What Is UGC? University Grants Commission: Full Form, Functions and Current Status

UGC stands for University Grants Commission. It is a statutory body under the Ministry of Education, Government of India, set up under the University Grants Commission Act, 1956, to coordinate, determine and maintain standards of university education and to recognise and fund universities and colleges. As of September 2026 it is still the country’s higher education regulator, although a bill to replace it is before Parliament (see below).

What is the University Grants Commission?

The UGC is the body that decides whether an Indian university is legally a university, which colleges can receive central grants, and what minimum standards degrees, teachers and PhDs must meet. If a degree is to be valid for a government job or further study in India, the institution awarding it must be recognised through the UGC framework.

History of the UGC in brief

The idea came from the University Education Commission of 1948-49, chaired by Dr S. Radhakrishnan, which recommended a grants commission on the lines of the University Grants Committee in the United Kingdom. The UGC was inaugurated on 28 December 1953, but at first it was an administrative body without legal powers. Parliament passed the UGC Act in 1956, and from November 1956 the commission became a statutory body with the power to lay down standards and to release grants.

Functions of the UGC

Recognising universities: sections 2(f) and 12B

Two sections of the UGC Act come up again and again in admissions and job notices:

• Section 2(f) defines what counts as a university. A university set up by a central or state Act, or a private university created by state law, appears on the UGC’s 2(f) list. Only such institutions (and those declared deemed to be universities under section 3) may award degrees.
• Section 12B makes an institution eligible to receive central grants from the UGC. A university or college can be recognised under 2(f) and still not be 12B-eligible, which matters when applying for UGC-funded schemes and projects.

Grants

The UGC releases development and maintenance grants to central universities and to eligible state universities, deemed universities and colleges, and runs fellowship and scholarship schemes for students and researchers.

Regulations on minimum standards

The UGC issues binding regulations on subjects such as minimum qualifications for appointing teachers, PhD admissions and award, open and distance learning, online degrees, and the specification of degree titles. Universities that ignore them risk losing recognition or grants.

The fake universities list

Section 22 of the UGC Act says only recognised universities may award degrees. The UGC publishes a state-wise list of institutions calling themselves universities without that right. The list current in February 2026 named 32 such institutions, with Delhi (12) and Uttar Pradesh (4) accounting for the largest numbers. Degrees from these bodies are not valid for jobs or further study, so check the list on ugc.gov.in before paying admission fees to an unfamiliar “university”.

UGC-NET

The National Eligibility Test (UGC-NET) decides eligibility for Junior Research Fellowship, appointment as Assistant Professor, and PhD admission. The UGC owns the test, but it has been conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) in computer-based mode since December 2018. Before that the CBSE conducted it.

Types of universities under the UGC

These counts change every few months as new universities are notified, so treat them as a snapshot and check the UGC home page for the latest figures. Institutions of national importance such as the IITs, IIMs and AIIMS are set up by their own Acts and are not counted in these UGC categories.

Who heads the UGC?

From 12 August 2026 Deepti Gaur Mukerjee, Secretary of the Department of Higher Education, holds additional charge as UGC Chairperson until a regular chairperson is appointed. She succeeded Vineet Joshi, the previous Higher Education Secretary, who had held the same interim charge since April 2025. The last full-time chairman, Prof. M. Jagadesh Kumar, served from February 2022 until his tenure ended on 7 April 2025.

Is UGC being replaced? The VBSA Bill

The National Education Policy 2020 proposed a single regulator for higher education, called the Higher Education Commission of India (HECI) in the policy. The government’s version of that idea is the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan (VBSA) Bill, 2025. What is confirmed so far:

• 15 December 2025: introduced in the Lok Sabha by Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
• 16 December 2025: referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC).
• February 2026: a 31-member JPC chaired by D. Purandeswari was constituted. Its report deadline was extended to the last week of the Monsoon Session 2026.
• July 2026: JPC meetings to adopt the draft report were postponed twice (the one set for 20 July was cancelled with no new date).

As of September 2026 we have found no record of the JPC report being tabled or of the bill being passed by either House. Until Parliament passes it and the government notifies it, the UGC Act, 1956 remains in force and UGC recognition, regulations and grants continue as before.

If it is passed in its introduced form, the bill would repeal the UGC Act, 1956, the AICTE Act, 1987 and the NCTE Act, 1993, and create one umbrella body with three councils for regulation, accreditation and standards. Unlike the UGC, the new body would not hand out grants; funding would sit with the Ministry. Medical and legal education are outside its scope.

UGC vs AICTE vs NMC

A B.Tech student therefore deals with both bodies: the university that awards the degree is recognised through the UGC, while the engineering college and its intake are approved by the AICTE.

FAQs

What is the full form of UGC?

UGC stands for University Grants Commission. It is a statutory body under India’s Ministry of Education, set up under the UGC Act, 1956, that recognises universities, releases grants and sets minimum standards for higher education.

When was the UGC established?

It was inaugurated on 28 December 1953 by Maulana Abul Kalam Azad and became a statutory body in November 1956, when the University Grants Commission Act, 1956 came into force.

Who conducts UGC-NET?

The National Testing Agency (NTA) has conducted UGC-NET on behalf of the UGC since December 2018, in computer-based mode. The UGC sets the eligibility rules and uses the results for JRF, Assistant Professor eligibility and PhD admission.

Has UGC been abolished?

No. As of September 2026 the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill, 2025, which would replace UGC, AICTE and NCTE with one regulator, is still with a Joint Parliamentary Committee and has not been passed. The UGC continues to function under the 1956 Act.

How do I check if a university is recognised by UGC?

Search the university lists on ugc.gov.in, which are grouped as central, state, deemed and private universities, and check that the institution is not on the UGC’s list of fake universities.

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