Central universities in India are established by an Act of Parliament and are under the purview of the Department of Higher Education in the Union Human Resource Development Ministry.
In general, universities in India are recognized by the University Grants Commission (UGC), which draws its power from the University Grants Commission Act, 1956.
In addition, 15 Professional Councils are established, controlling different aspects of accreditation and coordination. Central universities, in addition, are covered by the Central Universities Act, 2009, which regulates their purpose, powers, governance etc., and established 12 new universities. The list of central universities published by the UGC lists 50 central universities, as of 1 November 2019, nine of which are directly funded by the Government of India and are not under the purview of the UGC.
List of Universities By State
The region with the most central universities in India is Uttar Pradesh with six universities, namely Aligarh Muslim University, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Banaras Hindu University, Allahabad University, Rajiv Gandhi National Aviation University and Rani Lakshmi Bai Central Agricultural University. There are central universities in all of the states of India except Goa. Of the union territories, there are central universities in Delhi and Puducherry.
List of Central Universities in India
| University | State | Location | Established | Specialization | |
| Central University of Andhra Pradesh | Andhra Pradesh | Anantapur | 2019 | General | |
| Rajiv Gandhi University | Arunachal Pradesh | Itanagar | 1985 (2007) | General | |
| Assam University | Assam | Silchar | 1994 | General | |
| Tezpur University | Assam | Tezpur | 1994 | General | |
| Central University of South Bihar | Bihar | Gaya | 2009 | General | |
| Mahatma Gandhi Central University | Bihar | Motihari | 2016 | General | |
| Nalanda University | Bihar | Rajgir, Nalanda | 2010 | General | |
| Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agriculture University | Bihar | Pusa, Samastipur | 1905 (2016) | Agriculture | |
| Guru Ghasidas Vishwavidyalaya | Chhattisgarh | Bilaspur | 1983 (2009) | General | |
| Indira Gandhi National Open University | Delhi | New Delhi | 1985 | Distance education | |
| Jamia Millia Islamia | Delhi | New Delhi | 1920 (1988) | General | |
| Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi | Delhi | New Delhi | 1969 | General | |
| South Asian University | Delhi | New Delhi | 2010 | International university | |
| University of Delhi | Delhi | New Delhi | 1922 | General | |
| Central University of Gujarat | Gujarat | Gandhinagar | 2009 | General | |
| Central University of Haryana | Haryana | Mahendragarh | 2009 | General | |
| Central University of Himachal Pradesh | Himachal Pradesh | Dharamsala | 2009 | General | |
| Central University of Jammu | Jammu and Kashmir | Jammu | 2011 | General | |
| Central University of Kashmir | Jammu and Kashmir | Srinagar | 2009 | General | |
| Central University of Jharkhand | Jharkhand | Ranchi | 2009 | General | |
| Central University of Karnataka | Karnataka | Kalaburagi | 2009 | General | |
| Central University of Kerala | Kerala | Kasaragod | 2009 | General | |
| Dr. Hari Singh Gour University | Madhya Pradesh | Sagar | 1946 (2009) | General | |
| Indira Gandhi National Tribal University | Madhya Pradesh | Amarkantak | 2007 | General | |
| Mahatma Gandhi Antarrashtriya Hindi Vishwavidyalaya | Maharashtra | Wardha | 1997 | Hindi language | |
| Central Agricultural University | Manipur | Imphal | 1993 | Agriculture | |
| Manipur University | Manipur | Imphal | 1980 (2005) | General | |
| National Sports University | Manipur | Imphal | 2018 | Sports | |
| North Eastern Hill University | Meghalaya | Shillong | 1973 | General | |
| Mizoram University | Mizoram | Aizawl | 2000 | General | |
| Nagaland University | Nagaland | Lumami | 1994 | General | |
| Central University of Odisha | Odisha | Koraput | 2009 | General | |
| Pondicherry University | Puducherry | Pondicherry | 1985 | General | |
| Central University of Punjab | Punjab | Bathinda | 2009 | General | |
| Central University of Rajasthan | Rajasthan | Ajmer | 2009 | General | |
| Sikkim University | Sikkim | Gangtok | 2007 | General | |
| Central University of Tamil Nadu | Tamil Nadu | Tiruvarur | 2009 | General | |
| Indian Maritime University | Tamil Nadu | Chennai | 2008 | Marine science | |
| English and Foreign Languages University | Telangana | Hyderabad | 1958 (2007) | English and Foreign languages | |
| Maulana Azad National Urdu University | Telangana | Hyderabad | 1998 | Urdu language | |
| University of Hyderabad | Telangana | Hyderabad | 1974 | General | |
| Tripura University | Tripura | Agartala | 1987 | General | |
| Aligarh Muslim University | Uttar Pradesh | Aligarh | 1920 | General | |
| University of Allahabad | Uttar Pradesh | Prayagraj | 1887 | General | |
| Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University | Uttar Pradesh | Lucknow | 1996 | General | |
| Banaras Hindu University | Uttar Pradesh | Varanasi | 1916 | General | |
| Rajiv Gandhi National Aviation University | Uttar Pradesh | Raebareli | 2013 | Aviation Science | |
| Rani Lakshmi Bai Central Agricultural University | Uttar Pradesh | Jhansi | 2014 | Agriculture | |
| Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University | Uttarakhand | Srinagar | 1973 (2009) | General | |
| Visva-Bharati University | West Bengal | Santiniketan | 1921 | General | |