In India, a deemed university or deemed-to-be-university is an accreditation granted to higher educational institutions in India by the Ministry of Education. [1] [2] According to the ministry's definition, the accreditation indicates, "an Institution of higher education, other than universities, working at a very high standard in specific area of study" and the accreditation grants "the academic status and privileges of a university." [3]
The higher education system in India includes both private and public universities. Public universities are supported by the Government of India and the state governments, while private universities are mostly supported by various bodies and societies. Universities in India are recognized by the University Grants Commission , which draws its power from the University Grants Commission Act, 1956 . [4] In addition to this, 15 Professional Councils are established, controlling different aspects of accreditation and coordination. [5] The status of a deemed to be university allows full autonomy in courses, syllabus, admissions and fees. [6] As of 30 November 2021 [update] , the UGC lists 126 institutes which were granted the deemed to be university status. [7] 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. The state with the most deemed universities is Tamil Nadu with 28 universities having deemed status. [7]
Section 12 (B) of the UGC Act of 1956 also grants the UGC the right to "allocate and disburse, out of the Fund of the Commission, grants to Universities..." [4] As such, the UGC categorizes institutes as either "declared fit to receive Central/UGC assistance under Section 12 (B) of the UGC Act–1956", or not, and notes this status at the lists published. Updates to these declarations are done in meetings of the UGC and published in the minutes. [8] The latest list, published by the UGC on 24 August 2022 [update] , lists 50 institutes as fit to receive Central/UGC assistance. [9]
Other types of universities under the regulatory purview of the UGC include:
The Gandhigram Rural University (GRI) is a centrally-funded Deemed University based on Dindigul in Tamil Nadu, India.
Banasthali Vidyapith is a university located in the Tonk district of the Rajasthan state in India. It is a deemed university offering programs at the secondary, senior secondary, undergraduate, and postgraduate degree levels.
University Grants Commission is a statutory body under Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education, Government of India. It was set up in accordance to the UGC Act 1956 and is charged with coordination, determination and maintenance of standards of higher education in India. It provides recognition to universities in India, and disbursements of funds to such recognized universities and colleges. The UGC headquarters are in New Delhi, and it has six regional centres in Pune, Bhopal, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Guwahati and Bangalore. A proposal to replace it with another new regulatory body called HECI is under consideration by the Government of India. The UGC provides doctoral scholarships to all those who clear JRF in the National Eligibility Test. On an average, each year ₹725 crore (US$91 million) is spent on doctoral and post-doctoral fellowships by the commission.
National Institute of Technology Durgapur, formerly known as Regional Engineering College, Durgapur, is a public technical university in the city of Durgapur in West Bengal, India. Founded in 1960, it is one of India's oldest technical universities. It is located on a campus of 187 acres (0.75 km²).
Sant Longowal Institute of Engineering and Technology is a Govt. of India established (1989) deemed university under Section 3 of the UGC Act 1956 for higher education and research in India. The UG Program of SLIET is accredited as TIER 1 by the NBA. It is well known as the "Modern Gurukul" of Tech Education due to lush green campus of 451 acres (183 ha) in Longowal, Sangrur, Punjab, India. SLIET is fully funded by the Ministry of Human Resource Development, and is an autonomous body controlled by the SLIET Society. Institute has been set up in the memory of Late Sh. Harchand Singh ji Longowal under Rajiv Longowal Punjab accord. Educational opportunities include technical and practical training in the fields of engineering and technology. The students and alumni of SLIET are informally referred to as SLIETians.
Department of Higher Education is the department under Ministry of Education, that oversees higher education in India.
Central universities in India are public universities established by an Act of Parliament and are under the purview of the Department of Higher Education in the Ministry of Education, except for nine universities which are under the purview of other ministries. In general, universities in India are recognised 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 Senate of Serampore College (University) is an ecumenical regulatory and affiliating body for Christian theological education, which works in partnership with Bible colleges, seminaries and theological research institutes in the Indian subcontinent that comply with its regulations and standards. It is located in Serampore in West Bengal, India. Serampore was granted the status of university by King Frederick VI of Denmark in 1829.
Jamal Mohamed College is a Government-aided and self-financed institution founded in 1951 by M. Jamal Mohamed Sahib and N.M. Khajamian Rowther. The college campus is located in Tiruchirappalli, India and is affiliated to Bharathidasan University. The Day session is for male students and the Evening session is for female students.
The Ministry of Education (MoE) is a ministry of the Government of India, responsible for the implementation of the National Policy on Education. The ministry is further divided into two departments: the Department of School Education and Literacy, which deals with primary, secondary and higher secondary education, adult education and literacy, and the Department of Higher Education, which deals with university level education, technical education, scholarships, etc.
Siksha 'O' Anusandhan (SOA), formerly Siksha 'O' Anusandhan University (SOA University) is a private deemed university located at Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India. The university is composed of nine degree-granting schools and colleges and has a student body of around 15,000. Many of SOA's programs are nationally accredited, including engineering, medicine, pharmacy, business, nursing, biotechnology, science, humanities, environment, nano technology, materials science, agriculture and law.
India has a publicly funded higher education system that is the third largest in the world. The main governing body at the tertiary level is the University Grants Commission, which enforces its standards, advises the government, and helps coordinate between the centre and the state. Accreditation for higher learning is overseen by 15 autonomous institutions established by the University Grants Commission (UGC).
Centurion University of Technology and Management is a multi-sector, private university from Odisha, India. With its main campus earlier at Parlakhemundi in the Gajapati and another constituent campus located at Jatni, on the fringes of Bhubaneswar,which is now as main campus & it was accorded the status of a university in the year 2010. The university has been accredited by NAAC with 'A' Grade, thereby becoming the youngest private university to have earned the distinction. In 2016, the Bhubaneswar campus of the university was ranked 81 among the institutions offering engineering education in India by the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India under the NIRF.
Noorul Islam Centre for Higher Education (NICHE), formerly Noorul Islam College of Engineering, is a private co-educational Institution in Kumarakovil, Thuckalay, Kanyakumari District, Tamil Nadu, India. The institution was founded in 1989 by A.P. Majeed Khan and it was declared as a Deemed to be University by the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Govt. of India at 8 December 2008. It is now run by Noorul Islam Centre for Higher Education (NICHE) Society.
Institutes of Eminence (IoE) is a recognition scheme for higher education institutes in India, set by the University Grants Commission in 2017. The plan encompasses twenty institutions, twelve of which have already been declared Institutes of Eminence as of April 2021. Recognised institutes are granted more autonomy, both administratively and academically, are allowed to open offshore campuses, and will enjoy better collaboration opportunities with global universities. Public institutions are granted up to ₹1,000 crore ; no funding is awarded to private institutions.
The ICFAI Foundation for Higher Education is a private deemed-to-be-university established under Section 3 of the UGC Act, 1956. It is located in Donthanapally, Shankarapally Road, Hyderabad.