Look beyond the university name
Banaras Hindu University (BHU), formerly Benares Hindu University, is a collegiate, central, and research university located in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India, and founded in 1916. It is ranked amongst the most prestigious universities of the country. The university incorporated the Central Hindu College, which had been founded by theosophist and future Indian Home Rule leader Annie Besant in 1898. By December 1911, Annie Besant and the Theosophists had relinquished day-to-day control of the Central Hindu College to Madan Mohan Malaviya and others, who emphasised a more orthodox Hindu education, preserving traditional practices such as the hereditary caste system, in contrast to Besant's Theosophical vision. Five years later Malaviya established the university with the support of the maharaja of Darbhanga Rameshwar Singh, the maharaja of Benares Prabhu Narayan Singh, and the lawyer Sunder Lal.
| Location | Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India |
| Founded | 1916 |
| Institution type | University |
| Research works (OpenAlex) | 68,045 |
| Total citations | 3,563,474 |
| Vice Chancellor | Ajit Kumar Chaturvedi |
Source: Wikipedia ↗ (reviewed 07 October 2026)
What can you study at Banaras Hindu University?
Academics Academic entities in the Banaras Hindu University are divided in several types of units with varying independence and budget. Institutes are a cluster of one or more faculties; faculties are a cluster of one or more departments, departments are specifically dedicated to one subject such as political science, or mathematics, or pottery. The university also has special chairs, inter-disciplinary schools, and special centres. Institutes Banaras Hindu University maintains six institutes: Dept. of Electrical Engineering IIT-BHU The Indian Institute of Technology Banaras Hindu University (IIT-BHU) has its roots in the Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University (IT-BHU). Upon receiving a proposal from the MHRD to convert IT-BHU into an Indian Institutes of Technology , the university's executive council approved the change in 2012. Today the IIT-BHU functions as an autonomous IIT , with certain powers vested in the BHU. IIT provides courses at UG , PG , and PhD level.
Research strengths (by indexed output): Plant-Microbe Interactions and Immunity, Agricultural Science and Fertilization, Plant Stress Responses and Tolerance, Medicinal Plant Research, Phytochemicals and Medicinal Plants.
For the complete programme catalogue with entry requirements per degree, check the official website.
Official source: Official website ↗
Source: Wikipedia ↗ (reviewed 07 October 2026)
Know your admission route
Admissions Faculty building in the university Starting academic year 2022, the university shifted to the Common University Entrance Test (CUET) for admission to several undergraduate and postgraduate courses. Admissions are done according to coursewise eligibility criteria set by the university, merit in the entrance tests, and as per the reservation policy of the Government of India. University admission statistics This list is incomplete ; you can help by adding missing items . ( May 2024 ) Year Level Applications Offers Offer Rate(%) 2022 UG 4,34,140 8,231 1.90 PG 3,50,000 2023 UG 8,30,000 PG 2024 UG PG Admissions to undergraduate programs of IIT-BHU are only through JEE Advanced and GATE . Similarly, admissions to programs of IMS-BHU and FVAS-BHU are through NEET (for all UG programs and for PG programs in modern medicine) and AIAPGET (for postgraduate programs in Ayurveda). Admission to the MBA programs at the Institute of Management Studies is through a mix of Common Admission Test and personal interview, etc.
Always verify current deadlines on the official website — third-party sites may carry outdated dates.
Official source: Official website ↗
Source: Wikipedia ↗ (reviewed 07 October 2026)
Tuition & costs
Tuition fees change each academic year and differ by programme, study level (undergraduate/graduate) and residency status. JournalsWorld does not publish estimated figures that may be outdated.
Check the university's official tuition & fees page for the current schedule applicable to your intake.
Official source: Official website ↗
Research at Banaras Hindu University
According to OpenAlex, Banaras Hindu University has 68,045 indexed research works with 3,563,474 total citations.
Rankings University rankings General – India NIRF (Overall) (2024) 11 NIRF (Research) (2024) 16 NIRF (Universities) (2024) 5 Engineering – India NIRF (2024) 10 Medical – India NIRF (2024) 7 Outlook India (2024) 2 Law – India NIRF (2024) 25 Business/Management – India NIRF (2024) 48 The University has been ranked among the 501–600 universities globally in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2026, while it secured the 224th position in Asia in the same year. In India, the university was placed 11th overall by the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) 2024. It ranked 5th in the universities category and 16th in the research category for the same year. In discipline-specific rankings, BHU was ranked 10th in engineering, 7th in the medical, 25th in Law by NIRF and 48th in management in 2024.
Most-cited affiliated researchers
- R. S. Dubey — 8,346 citations
- Pallavi Sharma — 7,156 citations
- Vivek Kumar Singh — 6,875 citations
- T. V. Ramakrishnan — 6,122 citations
- Anchal Srivastava — 3,477 citations
Source: OpenAlex (most-cited affiliated authors)
Official source: Official website ↗
Who leads Banaras Hindu University?
The current Vice Chancellor is Ajit Kumar Chaturvedi.
Ajit Kumar Chaturvedi is an Indian Professor, education administrator, currently serving as the 29th Vice-Chancellor of Banaras Hindu University. He has previously served as the Director of IIT Roorkee.
Official source: Official website ↗
Campus & student life
Student life Festivals and traditions Swatantrata Bhawan (Hall of Independence) is the university auditorium with seating capacity of 2,000 The Banaras Hindu University observes Saraswati puja day (also known as Vasant Panchami ) as its foundation day. Goddess Saraswati is the Hindu goddess of knowledge, music, arts, wisdom and nature. She is also the revered mascot of the university, and is a part of the university seal . There is an intra-university fest, Spandan, where students represent their faculty/institute in various art competitions such as literature (essay-writing, poems, debates), painting, sketches, vocal music, dancing, singing, drama, and mimicry. It is held every year after Vasant Panchami in the month of February or March. Apart from Spandan , each faculty and institute have their own in-house annual festivals.
For housing options, campus facilities and student services, see the official website.
Official source: Official website ↗
Source: Wikipedia ↗ (reviewed 07 October 2026)
Contact Banaras Hindu University
Official website: https://www.bhu.ac.in/ ↗
For admissions enquiries, department contacts and phone numbers, use the official contact page.
Official source: Official website ↗
Frequently asked questions
When was Banaras Hindu University founded?
Banaras Hindu University was founded in 1916.
How many students attend?
Student numbers are published on the official website.
What are the admission requirements?
Requirements vary by programme. Check the admission section above and verify on the official website.
How much is tuition?
Tuition changes yearly. See the official tuition page for current figures.
Who is the vice chancellor?
Ajit Kumar Chaturvedi.