Jawaharlal Nehru University Alumni Network

4 mins readUpdated on Mar 9, 2023 11:54 IST

JNU has many renowned alumni in varied fields including politics, arts, cinema, public policy and so on. 

Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has been ranked among the best universities in India and has produced some of the country’s most celebrated leaders. JNU alumni include some of India’s most famous writers, actors, singers, politicians and public intellectuals.

The university has a large number of alumni associations that are active in various fields of interest ranging from arts and culture to science and technology to social sciences. The alumni associations are involved in many activities including organising events for students, teachers and parents. Alumni associations also have their own websites, where they share news about their activities with other alumni and with the public at large.

Top 5 courses offered by Jawaharlal Nehru University

  1. BSc Computer Science
  2. BSc Electronics & Communication Engineering
  3. BSc Mathematics
  4. BSc Physics
  5. MSc Computer Science

List of Notable Alumni of JNU

Name

Designation

About

Subrahmanyam Jaishankar

Minister of External Affairs of, India

Currently, he is the minister of External Affairs of India and has also served as India's Foreign Secretary. He is also a significant counsellor to the Prime Minister. He has previously held the positions of Indian Ambassador to the Czech Republic, China, and the United States. Moreover, Jaishankar was a crucial player in the negotiations for the Indo-US Civil Nuclear Deal. From JNU, he earned his MPhil and PhD

Arvind Gupta 

Indian Deputy National Security Advisor 

He serves as India's Deputy National Security Advisor at the moment. Soon after it was established in 1998, he began working for the National Security Council Secretariat and remained there until 2007. He has previously worked for the Indian embassy in Moscow, London, and Ankara in a variety of positions. He earned his PhD at JNU

Harun Rashid Khan 

Deputy Governor of RBI 

Mr Khan serves as the Reserve Bank of India's Deputy Governor. He has also served as the Director of NABARD and the Executive Director of RBI (National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development). He obtained his MPhil at JNU

Venu Rajamony

Press Secretary to the President of India 

Pranab Mukherjee, the former President of India, had Rajamony working for him as his Press Secretary. He had previously served as the director of the Department of Economic Affairs (DEA), Multilateral Institutions Division at the Indian Ministry of Finance. From JNU, he received his M.A. in International Studies

Syed Asif Ibrahim 

PM’s Envoy on Countering Terrorism & Extremism

He was appointed as the Indian Prime Minister's special representative for countering terrorism and extremism in June 2015 to communicate with Afghanistan and Pakistan as well as West Asian nations. He formerly served as the Intelligence Bureau's director. He obtained his M.A. at JNU

Nirmala Sitharaman

Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs

Currently, she is the Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs. In the Arun Jaitley-led Ministry of Finance, she also h the position of Minister of State for Finance and Corporate Affairs. JNU is where she received her M.A. in Economics.

Amitabh Kant

CEO of NITI Ayog 

He is currently the CEO of NITI Ayog (National Institution of Transforming India). He had a significant role in the campaigns Amazing India and God's Own Land, which helped to establish and market Kerala State and India as top tourist destinations. Moreover, he is the driving force behind Narendra Modi's Made in India initiative. He obtained his M.A. at JNU.

Sanjaya Baru

Media advisor and chief spokesperson of former PM, Manmohan Singh

His memoir, The Accidental Prime Minister, was based on his experiences working at the PMO. From 2004 to 2008, he served as Manmohan Singh's Principal spokesperson and media advisor. He is currently the International Institute of Strategic Studies' Director for Geo-Economics and Strategy. He earned his PhD and M.A. from JNU.

Top Sectors & Companies, where JNU Alumni are working in:

- Healthcare & Life Sciences- Pfizer, Cipla, GlaxoSmithKline

- Finance & Insurance- ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank, Yes Bank

- IT & Software- Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Infosys Technologies Ltd., Wipro Ltd.

Q:   What is JNU famous for?

A:

Jawaharlal Nehru University is very widely known for its path-breaking research in the field of Sciences and encourages students towards transformation and innovation in various sectors corresponding to different schools such as the School of Physical Sciences (SPS), the School of Life Sciences (SLS) and the Special Centre for Microbiology among others. JNU is renowned for producing members of various committees of National and International organisations.

Check out the below infographic for verified students' reviews on Shiksha:

Q:   How is JNU for the B.Tech. Course?

A:

JNU is a good option for applying for admission to BTech courses if you did not get admitted to the IITs, NITs, or other top engineering colleges. 1. The majority of BTech programmes cost less than INR 3 Lakh. 2. The Engineering Department at JNU consists of graduates of prestigious universities such as the IITs, NITs, and IISc. 3. Its curriculum is on par with that of top engineering schools in terms of quality. 4. The curriculum is varied and comparable to that taught at the best NITs and IITs. 5. It has excellent infrastructure, including well-equipped computer labs. 6. JNU BTech graduates typically receive a salary package of around INR 6 LPA. Some issues are also there, such as: 1. The Humanities programs at JNU are better known. 2. There is currently no separate structure for Engineering courses. 3. There aren't many cultural events at Engineering schools.

Q:   Is MBA from JNU a good option?

A:

Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) offers a two-year full-time MBA course at the postgraduate level. It is offered by the university through the Atal Bihari Vajpayee School of Management & Entrepreneurship. JNU was ranked 2nd position in the University category by the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) 2024. Talking about JNU placements, the median package offered during JNU PG 2-year placements in 2023 stood at INR 9.5 LPA. So, yes JNU is a decent option to pursue an MBA degree.

