University of Lucknow

The University of Lucknow (informally referred to as Lucknow University, or LU) is a public state university located in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India. Established over a century ago as Canning College, it has evolved into one of the oldest public universities in the country. The principal campus is situated at Badshah Bagh on University Road, with an additional campus at Jankipuram. It is the largest state university in Uttar Pradesh and the only public university in the state to offer both on-campus and online courses of study. The University is a teaching, residential, and affiliating institution, comprising 13 faculties, 51 departments, and 16 institutes and centres, with a network of 556 affiliated colleges across the city and surrounding regions. In 2020, the University’s jurisdiction was expanded beyond Lucknow to include affiliated colleges in the districts of Raebareli, Hardoi, Sitapur, and Lakhimpur Kheri. The University is also developing a third campus in Sitapur district, envisaged as a centre for vocational and skill-based education. The University’s campuses together span approximately 219.01 acres. It offers 15 undergraduate and 67 postgraduate programmes, serving a student body of 16,365. The academic and administrative functions are supported by 478 teaching faculty members and 1,927 non-teaching staff. The University of Lucknow is the only state university of Uttar Pradesh to be awarded "Category-I" university status by the UGC for excellence in teaching and research. It is also the first public university in the State of Uttar Pradesh to be accredited with A++ status by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council. History The British, during the colonial period, transformed the Indian educational system, transitioning Indian education from the traditional Gurukul system to schools, colleges, and universities. Educational institutions established during the colonial period are still operational today, and Lucknow University is one of them. In the summer of 1862, the first Viceroy of British India, Charles John Canning, died in London. For his loyalty during the Indian Rebellion of 1857, commonly referred to as the Mutiny, he was rewarded with a taluk (subdivision of a district). In his posthumous memory, a group of his loyal talukdars in Awadh decided to donate eight annas (half a rupee) from their annual income to start an educational institution. Just two years later, in 1864, Canning High School was established, starting with 200 students in two rooms of a mansion in the narrow lanes of Khayaliganj, Aminabad. Canning College, founded in the late 19th century, played a crucial role in strengthening the relationship between the local aristocracy, known as talukdars, and the British administration in Oudh (now Uttar Pradesh). The idea for the college was first proposed by Maharaja Man Singh in 1882 as a tribute to the late Lord Canning, the former Viceroy of India. Conceived as a memorial, it was envisioned as the first institution of its kind in the region, with a mission to educate the youth, enhance the nation's resources, and combat ignorance through knowledge. The college was named after Lord Canning, who served as Governor-General from 1856 to 1862. Lucknow University traces its origins to Canning College, which was established in 1864 as a prominent educational institution in Lucknow. Initially supported by the talukdars (local landowners), the college emerged as a significant center of learning in India. The land for the college was part of the 700-hectare Awadh Estates granted to Raja Sir Randhir Singh of Kapurthala by the British after the 1857 rebellion. In the early days, Canning College had no building of its own and led a peripatetic existence, with the scene of its activity periodically changing as one building or another proved unsuitable or insufficient. During the first twelve years, the College shifted from its original abode, the Aminuddaulah Palace, to several places, including the Lal Baradari. Eventually, it was housed in its own building at Kaisar Bagh, which is now known as the Rai Umanath Bali Auditorium and Bhatkhande Sanskriti Vishwavidyalaya (formerly the Bhatkhande Music Institute), is situated there. However, the growing demand for additional space prompted another relocation. The provincial government came to its aid and agreed to sell the Provincial Museum building to the College for Rs. 2,10,000.The high school was reorganized as Canning College in 1866. The foundation stone for a new building was laid by Viceroy Sir John Lawrence on 13 November1867, but construction was not completed until 1878. On 15 