Andhra University that shaped India's leaders, artistes and scientists

Visakhapatnam: Tucked between the Bay of Bengal and the Eastern Ghats, Andhra University is celebrating its centenary.

Established in 1926 under the Madras University Act, the university was founded to serve the educational and linguistic aspirations of the unified Andhra region. From its inception, it has maintained high academic standards and grown into a prestigious center of learning. It is now ranked one of the India's top universities ' producing presidents, Nobel laureates, Oscar-winning artists, and 50 Vice-Chancellors for other universities.

In 2023, it earned an A++ grade from NAAC with a 3.74 CGPA, ranking among India's top three universities. But its real story is in the people it shaped.

A legacy of giants

The university's first Vice-Chancellor was Sir C.R. Reddy, followed by Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, who later became the President of India. Spread across nearly 425 acres in Visakhapatnam, the campus houses over 200 buildings and is recognized for its rich biodiversity. Nobel laureate C.V. Raman gave its second convocation address in 1928. Bharat Ratna M. Visvesvaraya had deep ties here.

The staggering alumni list includes statistician C.R. Rao, former Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu, Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi, GMR's chairman G.M. Rao, Supreme Court Justice Jasti Chelameswar, and Odisha Governor K. Hari Babu.

On November 15, 1928, Nobel laureate C.V. Raman was conferred an honorary doctorate. Over the decades, _Kala Prapurna was conferred on among others Kasinathuni Nageswara Rao Pantulu, Gidugu Venkata Ramamurthy Pantulu, Challapalli Venkata Sastry, Dwaram Venkataswamy Naidu, Gurram Jashuva, Boyi Bheemanna, Puripanda Appalaswamy, Abburi Ramakrishna Rao, Devulapalli Krishna Sastry, Bhanumathi Ramakrishna, C. Narayana Reddy, Ravi Narayana Reddy, former Chief Minister N.T. Rama Rao, Pinakapani, and Nayani Subbarao.

At the 50th convocation in 1978 under Vice-Chancellor M.R. Appa Rao, 15 personalities received the award, including Ravuri Bharadwaja, Vempati Chinna Satyam, B. Rajanikanta Rao, Nataraja Ramakrishna, Madhunapantula Satyanarayana, Mikkilineni Radhakrishna Murthy, Arudra, L.V. Prasad, Kosaraju Raghavaiah Chowdary, Dasari Narayana Rao, Domada Chittibabu, Rao Gopal Rao, Bapu, Peesapati Narasimha Murthy, Ganapatiraju Achyuta Rama Raju, Mangalampalli Balamuralikrishna, Akkineni Nageswara Rao, G. Krishna, Chiranjeevi, and S.P. Balasubrahmanyam.

So far, AU alumni include 5 Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar awardees, 2 Padma Vibhushans, 1 Padma Bhushan, and 7 Padma Shris.

Spread across 425 acres with 200+ buildings, AU's campus is known for its biodiversity. Its emblem tells its philosophy: a rising sun for disciplines, a lotus for knowledge, 64 petals for India's traditional arts and sciences, and the Upanishadic motto _'Tejasvinaavadhitamastu'_ ' 'May our learning be endowed with divine light.'

Even its name is unique. No other university in the world is called a _Viswa Kala Parishat_ ' a 'council of universal arts.' Music, dance, painting, acting, and direction are core to its identity.

To foster innovation, the university runs 'a-Hub', an incubation center that supports 135 startups and is regarded as a model for the state. In collaboration with industry, 16 Chair Professorships have been established. The university has strengthened international ties, with 1,100 students from 56 countries now enrolled.

In 100 years, AU has produced 50 Vice-Chancellors* for other state and national institutions ' a record no Indian university matches. Yet only 19 people have led AU itself.

Present VC Prof. G.P. Rajasekhar is pushing rural outreach through Gramin Anusandhanam and large-scale faculty development for affiliated colleges. 'We're not a museum,' he says. 'We're a launchpad.'

Recipients of AU's _Kala Prapurna_ award honors excellence in arts and cinema include N.T. Rama Rao, S.P. Balasubrahmanyam, Chiranjeevi, L.V. Prasad, Bapu, and Mangalampalli Balamuralikrishna.

For sports, the Kreeda Prapurna was presented to Sunil Gavaskar in 1988 and C.S. Nayudu in 1990.

Convocations have hosted Sarojini Naidu, Indira Gandhi, V.V. Giri, Vikram Sarabhai, Dalai Lama, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, Mother Teresa, and Rabindranath Tagore.

AU started in Bezawada in 1926, moved to Visakhapatnam in 1929, shifted to Guntur during WWII, and returned to Waltair in 1946. India's Independence was celebrated on campus in 1947.

The bill to create AU was piloted by Sir Annepu Parasuram Patro, the tgen Education Minister from the Berhampur'Srikakulam region, and passed on October 7, 1925.

As it enters its centenary, Andhra University stands as a testament to academic excellence, cultural preservation, and nation-building ' truly a _Viswa Kala Parishat_ in both name and spiri