Notes : University Grants Commission (UGC) - Study Establishment, Working, Functions and Drawbacks

University Grants Commission (UGC) - Study Establishment, Working, Functions and Drawbacks

The University Grants Commission UGC was established on December 28, 1953, as a statutory organization of the Government of India by an Act. For the purpose of coordinating, establishing, and maintaining the standards of university education in India, it was formally created in 1956. The UGC decentralized its activities by establishing six regional centers in Pune, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Bhopal, Guwahati, and Bangalore to enable effective region-wise coverage throughout the nation. Prof. Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar is the chairman of the University Grant Commission.

What is University Grants Commission (UGC)?

The University Grants Commission of India (UGC India) is a statutory body established by the Government of India under the Ministry of Education in accordance with the UGC Act 1956. It is charged with the coordination, determination, and maintenance of higher education standards. It grants India’s universities recognition and makes financial contributions to accredited institutions and universities.

History of UGC

1. The Central Advisory Board of Education Report (Sargent Report) on the Post-War Development of Indian Education, which was published in 1944, was the first attempt to create a formal educational system.

2. The University Grants Committee was established in 1945, and it was given charge of overseeing the three Central Universities of Aligarh, Banaras, and Delhi.

3. The committee was given the authority to oversee all of that era’s institutions in 1947.

4. The University Education Commission was established in 1948, and Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan served as its chairman. The commission recommended changing the current University Grants Committee into a University Grants Commission India, similar to the UK.

5. The University Grants Commission was inaugurated on December 28, 1953, by former minister of education Maulana Abul Kalam Azad.

6. With the passage of the “University Grants Commission Act, 1956” by the Parliament in November 1956, the UGC (University Grants Commission) was legally created as a statutory entity of the Government of India. The goal was to oversee the development, determination, and maintenance of university education standards in our country.

7. Thereafter Six centres were established by UGC in 1994 and 1995 in Pune, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Bhopal, Guwahati, and Bangalore to oversee the region-specific Indian educational system. The head office is now situated in New Delhi, at Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg.

Head Office and Regional Offices of UGC

1. Under the direction of Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, the University Education Commission was established in 1948 with the mission of reporting on university education in India and making recommendations for enhancements and extensions that might be desirable to meet the needs and aspirations of the nation now and in the future.

2. It was suggested that the University Grants Committee be reorganized along the general lines of the University Grants Commission of the United Kingdom, with a full-time Chairman and other members to be chosen from among reputable educators.

3. The UGC opened seven regional offices to serve the states it oversees, decentralizing its operations in the process.

4. The goals of establishing these offices were to promote decentralization and to ensure that a large number of colleges across the country have better opportunities to respond to their needs and problems through easier access.

Regional Office

Location

Southern Eastern Regional Office (SERO)

Hyderabad

Western Regional Office (WRO)

Pune

Central Regional Office (CRO)

Bhopal

North-Eastern Regional Office (NERO)

Guwahati

Eastern Regional Office (ERO)

Kolkata

South-Western Regional Office (SWRO)

Bangalore

Universities Regulated by the UGC

India has different kinds of universities, each with its own rules and support:

1. Central universities: Set up by the national government, these tend to be larger and well-known.

2. State universities: Run by each state, these often have many affiliated colleges in smaller towns. They mainly offer undergraduate courses. Some older colleges may offer higher degrees, too.

3. Deemed universities: Special institutes recognized for their excellence. They are given some freedom to set their own rules.

4. Private universities: Approved by the national government, these can grant degrees. They are often focused on specific fields. They can't have affiliated colleges like state universities.

As of November 27, 2024, the University Grants Commission (UGC) of India lists the following number of universities in India:

Central universities: 57

State universities: 492

Deemed to be universities: 137

Private universities: 497

Objectives of the University Grants Commission : 

1. The University Grants Commission (UGC) is primarily responsible for funding universities and coordinating, establishing, and upholding ethical standards in higher education institutions. The commission supports the consensus among the academic community, the state and local governments, and the public.

2. For institutions to be UGC-approved universities, UGC has established additional requirements or standards.

3. Numerous prestigious, medium-sized, and small institutions are being founded daily in India as a result of the expansion of higher education. There are several of these universities that are bogus and do not meet the UGC requirements.

Mandates of UGC

The UGC holds a unique position as the sole grant-giving agency in the country, entrusted with dual responsibilities: providing funds and overseeing the coordination, establishment, and preservation of standards in higher education institutions. The UGC's core responsibilities encompass:

1. Promotion and coordination of university education.

2. Determination and maintenance of teaching, examination, and research standards in universities.

3. Formulation of regulations for minimum educational standards.

4. Monitoring developments in collegiate and university education and disbursing grants to these institutions.

5. Acting as a crucial intermediary between the Union and state governments and higher education institutions.

6. Offering guidance to Central and State governments regarding necessary measures for enhancing university education.

Functions of the University Grants Commission

1. To distribute grants to colleges and universities using its own money for development or other general purposes. Advises the national and state governments on how to distribute funding from the Consolidated Fund of India to universities.

2. To provide advice to any authority on the creation of a new university or a plan to expand an existing university.

3. To compile data on international and Indian university education.

4. To distribute scholarships to colleges and universities while keeping track of changes in the sector of higher education.

5. To include everything from the university’s financial situation and its various academic specializations to the rules and guidelines that are followed in a particular higher education setting.

