Visva-Bharati University (VBU) Founded by the first non-European Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Thakur (popularly known as Tagore) in 1921, Visva-Bharati was declared to be a central university and an institution of national importance by an Act of Parliament in 1951. VBU is a Central University of National Importance (Established under the Act XXIX, 1951 by the Parliament of India) Rank 19 By National Institutional Ranking Framework-2017, MHRD, Govt. of India.