The establishment of Mohammedan Anglo Oriental (MAO) College in 1875 marks one of the most important events in the educational and social history of modern India. Its establishment is considered as the first significant response of the Indian Muslims to the challenges of post -1857 era. It was an important catalyst in a process of social change among Muslims. In 1920, an Act of Indian Legislative Council elevated the M.A.O. College to the status of a Central University. Since that time AMU has grown into a major Indian university. It presently covers a very wide spectrum of academic disciplines, having 88 departments, 5 institutions, 13 centres. The University currently has about 28000 students on its rolls, most of whom stay in 16 halls of residences with 70 hostels. It employs about 1400 academic staff, and about 6000 non-teaching staff. On an average, about 500 foreign students come to study at AMU every year. The University has a campus spread over 467.6 hectares of land.