology Lab reinforce our commitment to inclusive education.
Social Engagement & NSS Initiatives
Our NSS outreach programmes promote digital literacy, environmental consciousness, and civic responsibility. These engagements reflect our conviction that learning must intersect with social impact and community empowerment.
Placement Achievements & Career Readiness
The University has achieved a record-breaking placement season for 2024-25, with 550 students placed across 180 top organizations. The highest annual package touched ₹46 lakhs, more than doubling last year’s highest offer of ₹17.89 LPA. Select notable recruiters include Tata Consultancy Services, Deloitte, Oracle, Teradata, Intel, Lloyds, ServiceNow, Micron, Pegasystems, Exim Bank, Accenture, Novartis, General Electric, ICICI Bank, Synchrony Financial, to name a few. The List above is non-exhaustive; it includes many others from both public and private domains.
Students secured roles in IT, analytics, finance, research, education, and consulting sectors. I suggest that the new students stay focused on academics, not get distracted, and imbibe deep learning, high skills and aspire for very good placements through UoH-PGAB.
I congratulate the PGAB Team for this wonderful achievement and wish our students success in their endeavours.
Alumni Engagement & Mentorship
Since its establishment in 2022, the Alumni Cell has been dedicated to fostering connections between alumni and their alma mater. In 2024-25. we have organized Alumni Meets and Distinguished Lectures, with Institute of Eminence (IoE) funds at the school level and many more are to follow. Currently, our Alumni Portal boasts of approximately 10,000 verified members, many of whom are desirous of contributing back to the university, both financially and through other means.
I am happy to announce that the University has established UoH- Endowment Fund and its Management Board with three prominent alumni members. A streamlined, transparent mechanism for fund collection drive is now in place at UoH.
In the coming years, we anticipate that the alumni community will increasingly become a significant support base for the university.
Sustainability & Environmental Stewardship
Our Platinum Ranking under the Global Green University Accreditation Standards 2024–27 recognises UoH’s holistic approach to sustainability, including solar energy systems, water-efficient landscaping, and waste management, spotlighting our role as a model green institution.
Our Vision: Reinvention & Public Purpose
As Vice Chancellor, I firmly believe UoH must continuously reinvent itself to stay relevant. We must:
- Engage meaningfully with society—translating research and education into public good.
- Train and retrain faculty, staff, and students—embracing emerging technologies including AI and other skills.
- Regularly update curricula and platforms to reflect future-ready learning.
- Generate high-quality online content that benefits learners beyond campus.
- Reinforce public‑private partnerships for societal impact—consistent with UoH’s ethos as a public university.
Priorities Looking Ahead
- Achieve consistent publication output in Q1–Q2 journals.
- Expand our representation in subject-specific international rankings.
- Strengthen industry internships, apprenticeships, employability pipelines, and skills development.
- Deepen international student mobility—both inbound and outbound—with current and new partners.
- Enhance infrastructure for student mental health, inclusion, and financial support.
- Complete and operationalise IoE-funded facilities to support academic life.
- Leverage digital platforms to share our research, outreach, and achievements proactively.
On this 79th Independence Day, let us reaffirm our commitment to national service through education, innovation, and social engagement. Together—faculty, students, staff, alumni, and partners—we will elevate the University of Hyderabad into a global exemplar of excellence, equity, and impact.
Let us move forward with courage, conviction, and collaboration—honouring the dreams of our national heroes by building communities of learning that empower all.
Towards the end: Current Global geo-political and economic conditions are fluid. Bharat, to sustain and make a mark in the league of Nations globally, we all need to work together, translate Education into Deep learning, skills and wealth generation for the country. We always get guided by a Dictum: Dharmo Rakshati Rakshitah (Dharma protects those who protect Dharma).
Jai Hind. Jai Bhārath.
