The University Grants Commission of India (UGC India) is a statutory body set up by the Government of India in accordance to the UGC Act 1956 under Ministry of Human Resource Development, and is charged with coordination, determination and maintenance of standards of higher education.
It provides recognition to universities in India, and disbursements of funds to such recognized universities and colleges.
Its headquarters is in New Delhi, and has six regional centers in Pune, Bhopal, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Guwahati and Bangalore.
UGC is modeled after University Grants Committee of UK which was an advisory committee of the British government and advised on the distribution of grant funding among the British universities. The committee was in existence from 1919 until 1989.
Key Description:
Founded: 1956
Abbreviation: UGC
Motto: Gyan-Vigyan Vimuktaye (Knowledge and Science Liberates)
Formation: 28 December 1953
Headquarters: New Delhi
Location: India
Chairman: D.P. Singh
Affiliations: Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Human Resource Development, NCERT
Address: University Grants Commission (UGC) Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, New Delhi - 110002.
Helpline Number: 011-23604446, 011-23604200
Objectives: Coordination, determination and maintenance of standards of university education. It provides recognition to universities in India, and disburses funds to such recognized universities and college
Sector: Higher Education
Jurisdiction: India
First Executive: Shanti Swaroop Bhatnagar
Official Website: University Grant Commission
Social Network: Twitter
History:
The UGC was first formed in 1945 to oversee the work of the three Central Universities of Aligarh, Banaras and Delhi. Its responsibility was extended in 1947 to cover all Indian universities.
In August 1949 a recommendation was made to reconstitute the UGC along similar lines to the University Grants Committee of the United Kingdom.
This recommendation was made by the University Education Commission of 1948-1949 which was set up under the chairmanship of S. Radhakrishnan "to report on Indian university education and suggest improvements and extensions".
In 1952 the government decided that all grants to universities and higher learning institutions should be handled by the UGC.
Subsequently, an inauguration was held on 28 December 1953 by Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, the Minister of Education, Natural Resources and Scientific Research.
In November 1956 the UGC became a statutory body upon the passing of the "University Grants Commission Act, 1956" by the Indian Parliament.
In 1994 and 1995 the UGC decentralised its operations by setting up six regional centres at Pune, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Bhopal, Guwahati and Bangalore.
The head office of the UGC is located at Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg in New Delhi, with two additional bureaus operating from 35, Feroze Shah Road and the South Campus of University of Delhi as well.
In December 2015 the Indian government set a National Institutional of Ranking Framework under UGC which will rank all educational institutes by April 2016.
In December 2017 D.P. Singh, former director of National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), was appointed chairman for a period of five years, replacing UGC member Virander Singh Chauhan, who officiated the position since the retirement of Ved Prakash in April 2017.
Types of Universities of UGC
The types of universities controlled by the UGC include:
Central universities or Union universities: 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.
As of 12 December 2018, The list of central universities published by the UGC includes 49 central universities.
State Universities are run by the state government of each of the states and territories of India and are usually established by a local legislative assembly act. As of 6 October 2017, the UGC lists 370 state universities.
The oldest establishment date listed by the UGC is 1857, shared by the University of Mumbai, the University of Madras and the University of Calcutta.
Most State Universities are affiliating universities in that they administer many affiliated colleges (many located in very small towns) that typically offer a range of undergraduate courses, but may also offer post-graduate courses. More established colleges may even offer Ph.D. programs in some departments with the approval of the affiliating university.
Deemed university, or "Deemed to be University": is a status of autonomy granted by the Department of Higher Education on the advice of the UGC, under Section 3 of the UGC Act.
As of 6 October 2017, the UGC lists 123 deemed universities. According to this list, the first institute to be granted deemed university status was Indian Institute of Science, which was granted this status on 12 May 1958.
In many cases, the same listing by the UGC covers several institutes. For example, the listing for Homi Bhabha National Institute covers the Institute of Mathematical Sciences, the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research and other institutes.
Private Universities are approved by the UGC. They can grant degrees but they are not allowed to have off-campus affiliated colleges. As of 6 October 2017, the UGC list of private universities lists 282 universities.
The University Grants Commission (UGC) has also released the list of 24 fake Universities operating in India.
UGC has said that these 24 self-styled, unrecognized institutions functioning in contravention of the UGC Act have been declared as fake and are not entitled to confer any degrees.
Professional Councils of UGC:
UGC, along with CSIR currently conducts NET for appointments of teachers in colleges and universities.
It has made NET qualification mandatory for teaching at Graduation level and at Post Graduation level since July 2009. However, those with Ph.D are given five percent relaxation.
Accreditation for higher learning over Universities under the aegis of University Grants Commission is overseen by following fifteen autonomous statutory institutions :
- All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE)
- Distance Education Council (DEC)
- Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)
- Bar Council of India (BCI)
- Board of Theological Education of the Senate of Serampore College (BTESSC)
- National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE)
- Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI)
- Medical Council of India (MCI)
- Pharmacy Council of India (PCI)
- Indian Nursing Council (INC)
- Dental Council of India (DCI)
- Central Council of Homoeopathy (CCH)
- Central Council of Indian Medicine (CCIM)
- National Council for Rural Institutes (NCRI)
- State Councils of Higher Education (SCHE)
- Council of Architecture
- Veterinary Council of India (VCI)