Puducherry: Pondicherry University (PU)is poised for its next phase of growth with a clear focus on equipping students for the emerging knowledge economy, Vice Chancellor Prof. P. Prakash Babu said on Tuesday.

Addressing a press conference on the university campus, Prof. Babu outlined a comprehensive roadmap encompassing academic innovation, infrastructure development, research excellence, student welfare, and global collaboration.

Established in 1985, the Central University currently operates 15 schools, 41 departments, 9 centres, and 2 satellite campuses at Karaikal and Sri Vijaya Puram (Port Blair). It has 119 affiliated colleges spread across Puducherry, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and Lakshadweep, serving over 23,000 students.

The university, an early adopter of the National Education Policy 2020, currently offers 36 NEP-based programmes in its departments and 47 similar courses in affiliated colleges. New academic offerings from the 2025-26 academic year include Master of Visual Arts, M.Sc. in Quantitative Finance, and B.Sc. (Hons.) in Bioinformatics, Sustainability and Climate Change, Environmental Engineering, and Psychology.

To strengthen infrastructure, Rs 5.61 crore has been sanctioned for new academic buildings and hostels under the Ministry of Education's Higher Education Infrastructure Development Fund. Another Rs 49 crore will support laboratory upgrades at the Central Instrumentation Facility. The Andaman campus is also being expanded with an outlay of Rs 14.8 crore.

The Vice Chancellor detailed initiatives for student welfare, including smart classrooms, Wi-Fi-enabled campuses, enhanced hostels, mental health support, merit-based scholarships, and 100% free education for differently-abled students. Student councils, grievance redressal committees, and campus engagement through NSS and NCC also form key parts of student development.

In research, the University reported 6,176 publications, 124 patents, and 252 funded projects worth ₹82 crore in the last five years. It has also launched an Incubation Centre and secured a ₹5 crore Atal Innovation Mission grant. Eight green energy patents are now progressing into startups.

With 112 active MoUs—49 international and 63 national—the University facilitates exchange programmes, scholarships, and dual-degree offerings. Notable partnerships include the University of Paris-1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, Koblenz University (Germany), and University of Mascareignes (Mauritius).

Recently, Pondicherry University secured an A+ grade in its fifth NAAC accreditation cycle—the highest in its 40-year history—scoring 3.87/4 in "Curricular Aspects" and 3.56/4 in "Research, Innovation and Extension".

Prof. Babu said the University's vision includes expanding its Community College model to underserved areas, launching more dual-degree programmes, scaling up online learning, and achieving Net-Zero carbon status by 2030.

“The A+ accreditation is a strong endorsement of our efforts. We are committed to empowering students and contributing meaningfully to India's higher education and innovation landscape,” he said.