Jawaharlal Nehru University Campus Area

The library of JNU encompasses over 6,32,000 books providing online/digital access for students for remote access.

Jawaharlal Nehru University is one of the world-renowned centres for teaching and research. It was established by an act of parliament in 1966 and come into being in 1969. It is ranked number 1 in India by the NAAC with a grade point of 3.91/4. JNU was the first one to offer courses in foreign languages in integrated five-year MA programs.

Campus Size of JNU

Jawaharlal Nehru University has a vibrant campus. The university has an area of about 1019.38 acres, which is 404.69 hectares. The campus is generally segregated into build-up areas, off-campus areas and vacant land. The campus is lush green and sprawled over a distance which mesmerises the students at first glance. The campus is well known for its accommodating nature as currently, over 7,300 students are residing in 18 different hostels under around 550 reputed faculty.

JNU Schools and Centres

The university constitutes of various schools and centres which put special emphasis on the continuous learning process and overall development of students. It is aesthetically distributed into 12 schools, 55 centres and 6 special centres. Several academic centres of JNU have been declared Centres of Excellence by UGC. Every academic school and centre facilitates students towards innovation and transformation in different sectors.

Facilities Available for Students at JNU

The JNU campus has world-class facilities, which nurture the talent of meritorious students. The university offers schools, centres, labs, a library and classrooms that are well-equipped with the latest and state-of-the-art technology which further encourages students to excel in their respective fields.

Labs: The computer labs of JNU SE are equipped with over 30 workstations that are equipped with novel IDE software for development as well as powerful hardware. The computer labs also house a 3D printer, which can be used on the application. The campus also has Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Environmental Science Laboratories. It has AIRF (Advanced Instrumentation Research Facility) which is a specialised research facility containing 25 sophisticated state-of-the-art instruments with various supporting facilities. This research facility serves as an academic, research and scientific service provider and facilitator.

Library: The library of JNU encompasses over 6,32,000 books providing online/digital access for students for remote access. There is a separate library in every school and centre of JNU for detailed research. There is one central library in which there is a plethora of books, newspapers and journals to study and ponder upon. It has various scholarly resources with international citations, publications and patents. The library also subscribes to a number of scientific journals which helps science and PhD students in their research and further it helps faculty and students to present campus at various seminars and conferences abroad.

Classrooms/Digital Classrooms: The classrooms are quite spacious and equipped with digital learning facilities. The teacher-student ratio is 1:15 which is quite impressive and enthralling as students get the full attention of faculty and on the other side teachers also pay heed to students and solve their problems simultaneously. The classrooms can operate in digital mode as well. Classrooms are well-furnished and air-conditioned which soothe students while attending lectures.

Co-Curricular facilities at JNU

JNU nurtures and encourages its students to grow and excel in all fields. It provides opportunities for extracurricular activities that are regularly organised within or outside the campus vicinity. It comes under the umbrella of IHA facilities. i.e. Inter Hall Administration facilities.

Cultural Clubs: The university has numerous clubs like mountaineering and trekking, photography, nature and wildlife, literature, UNESCO, drama, music, fine arts, dance, wellness, yoga, taekwondo, badminton, cricket and other sports clubs. JNU won various medals at National and International level tournaments and these clubs enhance the all-around development of students to sharpen their skills and personality.

Sports Facilities: JNU offers excellent infrastructure for outdoor and indoor sports activities such as cricket, football, badminton, volleyball, basketball, table tennis, lawn tennis and so on. Students participate in various games and play at inter-university, state, national and international level tournaments. However, the facilities for volleyball, badminton, table tennis and indoor games in the hostels are also available. The coaching is available in weight lifting, taekwondo, tennis and yoga. The Sports Office of JNU also offers special incentives and reward schemes duly approved by the university for outstanding sports persons of JNU.

Community Service: JNU is engaged in various welfare services through the National Service Scheme (NSS). It is a public service program institutionalised under the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. Under this scheme, volunteers participate in various community service activities such as awareness drives, blood donation camps, cleaning drives, tree plantations camps and so forth. JNU has also adopted a slum named Cooli Camp, JJ Basti located nearby the campus. These programs foster social awareness and also imbibe social responsibilities in students that come in handy in future endeavors.

Leadership Opportunities: JNU is responsible for conducting coveted student union elections every year to elect student representatives amongst the students of JNU. The campus is politically vibrant, where students invite various journalists, politicians, and academicians for debate and discussions, which instills confidence among students, develops communication and leadership skills and helps them to make informed decisions. JNU also offers different platforms such as NCC, NSS and Cultural clubs to enhance leadership skills.

Medical Facilities 

The university offers instant medical facilities to its students in case of any discrepancy. The objective of the Universal Health Centre (UHC) is to provide health care that is broadly comprehensive comprising preventive, curative and primitive services of high quality which is easily accessible and responsive to students. 

Hostel and Mess Facilities at JNU

The university hostel system includes 18 hostels for boys and girls and one complex accommodating married students. These hostels are spacious and well-furnished with state-of-the-art amenities. The hostels further provide recreational facilities like TVs, indoor games, health clubs and PCOs, etc. Each hostel has its live-in wardens, a member of the faculty, who administers the hostels. The quality of mess food is decent and the mess takes care of hygiene at every nook and corner of the vicinity.

Accommodation Type: Hostel residents are given two types of accommodation facilities namely single-seated and double seated and for that university has its priority mode namely first, second, and third priority. The admission is given on the basis of criteria opted by the administration in view of limited hostel accommodation. There are nominal charges for accommodation types and a student needs to join the mess post-admission into hostels.

Transportation Facilities: JNU is located in the southern part of New Delhi and is well connected by road from three main railway stations i.e. New Delhi station, Nizamuddin station and the interstate bus terminus of Delhi. The Indira Gandhi airport is also nearby the campus so it’s quite accessible from anywhere in the world. There are local metro, DTC buses, auto, cabs and so forth. which are operating on a daily basis for commuting purposes.

About the Author 

I Graduated from Delhi University and completed a Master's degree from IIMC, I have worked as a junior editor in The Tribune for a short stint. I have won a national medal in athletics and have a flair and passion for writing. I am handling DBMS of the mining department of Govt. Of Rajasthan for a lessee.

Note: The views expressed in this article are solely the author’s own and do not reflect/represent those of Shiksha.