November of that year, Sir George Couper, Lieutenant-Governor of the North Western Provinces and Chief Commissioner of Oudh, formally opened the new building. For well over three decades, Canning College remained in the Kaisar Bagh building, but the site was scarcely suitable for a large residential institution. Consequently, the College Management sought a more spacious site, and the provincial government agreed to purchase the college building for Rs. 2,10,000 to house the Provincial Museum (now known as the State Museum, Lucknow). Canning College continued to function as a recognized institution under the University of Calcutta for 20 years, from 1867 until it came under the jurisdiction of the University of Allahabad in 1888. In 1905, the Government handed over to Canning College the extensive walled garden of about 90 acres located north of the river Gomti, known as Badshah Bagh. This garden was originally a garden house of the glorious Nasir-ud-din Haider, Padshah-e-Awadh, the second King of Awadh (1827-1837). After the pacification of Awadh, it became the Lucknow residence of the Maharaja of Kapurthala, who had purchased Badshah Bagh from the British government at an auction for a nominal price of Rs. 35,000 after the Mutiny (freedom struggle). The Maharaja later leased 90 acres of the garden land to Canning College for just ₹3 as annual rent. Some remains in the garden, such as the old royal building Lal Baradari, the tall and beautiful gates, and the canal, remind us of its historicity. The implementation of the new building scheme was made possible due to a special grant from the Government, proceeds from the sale of the old building at Kaiserbagh, and the munificence of Maharaja Sir Bhagwati Singh of Balrampur. The construction plans were entrusted to the well-known architect Sir Swinton Jacob, who prepared an impressive design in the Indo-Saracenic style. The idea of starting a University at Lucknow was first put forward by Raja Sir Mohammad Ali Mohammad Khan, Khan Bahadur, K.C.I.E. of Mahmudabad, who contributed an article to the columns of "The Pioneer", urging the foundation of a University at Lucknow. A little later Sir Harcourt Butler, K.C.S.I., K.C.I.E, was appointed Lieutenant-Governor of the United Provinces, and Maharaja Sir Ejaz Rasul Khan, K.C.I.E. of Jahangirabad Raj, United ProvincesThe first step to bring the University into being was taken when a General Committee of educationists and persons interested in university education appointed for the purpose, met in conference at Government House, Lucknow, on 10 November 1919. At this meeting Sir Harcourt Butler, who was in the chair, outlined the proposed scheme for the new university. A discussion followed, and it was resolved that Lucknow University should be a Unitary, Teaching, and Residential University of the kind recommended by the Calcutta University Mission, 1919, and should consist of Faculties of Arts, including Oriental Studies, Science, Medicine, Law, etc. A number of other resolutions was also passed and six sub-committees were formed, five of them to consider questions connected with the University and one to consider the arrangements for providing Intermediate Education. These sub-committees met during the months of November and December 1919, and January 1920; and the reports of their meetings were laid before a second Conference of the General Committee at Lucknow on 26 January 1920; their proceedings were considered and discussed, and the reports of five of the sub-committees were, subject to certain amendments, confirmed. The question of incorporation of the Medical College in the University, however, was for the time being left open for expression of opinion. At the close of the Conference donations of one lakh each from the Raja of Mahmudabad and His Highness Maharaja Sir Ejaz Rasul Khan of Jahangirabad Raj were announced. The resolutions of the first Conference together with the recommendations of the sub-committees as confirmed at the second Conference were laid before a meeting of the Allahabad University on 12 March 1920, and it was decided to appoint a sub-committee to consider them and report to the Senate. The report of the sub-committee was considered at an extraordinary meeting of the Senate on 7 August 1920, at which the Chancellor presided, and the scheme was generally approved. In the meantime the difficulty of incorporating the Medical College in the University had been removed. During the month of April 1920, Mr. C.F. de la Fosse, the then Director of Public Instruction, United Provinces, drew up a Draft Bill for the establishment of the Lucknow University which was introduced in the Legislative Council on 12 August 