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Annual Reports

VICE CHANCELLOR’S ANNUAL REPORT 2023-2024

 

I have the honour of presenting ANNUAL REPORT of the University for the academic year 2023-24. It shall highlight key events, achievements and activities that happened during the past one year. 

In this context, you might have already noticed that the Vice Chancellor has changed. On completion of the term, my predecessor, Prof. B.R. Sharma left and I took over as the new Vice-Chancellor on July 1, 2024.  In a way, I am new to the university but not new to the job as I started working as Vice Chancellor in 2001 and it is my 6th term as VC in four different states of India. 

Now let me report how the academic year 2023-24 was for Sri Sri University.  

 

  1. First big thing that happened in Sri Sri University

The university has implemented the National Education Policy (NEP-2020) from this year.  Accordingly, from this year all graduation courses will be of 4 years, wherein the first year is largely devoted to skill training, and the focus in the second year will be on skill plus fundamentals. During the academic session 2023-24, all the Deans worked hard to restructure course curricula according to the needs of NEP. Teachers were also trained and several academic administration formalities were completed. 

Sri Sri University has started introducing skill-based modules and vocational training. Bridging the gap between academic knowledge and industry needs. It is aimed at enhancing employability and real-world readiness among our students. 

 

  1. The second big thing, 

 it is about the transformative step the university has taken by launching

Open Distance Learning (ODL) program. It is a new vertical aimed at expanding the university’s educational impact. On our first attempt, Sri Sri University successfully obtained approval from the UGC, to offer four ODL programs: Bachelor of Business Administration, Master of Arts (Yoga), Master of Performing Arts (Odissi Dance), and Master of Arts (Hindu Studies). In due course, more subjects will be added to ODL. 

The launch of ODL marks a strategic advancement for Sri Sri University, creating an accessible educational platform for students in rural, tribal, and remote regions across Odisha and beyond. With this new vertical, the university not only broadens its academic reach but also strengthens its commitment to inclusive and flexible learning.


  1. The third development is about new academic programs:

In 2023-24, Sri Sri University introduced nine new programs to align with industry demands and support interdisciplinary growth. These include the Integrated M.Sc. in Osteopathy and Bachelor of Physical Education and Sports to further our commitment to health and wellness, along with B.Sc. Nursing to prepare skilled healthcare professionals. Our postgraduate offerings in the agriculture field include Agronomy, Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Horticulture, Agricultural Statistics, and Agricultural Economics. These programs further enrich Sri Sri University’s academic portfolio.


  1. The fourth achievement is about new collaborations and partnerships

Sri Sri University has made significant strides in fostering robust industry engagement, bridging the gap between academia and the professional world to enhance student learning and employ-ability. 

Sri Sri University has recently signed an agreement with the National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET). The agreement recognizes Sri Sri University as an Awarding Body (AB) and Assessment Agency (AA) under the Dual Category. This makes Sri Sri University the ninth university in India to receive this status. Under this category of recognition, our skill centre has plans to train and employ the youth in the areas of its core competency like, Yoga, Panchakarma, Nadi Shastra and make aware the rural youth in the Ayurvedic Way of life and as source of livelihood.

During the past year we signed 56 MoUs with various leading industries, and academic institutions like Intel India, National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), Indian Institute of Science (IISc.), National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM), Kedge Business School, Arizona State University, Harvard Business School Publishing, to name a few. 

Through such strategic partnerships, SSU offers students unique opportunities for internships, hands-on projects, and exposure to real-world challenges, equipping them with essential skills and insights required for today’s dynamic job market. 


  1.  Fifth Achievement is about 8 new Centres’ of Excellence

The 22 Centres of excellence at Sri Sri University aim to excel in research, innovation, and application of technology to address pertinent societal and environmental challenges. This year marked a milestone for Sri Sri University with the launch of eight cutting-edge Centres of Excellence, each designed to drive innovation, research, and skill development in high-impact fields. 

In a pioneering collaboration with the Institute of Risk Management India, SSU established India’s first and East India’s only Global Centre for Enterprise Risk Management (ERM), setting a new benchmark for ERM education and resources in the region. This landmark Centre will offer transformative opportunities for students and professionals, equipping them with the expertise to address complex global risk challenges.

