The Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) is a public state university located in Pune, Maharashtra, India, and is an institution established by a state legislative act. It was originally established as the University of Poona on February 10, 1949, under the Poona University Act passed by the Bombay legislature in 1948. The university was created to serve as a center for research and teaching, initially having a jurisdiction that extended over 12 districts of Western Maharashtra. Its first Vice-Chancellor was Dr. M. R. Jayakar.
The university operates under the framework of the Maharashtra Public Universities Act, 2016, which governs its powers and duties. It functions as an affiliating university, overseeing hundreds of affiliated colleges and recognized research institutes that offer graduate and undergraduate courses. The university's governing bodies include the Management Council, Academic Council, and Senate.
The institution underwent a significant change on August 9, 2014, when its name was officially changed from the University of Pune to Savitribai Phule Pune University. This renaming was done to honor Savitribai Phule, a prominent 19th-century Indian social reformer who, along with her husband Mahatma Jyotiba Phule, pioneered women's education by starting India's first native-run school for girls in 1848. The name change underscored the university's commitment to the values of equality and empowerment. The university's jurisdiction is now primarily focused on the districts of Pune, Ahmednagar, and Nashik.