Osmania University to organise centenary celebrations

The Osmania University (OU) is gearing up to hold its centenary celebrations with focus on bringing reforms in various dimensions as well as good academic atmosphere and research culture.
President Pranab Mukherjee is expected to inaugurate the centenary celebration on April 26 at the Hyderabad-based varsity -- the seventh oldest in the country -- which today has over one crore alumni.
Established in 1917, OU came into being through a 'firman' (an official decree) issued by Mir Osman Ali Khan, the seventh Nizam of Hyderabad.
A variety of academic, research and cultural activities have been put together for the year-long centenary celebrations, Osmania University's Vice Chancellor Prof S Ramachandram said during an interaction with journalists today.

"We are thinking of bringing in reforms in various dimensions...In good governance, academic atmosphere, research culture, modernisation, industry-institute and institute-society interactions," he said.
During the three-day inaugural programme, an all India Vice-Chancellors' conference (likely to be inaugurated by Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar) will be held.

Several cultural programmes and meets of alumni and retired teachers are also scheduled.
Both the Telangana and Central governments have responded positively to OU's proposals to strengthen the infrastructure, including construction of a centenary convention building, and to take up "flagship" programmes, the VC said.
"Soon, there will be good news," he said.
The university has also proposed to set up a centre for skill development, another centre on Telangana studies, international school of journalism, and a B R Ambedkar research centre during the centenary year, Prof Ramachandram said.

The varsity is also organising a centenary run on March 11 in which around 5,000 people are expected to take part, he said.