Complementing this flagship initiative, Sri Sri University inaugurated Centres dedicated to Robotics & Automation (in collaboration with the All India Council for Robotics & Automation). A Cyber Defense Centre with Cyber Dojo, a Centre for Disaster Risk Resilience with FinTech. Edu, and Research Centres for Performance & Safety in Sports. Each of these Centres embodies Sri Sri University’s commitment to fostering practical learning, pioneering research, and building industry-relevant skills, positioning our university as a hub of excellence and innovation across diverse, forward-looking disciplines.


  1. Sixth achievement pertains to Innovation and Entrepreneurship

SSU Innovation Foundation is a dynamic force in the startup ecosystem, recognized by the Government of Odisha as an official incubator under the ODISHA START-UP POLICY.  We empower early stage entrepreneurs with a comprehensive set of resources.  We take great pride in being awarded a 4-star rating by the institution’s innovation council, recognizing our commitment to excellence and innovation.  SSU Innovation foundation is now a recognised incubator of start-up Odisha with 4-star rating by IIC and has been selected for HDFC start-up grant.

The 150 start-ups are in 11 different Sectors, and 32 of these start-ups were added in the year 2023-24. Our Incubated start-ups are supporting over 18,000 farmers, creating around 3,200 jobs, and serving 2.5 million customers with a cumulative revenue of more than ₹70 crores.

The Incubation Foundation has signed 27 MoUs with various key stakeholders of the start-up ecosystem such as Venture Capitalists, Intellectual Property Agencies, Govt. bodies to provide a holistic support system to start-ups. 

University has started its Tech Incubator with the support of DST, Govt. of India and has been recognized as an Inclusive Technology Business Incubator.


  1.  Seventh Achievement is about 6 Awards & Recognitions

The year was marked by five awards and recognitions that underscored Sri Sri University’s commitment to excellence and its growing reputation. These awards are:

  1. Times Higher Education Impact Ranking 2024: Sri Sri University has strengthened its position in THE Impact Ranking 2024. We are in the league of the top 200 higher education institutions in the world for SDG 2: Zero Hunger, SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation, and SDG 15: Life on Land. In India, we are ranked in the top 10 institutions for these SDGs. Ranked 4th for SDG 2, 6th for SDG 15, and 10th for SDG 6. In Odisha, we are ranked first for SDG 6 & 15 and second for SDG 2. 

  2. Ranked 1st in Odisha, 6th in India, and 233rd globally by UI Green Metric World University Rankings 2023-24. 

  3. Sri Sri College of Ayurvedic Science & Research Hospital has been ranked 3rd in Outlook India’s Top Colleges 2024 Rankings in Ayurveda. This outstanding achievement is a testament to our university’s unwavering commitment to academic excellence and student growth. 

  4. University has received Gold Standard in Advanced Research in Indian Knowledge Systems. Only 30 Universities of the 1400+ in India were selected for a Gold standard rating in a unique field. This prestigious recognition highlights our dedication to preserving and promoting the rich heritage of Indian Knowledge Systems. 

  5. Indian Institutional Ranking Framework 2024 has ranked Sri Sri University as one of the Top Private Universities in India. We have been ranked 17th across India under the category of Top Private University (Overall), 2nd in the state as well as Eastern zone respectively.  

  6. SSU was nominated by UGC as one among the 153 Universities in India to contribute to the Viksit Bharat Mission of Govt. of India.

These accolades reflect the University’s relentless pursuit of innovation, quality education, and impactful community engagement, solidifying SSU’s position as a leader in value-based education.


  1.  As the Eighth achievement I present the Research contributions of Sri Sri University

This year, our faculty and students have made notable contributions to academic research and innovation. 244 research papers have been published in leading national and international journals, including 107 papers in Scopus-indexed journals. 

The academic year 2023-24 also witnessed 191 conferences, seminars, conclaves, FDPs, MDPs, workshops, capacity building programmes including

  • International Conference on Intelligent Systems & Machine Learning in association with the European Alliance for Innovation and Springer

  • International Conference on Holistic Approach towards Performance and Safety in Sports in association with the Physical Education Foundation of India

  • SSU team members received 35 awards and recognition for their breakthrough contributions in their respective fields of study

  • SSU faculty and students have also presented research findings at prestigious conferences, showcasing our commitment to advancing knowledge



  1. The ninth area of achievement is about honours our students brought

I am also delighted to share a few of the notable achievements of our students who participated in various state, national and international competitions. Our students won:

“8 trophies, 10 Gold Medals, 4 Silver Medals, and 1 Bronze Medals”

To highlight, 

Aranya Kumar Nath, our student from the Faculty of Science and crew leader of Rover and Ranger Unit has been awarded the Rajya Puraskar by the Hon’ble Governor of Odisha.