1920. It was then referred to a Select Committee which suggested a number of amendments, the most important being the liberalising of the constitution of the various University bodies and the inclusion of a Faculty of Commerce; this Bill, in an amended form, was passed by the Council on 8 October 1920. The Lucknow University Act, No. V of 1920, received the assent of the Lieutenant-Governor on 1 November and the Governor-General on 25 November 1920, establishing the University of Lucknow. Following this, the Canning College was merged into the University, integrating its resources and legacy into the broader educational framework. GN Chakravarti, Pro-Vice-Chancellor of Banaras Hindu University, was appointed the first Vice-Chancellor of Lucknow University on 16 December 1920. The first academic session began in July 1921, and the first convocation was held in October 1922."The Temple of learning, the foundation of which we have laid, should draw teachers from all parts of the world inspired by the sacred mission of bringing wisdom where there is ignorance, light where there is darkness, and peace where there is strife. This was the old ideal of the university and must ever remain the true ideal of a living University." — Gyanendra Nath Chakravarty, First Vice-Chancellor of Lucknow University, during his speech on the passing of the Lucknow University Act in 1920, in the Legislative Council. The Court of the University was constituted in March 1921, with the first meeting held on 21 March 1921, presided over by the Chancellor. The other university authorities, including the Executive Council, Academic Council, and various faculties, were established in August and September 1921. Statutory and non-statutory committees and boards were formed over time. On 17 July 1921, the University began formal and informal teaching, with classes in the Faculties of Arts, Science, Commerce, and Law conducted at Canning College and those for the Faculty of Medicine held at King George's Medical College and Hospital. The Canning College was officially handed over to the University on 1 July 1922, although its facilities had been made available to the University for teaching and residence before this date. Additionally, the King George's Medical College and Hospital were transferred to the University on 1 March 1921. The development of the University occurred in stages, with the following three colleges providing the foundational structure and support: King George's Medical College (now King George's Medical University) Canning College Isabella Thoburn College The Lucknow University Act, 1920, was later repealed by the Uttar Pradesh State Universities Act, 1973, which redefined the governance and administration of universities in the state. The Canning College Act, 1922 (Uttar Pradesh Act No. 7 of 1922) also played a role in this educational evolution. Vice-chancellors of University of Lucknow The vice-chancellors of University of Lucknow are as follows: Campus In the early days, the Canning College had no building of its own, and the scene of its activity periodically changed as one or other building proved unsuitable or insufficient. During the first twelve years, the college was shifted from its original location, the Aminuddaulah Palace, to a number of places, one after another, including the Lal Baradari. At last, it was housed in its own building at Kaisar Bagh. The foundation stone of this new building was laid by the Viceroy, Sir John Lawrence, as far back as 13 November 1867, but the work of construction was not completed until 1878. On 15 November of that year, Sir George Couper, Lt. Commissioner of Avadh, formally opened the new building. The University has three main libraries, apart from each department having its own. The Central Library of the university known as the Tagore Library, established in 1941, is one of the richest libraries in the country. It was designed by Sir Walter Burley Griffin, the designer of Australian capital city of Canberra. It has 5.25 lakh books, 50,000 journals and approximately 10,000 copies of approved Ph.D. and D.Litt. dissertations. The Cooperative Lending library was established in 1966 to lend books to economically under privileged graduate and post graduate students for the whole session to be restored only after their examinations are over. The university also provides residential facilities to teachers, students and non-teaching staff. There are overall 18 hostels for boys and girls in the university. Kailash Hall and Nivedita Hall can house nearly 600 female students. During the past 30 years, there has been an extension of the University Campus by State Government near the Institute of Engineering