About Dharmsinh Desai University, Faculty of Technology - Nadiad

Dharmsinh Desai Foundation was established at Nadiad in Gujarat, by an eminent Parliamentarian and a social worker, Late Shri Dharmsinh Desai. This Foundation was established to develop institutions that would improve the quality of life for the people in and around Nadiad. Though it has schools, colleges, public library and hospitals under its umbrella, this note will essentially focus on the development and subsequent impact of Dharmsinh Desai University (DDU). From an affiliated college, started in 1968 as Dharmsinh Desai Institute of Technology (DDIT), offering Degree and Diploma in Chemical Engineering, DDU has now become a trusted name amongst a variety of stake holders, namely, students, their parents, researchers, academicians, employers, other academic institutions offering higher level education, National level Institutions and State & Central Government agencies. The key milestones it has crossed in the past 40 plus years of its existence are addition of Degree courses in Civil Engineering (1981), Electronics and Communication Engineering (1981), Computer Engineering (1985), Instrumentation & Control Engineering (1985), and Information Technology (1999). Further it also added undergraduate programmes in Commerce (B.Com in 1980 under Dharmsinh Desai Institute of Commerce), Computer (BCA, 1999), Management (BBA, 1999), Dental Sciences (2005), and Pharmacy (2006). It also added Post Graduate level programmes like M.E in Chemical Engineering (1981), M.E in Electronics & Communication (1986), M.E in Civil Engineering (1986), MCA (1987), MBA (1994), M.E in Instrumentation & Control Engineering (2002), and M.E in Computer Engineering (2002). Doctoral level programmes in Engineering/Technology, Management, Pharmacy, Physical Sciences and Social Science were initiated in 2001. DDU is in the process of adding a Master’s Programme in Dental Sciences, Master’s Programme in Pharmacy and also an undergraduate programme in Medical Sciences leading to MBBS, in the coming 2 years. DDU (erstwhile DDIT) became the first Autonomous Institute in Gujarat State. Later, in the year of 2000, it was awarded a status of ‘Deemed University’ by Government of India, in recognition of its commendable standards in Academia. In April 2005, the Government of Gujarat declared this Institute as a ‘State University’.

DDU’s Vision is to become a multi-disciplined & ‘learner oriented’ university to closely associate with & be responsive to the Industry, to create supportive & caring environment for staff & students and to engage in R & D activities in areas of national priority.

DDU’s Mission is to undertake programs and projects for development of human resources, both through formal and non formal delivery systems, in areas of professional pursuits in all walks of human endeavors, with accent on relevance, value addition, societal needs and futuristic pilot projects.

DDU has ISO 9001:2008 certification since past six years. It is noteworthy that its Faculty of Technology is the only grant-in-aid institution in the state to receive World Bank Assistance of Rs.7.8 crores. The NBA-AICTE has also granted Accreditation to the B.E. courses of the University. DDU also has linked up with the University of IOWA, USA to offer a five year joint B.E+M.S. programme where a student goes to University of IOWA for two years – after completing three years at the DDU. The feedback from the University of IOWA is very encouraging and they have given tuition waivers and research grants to our students as they find them very deserving. Through another Memorandum of Understanding with KHS Germany, the final semester engineering students undertake their four months long Industry Project at KHS in Germany and all their expenses are met by the company there and they are also absorbed by their various companies all over the world.

All the students of faculty of technology undertake the full time Industry based project training in their final semester of the programme which enables them for employment through campus interviews much before course completion.

DDU has a R&D centre since 1998 and its main objective is to carry out research activity in the area of Information Technology, Computer Science, Computer Application and Electronics & Communication with the respective faculty members. R & D Center is also giving training to final semester students of the respective discipline to carry out the project in the area of cutting edge technology. It has taken up national level projects from pioneer institutes like National Crime Record Bureau, Institute of Plasma Research, Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited, HiRel Reliance Limited, Gujart Samachar, Muljibhai Patel Urology Hospital, Forensic Laboratory and many others. It has the distinction of developing a Portrait Building System which is successfully used at every District Police Head Quarters in the Country to arrest criminals. It was first field tested in Rajiv Gandhi Assassination case by National Crime Record Bureau.