Students of the B. Tech Programme won first prize in an international hackathon on climate change organized by the City University of New York and the US Consulate.

Rudra Narayan Behra, our B. Tech. student excelled in the 35th Senior State Level and 12th National Senior Level Taekwondo Championship.



  1.   Scholarship Initiatives I list as the 10th area of good efforts made

The Scholarship Department at Sri Sri University worked tirelessly to secure scholarships for students, resulting in 384 students receiving scholarships worth over ₹1.46 cr during the academic year. Through persistent efforts on various state, central government, and private scholarship portals, the department enabled students to receive financial support. This achievement highlights SSU’s unwavering commitment to fostering an accessible and supportive learning environment.


  1.  Accreditations received by 2024

By the year 2024-25, Sri Sri University has been able to receive a variety of approvals and accreditation, desirable for each one of its several academic programs, and these are;

  • UGC approval 12-B

  • Accreditation from National Assessment and Accreditation Council — NAAC “A” Grade

  • Accreditation / approvals of AICTE for Engineering programs

  • National Accreditation Board for Hospital and Health Providers (NABH)

  • Accreditation of Council of Architecture (COA)

  • Indian Council for Agriculture Research (ICAR) – National Accreditation Board (NAB)

  • Odisha Nurses and Midwives Council (ONMWC)

  • Ayurveda Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Sidha and Homeopathy (AYUSH)

  • National Commission for Indian System of Medicine (NCISM)

  • Yoga Certification Board (YCB)

  • Directorate of Medical Education and Training (DMET) Odisha

  • Odisha Nurses and Midwives Examination Board (ONMEB)

 

  1. University today is a growing academic house

To its credit it has 9 faculties, 55 undergraduate and postgraduate degree academic programs, 25 Ph. D. programs, in which around 3500 students are being taught by over 210 teaching staff.  This year Sri Sri University admitted just over 1000 students under various programmes. Even while 574 students have passed out to join our cohort of 3637 ALUMNI that now will grow to 4211.

As I conclude this Annual Report, Sri Sri University feels proud of the strides made during the year. These milestones are a testament to the collective efforts of our students, faculty, staff, and stakeholders.  Moving forward, we remain resolute in our mission to face the challenges of tomorrow. We look forward to scaling new heights, guided by our values and the pursuit of a brighter, more inclusive future.

Talking about building its brand value, the challenge is to build it around the narrative, “Best of west and best of east”.  The university fraternity is working toward this goal. However, Sri Sri University still has to sow the INSTITUTIONAL SEEDS for BEST OF EAST. The University has a vision for it and we have started work in this direction. 

Every plan for growth in a university means more students.  The increasing number of students brings other challenges — I call them indicators of growth; 40 acres’ farmland has now fallen short for experiments of agriculture faculty, 5 academic buildings, 34 laboratories, 115 class rooms, the library, conference facilities, Shruti courtyard and the 752 rooms in the hostels all these facilities seem over stretched.



Gurudev

As is expected, calls of we need more space, are getting louder from across the faculties. I CONSIDER IT GOOD SIGN OF GROWTH OF A YOUNG UNIVERSITY.  But when there is a feeling of scarcity of facilities its administration gets stressed.  I will take it as the force compelling us to plan faster growth and development. 

The challenge for us also is to shift focus towards securing a respectable place in NIRF rankings in coming years. While efforts about improving academic performance across the faculties continue with visible achievements, Sri Sri University has an uphill task of scaling up its research achievements and expanding admissions to increase student numbers.  

As concluding remark about the achievements, challenges and age of the university I would say, that

When I look at the present day oldest University, Cambridge University’s age of more than 712 years, I realize that twelve years in the life of a University is like 12 days / 12 weeks of a child. Parents dream of the future of their child and so we are imagining the future of Sri Sri University.  Besides hiccups that may come in its way, it is necessary that a direction in which it is to grow, is chosen now. 

We are working on a new Institutional Development Plan and on strategies for achieving the next milestones.  University will need the blessings of Gurudev, to make sure university moves in the right direction, ever faster towards achieving the ultimate goals.

 

Prof. Tej Partap

Vice Chancellor

Sri Sri University