UGC Full Form

The full form of UGC is University Grants Commission. This organization has been set up to look after the rules and regulations for the Universities of India. It was established in 1956 by the Government of India. Continue reading to know more about UGC like its history, major responsibilities, and other UGC full forms. 

What is UGC Full Form?

UGC full form is the University Grants Commission (UGC), which is a statutory body formed to coordinate, determine and maintain the standards of higher education in India. The UGC was set up by the Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education, Government of India under the UGC Act 1956. The UGC also provides doctoral scholarships to the candidates who qualify in JRF in the National Eligibility Test (NET). 

UGC Overview

History of the UGC

The foundation of the UGC was laid in 1945 to manage the work of three Central Universities including Aligarh, Banaras, and Delhi University. The scope of work and responsibility of UGC was increased to cover all Indian universities in 1947. A recommendation was made in August 1949 to restructure the UGC based on similar lines to the University Grants Committee of the United Kingdom. In 1952, the authority to handle all the grants from universities and higher learning institutions was given to the UGC. 

The UGC, the full form of which is the University Grants Commission became the statutory body of the government of India by an Act of Parliament 1956 on 28 December 1953. The UGC set up six regional centers in 1994 and 1995 to decentralize its operations. It opened new offices in Pune, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Bhopal, Bangalore, and Guwahati. The head office of the UGC is in New Delhi. Apart from the Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg office, the UGC has two additional bureaus as well in Delhi located at 35, Feroze Shah Road and the South Campus of the University of Delhi.

Functions of UGC

• To provide financial assistance to universities and colleges
• To provide recognition to the universities in India
• To manage the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) which ranks all educational institutes in India
• To set exam standards for various recruitment and entrance exams like CSIR NET, UGC NET, and ICAR NET. 
• To coordinate and promote the recognized universities.
• To make policies and ensure that the universities provide the minimum standards of education. 
• To conduct surveys to keep track of the growth in the field of University and College education. 

Exams Conducted by UGC

UGC conducts CSIR and NET exams for the appointment of the right candidates in universities and colleges. Since July 2009, the UGC has made it mandatory to clear NET for people who want to become teachers for graduation or post-graduation level courses. 

Universities Regulated by the UGC

The UGC regulates all universities across India. Some of the major types of universities regulated by the UGC include 

Central Universities: These are the universities established under the purview of the Department of Higher Education by an act of Parliament. As of October 18, 2022, there is a total of 55 central universities.

State Universities: These universities are run by the state government of each state and territory of India. There are a total of 456 state universities as per the list published by the UGC on 23 August 2022. The oldest state universities include the University of Mumbai, the University of Madras, and the University of Calcutta.

Private Universities: These are the universities approved by the UGC. These universities are allowed to grant degrees, however, these cannot have off-campus affiliated colleges. The number of private universities as of 23 August 2022 is 421. 

Deemed University: These are the universities that get the status of "Deemed University" from the Department of Higher Education on the advice of the UGC. These are formed under Section 2 of the UGC Act. There are a total of 50 institutes counted as Deemed to be Universities. 

Professional Councils Managed by the UGC

In addition to conducting different exams and working for the universities, the UGC also regulates autonomous statutory institutions. 16 institutions that are managed by the UGC include 

1. AICTE(All India Council for Technical Education)
2. ICAR(Indian Council of Agricultural Research)
3. NCTE (National Council for Teacher Education)
4. BCI(Bar Council of India)
5. RCI(Rehabilitation Council of India)
6. DEC(Distance Education Council)
7. State Councils of Higher Education 
8. DCI(Dental Council of India)
9. MCI(Medical Council of India)
10. National Council for Rural Institutes
11. Council of Architecture
12. PCI(Pharmacy Council of India)
13. CCIM(Central Council of Indian Medicine)
14. Rehabilitation Council
15. INC(Indian Nursing Council)
16. CCH(Central Council of Homoeopathy)

Important Announcements by UGC

• On 13 April 2022, the UGC allowed the students to pursue two academic programs simultaneously considering the proposals made in the National Education Policy - NEP 2020. The objective of this proposal is to allow students to explore multiple pathways of learning in formal and non-formal education modes. 
• The UGC, in a joint notification with the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), advised students to not pursue higher education in Pakistan. It stated that any student with a degree from Pakistan “shall not be eligible for seeking employment or higher studies in India”.

Chairpersons of UG

UGC Mandate

UGC holds the distinctive power of determining educational standards in India and providing funds to universities from time to time so that students don’t face issues when pursuing courses. UGC’s role can be understood comprehensively by going through the following mandates.

• Acting as an advising committee to the state and central governments concerning new changes in the education system to ensure necessary improvement.
• UGC plays a pivotal role in fixing a unified standard of teaching, research and examination in universities of India.
• Framing rules and regulations to maintain the standards of education across various institutes is another major UGC mandate.
• Scrtinising and overseeing the developments in the field of collegiate and accordingly disbursing grants.

Why is UGC Approval Important for Universities?

University Grants Commission (UGC full form) was established with the prime objective of maintaining the standard of higher education. Basically, this body comes under the Ministry of Education; therefore, it becomes mandatory for universities to seek approval from UGC. Students and parents often shortlist colleges or universities based on UGC approval as it is considered to be the standard when identifying the right college.

With the expansion of the education sector, new educational institutes are budding at a fast pace, and to ensure students don’t fall prey to any fake college or university, UGC conducts scrutiny. The higher education institutes applying for UGC’s approval have to undergo phases of inspection. UGC will designate a panel of experts who will be responsible for inspecting the vision, infrastructure, policies, curriculum, faculty and other components of the institute. 

Institutes with UGC approval hold a special reputation and brand identity. Generally, admission rates in a UGC-approved university are higher compared to those without any approval.

Other Full Forms of UGC

There are a few more full forms of UGC. Some of the common ones are

User-Generated Content: Another UGC full form is user-generated content which includes the content created by online users on different platforms. Images, videos, comments, reviews, and tweets are some examples of User Generated Content.