Shivaji University established in 1962, is a state university located at Kolhapur, Maharashtra, India. The university, with a campus spread over , is named after Chhatrapati Shivaji, founder of the Maratha Empire. It was inaugurated on 18 November 1962 by Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, the then president of India. Yashwantrao Chavan and Balasaheb Desai took the lead in establishing this university. Educational institutions from Kolhapur, Sangli, and Satara districts come under its jurisdiction with 279 affiliated colleges and recognised institutes. One of the major objectives behind its foundation was to cater to the educational needs of South Maharashtra region. The University's efforts towards excellence are being recognised by the substantial grants received from funding agencies such as University Grants Commission (India), Department of Science and Technology (India), and DBT. The university is self reliant in water, which is stored on campus during the rainy season. It has a biodiversity-rich campus.