Tilak Maharashtra University

The idea of establishing the University was first mooted by Mahatma Gandhi during the Indian National Congress session held at Nagpur in 1920. The Tilak Maharashtra University came into existence in 1921 as an educational memorial of Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak, “the father of Indian unrest” and an advocate of National Education. The establishment of the University was aimed towards imparting national education conceived by Lokmanya Tilak in his four-fold formula (other three were Swaraj, Swadeshi and Boycott).

The Tilak Maharashtra University was known at the national level because of its separate identity for the realisation of the ideals of national education and the work it carried in preparing national minded youths in the pre-independence days. In those days the University had formulated a long-term national education programme and had implemented it successfully in all its affiliated colleges/institutions. The University being devoted to national education, teachers and students actively participated in the freedom struggle. The University had proper base right from its inception with all its constituents namely the Board of Management, the Academic Council, Planning & Monitoring Board, Faculties, Finance Committee etc. along with the Chancellor, Vice-Chancellor and the Registrar as executive heads.

World renowned scholar Shri Shankarcharya Vidyashankar Bharati (Dr. Kurtakoti), was the first Chancellor of the University. Later on intellectuals, such as Shri. C. V. Vaidya, Shri. B. G. Kher, Dr. M. S. Aney, and M.M. Datto Vaman Potdar, gave the efficient leadership as the Chancellor. Prominent persons with recognition at national level such as Shri. Yashwantrao Chavan, Shri. Shankarrao Chavan, Shri. Shivraj Patil-Chakurkar (all the three former Union Home Ministers) were the Chancellor of the University. Presently Shri. Sushilkumar Shinde, Union Energy Minister of India is the Chancellor.

Several eminent personalities like Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Dr. Zakir Husain, Dr. Shankar Dayal Sharma, Shri. J. P. Naik and others during their visit to the University campus have appreciated the uniqueness, culture and research work of the University.