and Technology. Organisation and Administration Faculties Institute Dr. Giri Lal Gupta Institute of Public Health Dr. Shanker Dayal Sharma Institute of Democracy Institute of Management Sciences Institute of Tourism Studies Institute of Women and Gender Studies Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences Institute of New and Renewable Energy Institute of Mass Communication in Science & Technology ONGC Centre of Advanced Studies Institute for Development of Advanced Computing Institute of Development Studies Institute of Food Processing & Technology Institute of Hydrocarbon, Energy and Geo-Resources Institute for Wildlife Sciences Institute of Advanced Molecular Genetics & Infectious Diseases Regional Centre for Urban & Environmental Studies (under Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs) Research Centres APJ Abdul Kalam Center for Innovation Population Research Centre Center for Advanced Studies in Social Work Malaviya Mission Teacher Training Center Centre for Cultural Texts, Records and Translation of Indian Literatures J.K. Institute of Sociology, Ecology and Human Relations Institute of Human Consciousness and Yogic Sciences Centre of Online, Open and Distance Learning Academics Rankings The NIRF (National Institutional Ranking Framework) ranked it 29th in Law and 98th overall in India in 2025. National Institutional Ranking Framework Notable alumni Politics Arif Mohammad Khan (born 1951), politician, columnist, former union minister, 30th Governor of Bihar Chandra Bhanu Gupta, 3rd Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Sripati Mishra, 13th Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Kirti Nidhi Bista, former Prime Minister of Nepal Ashutosh Tandon (born 1960), cabinet minister in Government of Uttar Pradesh Awadhesh Prasad (born 1945), Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha, member of Panel of Chairpersons (Lok Sabha), former cabinet minister of Uttar Pradesh Kirti Vardhan Singh alias Raja Bhaiya, Union Minister of State for External Affairs and Environment; member of Parliament from Gonda Atul Kumar Anjan — national secretary of Communist Party of India Brajesh Pathak (born 1964) — former MP, 5th Deputy Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Chandrapal Singh Yadav (born 1959), former Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha, as well as Rajya Sabha Chaudhary Dilip Singh Chaturvedi (born 1932), former Member of Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly; former LU president 1955-56 Dinesh Sharma (born 1964), Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha, former deputy chief minister of Uttar Pradesh Abdul Ghafoor Ahmed (1927-2012), Pakistani politician, author, former federal Minister for Industries and Production Arun Nehru, Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha Hari Om Pandey, former Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha, Member of Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council Harish Rawat (born 1948), former Chief Minister of Uttarakhand K. C. Pant (1931-2012), former Union Minister of Defence Lalji Tondon (1935–2020), 22nd Governor of Madhya Pradesh, 28th Governor of Bihar Manik Saha (born 1953), 11th Chief Minister of Tripura Pushkar Singh Dhami (born 1975), 10th Chief Minister of Uttarakhand P. L. Punia (born 1945), former Member of Rajya Sabha Raghuraj Pratap Singh (Raja Bhaiya) (born 1969), MLA Ram Govind Chaudhary (born 1946), former leader of the opposition in the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly Shankar Dayal Sharma (1918-1999), 9th President of India Shivpal Singh Yadav (born 1955), politician, Member of Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council, former cabinet minister in the Government of Uttar Pradesh Aditya Yadav (born 1988), Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha Surjit Singh Barnala (1925-2017), former Governor of Tamil Nadu Sajjad Zaheer (1899-1973), founding member of the Communist Party of Pakistan Syed Sibtey Razi (born 1939), former Governor of Jharkhand Vijaya Raje Scindia (1919-2001), late Rajmata of Gwalior Zafar Ali Naqvi (born 1948), Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha Zakir Hussain (1897-1969), 3rd President of India Rajpal Kashyap, Member of Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council Daya Shankar Singh (born 1971), Minister of State (Independent Charge) in Government of Uttar Pradesh Choudhary Ram Kishan Bairagi (born 1938), Member of Haryana Legislative Assembly Danish Azad Ansari (born 1988), Minister of State for Minority Welfare, Muslim Waqf and Hajj in Government of Uttar Pradesh Kunwar Manvendra Singh (born 1952), Chairperson