Bella Vista is a royal palace of the Nizam during the existence of Hyderabad State, now located in Hyderabad, Telangana, India. 2] It is an Indo-European building standing on a 10-acre (40,000 m²) verdant campus. The building's French architect named it Bella Vista, meaning beautiful sight, since it overlooks the Hussain sagar lake. It is located in the Saifabad suburb and is modeled on the Henley-on-Thames of England. Since 1956, the building has been home to the Administrative Staff College of India.

History

Muslehuddin Mohammed, bar-at-law, became Chief Justice of the High Court of Hyderabad State, Hyderabad and was given the title ''Hakim-ud-Dowla''. He constructed the palace as his residence in 1905. He lived there from 1905 to 1914 when he fell victim to plague at the age of 57. On his death in 1916, the family decided to sell the palace. The last Nizam purchased it, along with furniture, for Rs 60,000 in 1917. It was in this palace that the elder son of the Seventh Nizam- Mir Osman Ali Khan who was heir apparent to the

throne A throne is the seat of state of a potentate or dignitary, especially the seat occupied by a sovereign (or viceroy A viceroy () is an official who reigns over a polity in the name of and as the representative of the monarch of the territory ...

of Hyderabad - Prince of Berar, Azam Jah lived with his wife, Princess Durru Shehvar.

Administrative Staff College of India

ASCI was started jointly by the

Government of India The Government of India (ISO 15919, ISO: Bhārata Sarakāra, legally the Union Government or Union of India or the Central Government) is the national authority of the Republic of India, located in South Asia, consisting of States and union t ...

and representatives of industry as an autonomous institute in 1956 for training in the field of

civil service The civil service is a collective term for a sector of government composed mainly of career civil service personnel hired rather than elected, whose institutional tenure typically survives transitions of political leadership. A civil service offic ...

development. Initially, the government Of India planned to set up the college in Britain. The first session was to commence in 1948 at Henley. However, a committee of the

All India Council for Technical Education The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) is a statutory body, and a national-level council for technical education, under the Department of Higher Education (India), Department of Higher Education. Established in November 1945 firs ...

in 1953 recommended that the Administrative Staff College be established in India. ASCI specialises in providing non-degree post-graduate diplomas for

civil servants The civil service is a collective term for a sector of government composed mainly of career civil service personnel hired rather than elected, whose institutional tenure typically survives transitions of political leadership. A civil service offic ...

of corporate and government sectors and urban management. The research and consultancy activities of ASCI were started in 1973 with aid from

Ford Foundation The Ford Foundation is an American private foundation with the stated goal of advancing human welfare. Created in 1936 by Edsel Ford and his father Henry Ford, it was originally funded by a $25,000 (about $550,000 in 2023) gift from Edsel Ford. ...

. IAS officer R. H. Khwaja took charge as ASCI director-general on 1 January 2017.

References

{{reflist Hyderabad State Heritage structures in Hyderabad, India Royal residences in India Palaces in Hyderabad, India Palaces of Nizams of Hyderabad Business schools in Hyderabad, India Educational institutions established in 1956 1956 establishments in Andhra Pradesh