Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University, Jammu

Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University (SMVDU) is a government-owned higher education institution located in Katra, Reasi district, Jammu and Kashmir, India. Founded in 1999 under the Jammu and Kashmir Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University Act, it is a fully residential, autonomous technical university recognized by UGC under sections 2(f) and 12(B). Spread over more than 470 acres near the Trikuta foothills, the university provides education in engineering, architecture, science, management, philosophy, and other fields, with technical courses accredited by AICTE, UGC, NBA, and the Council of Architecture. It has been ranked by NIRF, Times Higher Education, and ARIIA in various categories. The university's establishment followed a public movement in 1998 supported by the Jammu region's residents. It is funded by the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, the Government of India, and the Government of Jammu and Kashmir. The Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir serves as Chancellor, while the Executive Council, headed by the Vice-Chancellor, is the university's supreme governing body. The campus, designed by S.Ghosh & Associates and completed by 2006, is divided into administrative, academic, residential, and recreational zones, and houses four faculties including the Faculty of Engineering, which includes the Department of Architecture and Landscape Design established in 2006.