of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council Dhananjay Singh (born 1975), Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha Suresh Kumar Khanna (born 1953), Minister of Finance in Government of Uttar Pradesh, Member of Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly Gopal Rai (born 1975), former Cabinet Minister, Government of Delhi Dimple Yadav (born 1978), Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha Abhay Singh (politician), Member of Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly Denzil J. Godin, Anglo-Indian member of 17th Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly Brijesh Mishra Saurabh, former Member of Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly Education and science S. P. Chakravarti (1904-1981), father of Electronics and Telecommunications engineering education in India Sanduk Ruit (born 1954), founder of Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology Harish Poptani, professor and chair of the Center for Preclinical Imaging at the University of Liverpool Inder Verma (born 1947), professor of molecular biology Atul Kumar, chemist C.M. Naim (born 1936), writer and academic Vinod Bhakuni (1962-2011), biophysicist Girjesh Govil (1940-2021), molecular biophysicist Shyam Swarup Agarwal (1941-2013), immunologist Rajendra Prasad, professor of pulmonary medicine Ravi Kant (born 1956), professor of surgery Raj Kumar (born 1959), professor of neurosurgery Ritu Karidhal (born 1975), ISRO scientist Furqan Qamar (born 1960), professor of management Navin Khanna, Researcher and scientist Aindrila Mukhopadhyay, scientist and division lead at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Government Brajendranath De (1852-1932), early Indian member of the Indian Civil Service Isha Basant Joshi (born 1908), first female officer of the Indian Administrative Service and writer, also known by the pen name Easha Joshi Laxmi Singh (born 1974), first woman police commissioner of U.P. R. N. Kao (1918–2002), civil servant, founder and first director of R&AW Literature Ali Jawad Zaidi (1916-2004) — poet, critic, writer and freedom fighter Ahmed Ali (1910-1994) — Pakistani novelist, short story writer and scholar Iftikhar Arif (born 1944) — Urdu poet, scholar and intellectual Kavi Pradeep (1915-1998) — poet and lyricist Qurratulain Hyder (1927-2007) — Urdu writer and novelist Abdur Rahman Kashgari (1912-1971) — Uyghur poet, writer, lexicographer and Islamic scholar Attia Hosain (1913-1998) — British-Indian novelist, author, writer, broadcaster, journalist and actor Vinod Mehta (1942-2015) — journalist, critic and writer Roshan Taqui (born 1958) — historian, writer Firaq Gorakhpuri — Urdu writer and poet Fatima Zakaria (1936-2021), former editor of the Bombay Times and Sunday editor of The Times of India Ismat Chugtai (August 1915 – 24 October 1991), eminent Indian writer in Urdu Rashid Jahan (1905–1952), Urdu Writer. Law Adarsh Sein Anand (1936-2017), former Chief Justice of India and former chairman of National Human Rights Commission Prafulla Chandra Pant (born 1952), former justice, Supreme Court of India Vishwambhar Dayalu Tripathi (1899-1959), lawyer and politician Mahendra Pal Singh (born 1940), law scholar S.P. Singh (1937-2020), jurist Others Swami Chinmayananda (1916-1993) — founder of Chinmaya Mission V. Mohini Giri (born 1938) — social activist, Padma Bhushan Seema Mustafa (born 1955) — journalist Manoj Joshi — journalist Suresh Raina (born 1986) — Indian cricketer Anup Jalota (born 1953) — singer Amitabh Bhattacharya (born 1976) — lyricist and playback singer Vartika Singh - Miss Diva 2019 and represented India at 68th edition of the Miss Universe pageant Nivedita Bhattacharya, theatre and television actress Ma Prem Usha (1937-2008), clairvoyant and columnist Bina Rai (1936–2009), an Indian actress Martha Chen (born 1944), American academic, lecturer in public policy at the Harvard Kennedy School Nabia Abbott (31 January 1897 – 15 October 1981), Islamic scholar, papyrologist, paleographer at the University of Chicago Oriental Institute Bhimsain, an Indian film director, producer, screenwriter and animator Sukumar Bose, an Indian artist and Padma Shri Award recipient Agha Hasan Abedi, Founder of Bank of Credit and Commerce International Khalid Hameed, Baron Hameed, a British physician and current member of the House of Lords, Padma Shri as well as Padma Bhushan recipient, See also List of University of Lucknow people University Ground, University of Lucknow List of universities in India Universities and colleges in India Education in India Higher education in India List of educational institutions in Lucknow References External links Official website