University Grants Commission

The University Grants Commission is India’s statutory national body for coordinating and maintaining standards in university education. Under the University Grants Commission Act, 1956, it works mainly through grants, advice, regulations, information-gathering, and recognition-linked functions relating to universities. It is important in federalism because universities may be created by Union or State laws, but minimum standards in higher education fall within a Union field.

Constitutional / legal basis

The UGC is a statutory body, not a constitutional body. Its constitutional setting is Article 246 read with the Seventh Schedule: Entry 66 of List I covers coordination and determination of standards in institutions for higher education, while Entry 25 of List III places education in the Concurrent List subject to relevant Union List entries. Its immediate legal foundation is the University Grants Commission Act, 1956.

Key points

• Composition: The Commission consists of a Chairman, a Vice-Chairman, and ten other members appointed by the Central Government; the Chairman is to be chosen from persons who are not officers of the Central or any State Government.
• Member categories: Among the ten other members, two are chosen from officers of the Central Government, not less than four from university teachers, and the remainder from persons such as experts, professionals, Vice-Chancellors, reputed educationists, or persons with high academic distinction.
• Core mandate: Section 12 makes it the general duty of the UGC to take steps, in consultation with universities or other concerned bodies, for promotion and coordination of university education and for determination and maintenance of standards of teaching, examination, and research in universities.
• Financial powers: The UGC may inquire into the financial needs of universities and allocate or disburse grants from its fund for purposes permitted by the Act, including maintenance, development, and specified educational purposes.
• Advisory powers: It may recommend measures to universities for improving university education and advise the Central Government, State Governments, or other authorities on matters such as grants and proposals connected with university education.
• Information and inquiry powers: It may collect information on university education and require universities to furnish information relating to their financial position, studies, rules, regulations, and standards.
• Regulatory and recognition-linked powers: The UGC may make regulations under the Act on matters such as minimum standards of instruction for degrees and qualifications of university teachers; it also specifies degrees under Section 22, advises the Central Government on deemed-to-be university status under Section 3, and may withhold grants under Section 14 for failure to comply with its recommendations after the statutory opportunity is given.

How UPSC asks this