Banaras Hindu University will introduce new initiatives in support of the academic and professional development of students and faculty members. These have focused on providing financial support to PhD candidates, introducing new scholarship programs, and further faculty opportunities in research and development.

In a big move, BHU Vice-Chancellor Prof. Sudhir Kumar Jain announced that 203 PhD students would get financial assistance to present their work at international conferences. This reflects the university’s efforts toward the enrichment of the research profile it holds internationally. Fifteen PhD scholars have been approved for conducting research in international institutions, while 23 will be doing their research within India.

However, BHU’s commitment for its students is not restricted to research support alone. The university has introduced the Pratidana scheme, bringing along with it 300 fresh scholarships, each worth ₹ 25,000 annually, in addition to the scholarship grant to economically backward students. Prof. Jain also announced a target to establish more than 3,500 scholarships to further give momentum to the student community.

In faculty development, too, the university has achieved some feats. BHU has started a new scheme of providing full financial assistance to its faculty members to spend a year in international institutions for doing research work. In this, 10 faculty members have been approved so far. Under the leadership development programme, 83 faculty members have joined prestigious institutions like IIMs and IITs. The university has so far made offers to 22 distinguished professors under its Visiting Faculty Program, including 15 from world-leading institutions.

Regarding infrastructure, BHU is adding 5,000 more students to its hostels, renovating almost 330 houses, and bringing academic buildings, classrooms, laboratories, and office spaces into state-of-the-art condition. The university is also providing its faculty members with international travel support of over ₹2.2 crores, while over ₹14.8 crores have been sanctioned from the Professional Development Fund under the IoE scheme for over 1,300 educators.

These initiatives essentially attest to BHU’s commitment to providing a supportive and dynamic academic environment for both its students and faculty, thus making it a comprehensive university leader in the panorama of Indian higher education.