Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar University, commonly known as DBRAU and historically as Agra University, is a state public university located in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India. Established in 1927, it is one of the older universities in northern India and serves as an affiliating and teaching university for a large number of colleges spread across the western region of Uttar Pradesh. The university was renamed in 1995 in honour of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, the principal architect of the Indian Constitution.
| Name | Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar University |
|---|---|
| Former name | Agra University |
| Type | State public university |
| Established | 1927 |
| Renamed | 1995 |
| Location | Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India |
| Named after | B. R. Ambedkar |
| Language | Hindi, English |
The university was founded in 1927 as Agra University, originally functioning as an affiliating body for colleges across a wide swathe of British India, including institutions in present-day Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Delhi. Over the decades, as new universities were created in those regions, Agra University's territorial jurisdiction was gradually reduced and refocused on western Uttar Pradesh.
In 1995, the Government of Uttar Pradesh renamed the institution Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar University in commemoration of the social reformer and jurist Dr. B. R. Ambedkar.
DBRAU operates as both a teaching and an affiliating university. Postgraduate teaching and research are conducted on its campuses in Agra through several institutes and departments, while undergraduate and postgraduate teaching for the bulk of its student population is delivered through affiliated colleges. The academic offerings span the arts, sciences, commerce, social sciences, law, education, engineering, and medical and paramedical disciplines.
The university administers the Khandari and Paliwal Park campuses in Agra, which house major institutes including the Institute of Social Sciences, the Institute of Basic Sciences, the Institute of Engineering and Technology, and the Institute of Home Science, among other faculties and centres.
A large number of degree colleges across districts in the Braj and adjoining regions of Uttar Pradesh are affiliated to DBRAU. The affiliating role makes the university one of the largest examination-conducting bodies in the state, with annual examinations administered to several lakh students.
As one of the older universities of north India, Agra University and its successor have counted many prominent figures among their alumni, including writers, scientists, civil servants, jurists and politicians who studied at its constituent and affiliated colleges during the twentieth century.
DBRAU is significant both for its long institutional history dating to the colonial period and for its present role as a major affiliating university in Uttar Pradesh. Its examination and certification functions cover a substantial student population in the region, and the renaming of the university reflects the wider commemorative recognition of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar in Indian public institutions.