6. To provide education to the students in various streams through its Countrywide classroom teachings and a four-year-old 24-hour educational channel ‘Vyas.’

7. To Conduct the National Eligibility Test (NET) through its National Educational Testing Bureau in a bid to determine eligibility for lectureship.

National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC)

1. The University Grants Commission (UGC) established the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) in September 1994 in Bangalore to evaluate the performance of the country’s universities and colleges.

2. The duty of performance evaluation, assessment, and accreditation of domestic institutions and colleges is part of NAAC’s mandate.

3. In order to enable all institutions of higher learning to fully utilize their resources, opportunities, and capacities, the NAAC, an autonomous organization of the UGC, is founded on objective and continual development rather than being punitive or judgmental.

4. An institution’s performance is evaluated through assessment, which is done through a process based on self-study and peer review with the use of predetermined criteria.

5. The NAAC’s certification, which has a five-year validity period, is referred to as accreditation. Currently, NAAC assessment and accreditation are optional processes.

Scheme for Trans-disciplinary Research for India’s Developing Economy - STRIDE

1. The Scheme for Trans-disciplinary Research for India’s Developing Economy(STRIDE) has been introduced by the University Grants Commission UGC.

2. With the aid of collaborative research, students will be able to contribute to India’s rising economy thanks to the STRIDE Scheme, which will enhance research culture and innovation in colleges and institutions.

Components of STRIDE : 

1. According to information provided by the UGC, the STRIDE Scheme’s first component promotes the development of research capability.

2. By mentoring, cultivating, and supporting young talent to develop innovative solutions for local, regional, national, and international challenges, it seeks to find young talent and provide research capacity building in a variety of areas.

3. Under the Institutional mode, this component is open to all disciplines. The Institution receives funding under this component to help with faculty and student capacity building.

4. The programme is broken down into three main parts: research capacity building of universities and colleges, social innovation and action research, and research in the humanities and human sciences.

5. The maximum grant amount for the third component is Rs 1 crore for one HEI and Rs 5 crore for projects involving several institutions.

Deeksharambh

1. The University Grants Commission UGC has created “Deeksharambh- a guide to student induction program” and requested that all universities create and carry out induction programmes for new students entering the field of higher education.

2. Deeksharambh – The student Induction Program’s goals include assisting new students in settling in and becoming comfortable in their surroundings, educating them about the institution’s ethos and culture, fostering relationships between them and other students and faculty members, and exposing them to a sense of greater purpose and self-exploration.

Concerns raised with Scrapping of UGC

1. Up to 2013–14, the UGC gave central institutions and a few “deemed-to-be universities” complete financial assistance, while the state sector’s qualified colleges and universities got plan payments on a matching basis.

2. A considerable decrease in UGC funding for higher education institutions is seen in the actual spending allocation for 2017–18. As a result, universities no longer have enough funding for teaching, research, and innovation.

3. The government had proposed the Higher Education Commission of India (HECI) to reform the regulatory agencies for better administration of the higher education sector, and, therefore, the proposed HECI would focus solely on academic matters and monetary grants.

4. Recall that the issue of shortages of faculty and other facilities in the university sector, which adversely affects the quality of teaching and research, was raised recently.

Recommendations of the TSR Subramanian Committee : 

1. The TSR Subramanian Committee, commonly known as the Committee for the Evolution of New Education Policy, proposed an alternative framework for a scaled-back UGC in its National Policy on Education 2016.

2. The UGC may be reformed, made considerably thinner, and given the job of the administrative center for the projected National Higher Education Fellowship Program with no further promotional or regulatory obligations.

Drawbacks of the University Grants Commission : 

Few recent UGC decisions have proved unpopular, including an increase in faculty teaching hours followed by its revocation. The introduction of Delhi University’s choice-based credit semester system, as well as the University Grants Commission’s decision to abolish the non-NET MPhil scholarship, were also questioned.

The Politicization of Education

1. Citizens of the nation are directly impacted by political actions.

2. Education politics have had a negative impact. The education system has been weakened by proximity to politics, and young people should speak up to create a culture of high-quality education.

3. A culture of quality embraces excellence in all facets of human nature and extends beyond effective teaching and learning.

Policy turbulence and arbitrary Decisions : 

1. All UGC rules need to be approved by parliament, which is not always granted. As a result, they could be overturned by the courts, endangering the futures of thousands of people.

2. The UGC’s ad hoc working structure and lack of coordination are caused by a lack of knowledge of regional offices, bureaus, fields, and activities because it is made up of non-academics.

Lack of Internationalism

1. It is unable to put new rules into place in higher education to increase internationalization and student mobility.

2. Measures to improve the quality of research and promote an innovative environment in higher education are not included, nor are measures to revitalize the teaching environment in universities and colleges.

3. Additionally, it has been charged with favoritism and straying from its core mission of acting as a watchdog for ensuring academic excellence.

Conclusion : 

India’s higher education system has expanded tremendously since Independence. University Grants Commission (UGC) has made a substantial contribution to the growth and advancement of Indian higher education by developing programmes and carrying out multiple initiatives with academic, administrative, and financial support. The purpose of the UGC is to establish and uphold university-wide standards for instruction, assessment, and research, as well as to take whatever actions are deemed necessary to advance and coordinate higher education.

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