SAARC Academy

Affiliation:
S.N.D.T. WOMEN'S UNIVERSITY, Mumbai The Genesis : The year 1896 marks the beginning of a new era in the history of Women's education in India when Dr. Dhondo Keshav Karve established an ashram for widows and helpless women at Hingne, near Pune. He realized that to make these women self-sufficient, self-reliant and self confident, schooling at the ashram, which later became regular school for girls and women. In a society governed by age-old customs and conservative attitudes towards women, an institution of this type was bound to face social and economic difficulties. He had a dream of establishing the women's university and his friends sent him booklet on Japanese Women's University established at Tokyo in 1915, 1916 the first college started with the enrollment of five students (3 were child widows) which gradually took shape as Women's University. In 1936, the headquarters of the University was shifted to Bombay. The University continued to grow providing higher education to more and more women. In 1951, the University was granted Statutory Recognition by now popularly known as SNDT Women's University. The recognition came along with the rare privilege of having a jurisdiction all over the country and any other territories. Today SNDT has become a symbol for excellence in higher educational opportunities for women. The journey has been a long one since 1016. There are three university campuses - two at Mumbai - Churchgate and Juhu one at Karve Road, Pune.