- Media & Entertainment- Sony Music Entertainment India Pvt. Ltd., Viacom18 Media Pvt. Ltd., Jio Film Company Limited (JFCL), One97 Communications Limited

Top Locations, where JNU Alumni are based at:

Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) is a public research university in New Delhi, India. It was established in 1969 by an act of the Government of India. The university is named after Jawaharlal Nehru, India's first Prime Minister. It offers undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral degree courses in arts, humanities, science and social sciences.

The university has over 2,650 faculty members and 10,000 students across three campuses - North Campus, South Campus and North-South corridor. It offers a variety of courses including BA (Honours), BCom/ BCA, BSc/ BE/ BPharma/ MBBS/ BDS/ MSc/ MSW etc at undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

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Q:   Is JNU MCA entrance tough?

A:

JNU MCA admission is based on a valid Central University Entrance Test (Postgraduate) CUET-PG score. CUET PG is an all-India-level entrance exam conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA). According to test-takers, the General Test was easy and the Domain Knowledge section was moderate to tough. Although the questions were on the expected lines and within the CUET PG syllabus but according to some students, a few questions were out of the syllabus and tricky. So, the JNU MCA entrance is not very tough but can be tricky. 

Q:   Which all popular spots are there to hangout at JNU?

A:

JNU is home to a diverse student body from all over India and the world. The campus is also a hotbed of multiple political and cultural activities.

  • Canteen: The JNU canteen offers a variety of Indian and international cuisine.
  • Thesis Park: The JNU Thesis Park is located in the middle of the campus and is surrounded by trees and greenery.
  • Central Library: The JNU Central Library is the largest library in JNU. It has over 2 million books, journals and newspapers.
  • Folklore Studies Centre: The JNU Folklore Studies Centre is a popular spot for students to learn about Indian folk culture. It has a collection of over 100,000 folk songs, stories, and artefacts.
  • Botanical Garden: JNU Botanical Garden is a popular spot for students to relax and enjoy the outdoors. It has a collection of over 2,000 plant species.

Q:   Is there BA Hons in JNU?

A:

Yes, JNU offers foreign languages under its BA (Hons) programmes such as Arabic, Chinese, French and German among others. JNU offers a three-year full-time BA (Hons) course in English. Candidates seeking admission must visit the official website of the University to apply for CUET-UG. Based on CUET-UG scores, JNU will release a merit list of selected candidates to appear for the CUET-UG counselling process for seat allotment.

Q:   Is it worth joining JNU for a BSc course?

A:

Jawaharlal Nehru University has been ranked second among the top universities of India in the NIRF ranking 2023. Thus, it is a good university for BSc course aspirants. As per the NIRF report 2023, the median package offered during JNU placements 2022 to UG (3-year) students was INR 6 LPA. Many of the top companies also participate in its placements drive such as Adobe, Amazon, Accenture, TCS, HP, IBM, Google, etc. For the JNU placements update, Click Here.

Q:   Is MA available in JNU?

A:

Yes, the university offer two-year MA programme in multiple specialisations. Some of the specialisations in which the course is available are Sociology, Political Science, Economics, etc. The course carries a total of 64 credits. In addition, the course is divided into four semester and there are 16 credits each semester. Admission to this PG-level course is entrance-based. To apply for the course, it is also necessary that the aspirants meet the eligibility requirements.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Note: The views expressed in this article are solely the author’s own and do not reflect/represent those of Shiksha.

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Answered 3 days ago

The accepted entrance examinations for admission to the JNU BTech course are JEE Main,  MHT CET,  DASA UG, and others. Whether admissions are possible without JEE Main or not can be checked from the official website of the university. Follow the steps given below to apply for admission in JNU Delhi:

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Vikrant Shekhar

Contributor-Level 6

Answered 3 days ago

Yes, admission to Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) is considered competitiveThe university conducts entrance exams and interviews to select students for its various programs. 
 
Eligibility
  • The minimum eligibility for admission is an undergraduate degree with at least 50% marks. 
     
  • The minimum eligibi

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Gaurav Tanwar

Contributor-Level 7

Answered 3 days ago

Pursuing a BTech from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) can offer several advantages, making it a unique and appealing choice for many students. Here are some key benefits:

1. Reputation and Ranking:

  • JNU is one of the most prestigious universities in India, particularly known for its high academic sta

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Gaurav Tanwar

Contributor-Level 7

Answered 8 months ago

Operating out of JNU, the School of Language, Literature, and Culture Studies provides a three-year full-time BA (Hons) curriculum. Applicants are chosen into JNU BA (Hons) programs according to their performance in the NTA-conducted CUET. In addition, lateral entry admission to the second year of t

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Malavika

Contributor-Level 10

Answered 3 weeks ago

Both JNU (Jawaharlal Nehru University) and Pune University (Savitribai Phule Pune University) are prestigious institutions offering excellent M.Sc. Biotechnology programs, and each has its own strengths. The choice between the two depends on factors such as academic interests, research opportunities

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Rupesh Katariya

Contributor-Level 10

Answered 3 days ago

Jawaharlal Nehru University has started the admission process for its postgraduate and ADOP programmes at the JNU official website. The JNU application process is completely online. Interested candidates must visit the official website of the university to apply for various courses of their choice.

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Rashmi Arora

Contributor-Level 6

Answered 4 weeks ago

No, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) does not offer D. Pharma or Diploma in Pharmacy. Known specifically for under graduation, postgraduate research-oriented streams offered with subjects falling under social and human sciences,  natural and biological sciences,  JNU is not offering D Pharma progra

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Pratik Gawade

Beginner-Level 5

Answered a month ago

You can apply for Master of English Literature Program (MA) at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) through Central University Entrance Test (CUET-PG): 

Eligibility: Make sure you meet the eligibility criteria and understand the minimum course requirements for the program. 

Instructions: Apply after the

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Jit Dutta

Contributor-Level 10