What is UGC and its role?

All about UGC

The Indian Union Government's UGC, also known as the University Grants Commission or Committee, was established under the UGC Act of 1956. affiliated with the Ministry of Higher Education and managed by the Ministry of Human Resources Development. The University Grants Commission (UGC) of India was established in 1953 and is part of the Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD), with its headquarters in New Delhi. 

The UGC is the legislative body in charge of organizing, establishing, and enforcing standards for higher education. It authorizes university recognition throughout India and disburses funding to those recognized institutions and colleges.

History

• The first attempt by the government to create an educational system was the Sargent Report in 1944. It was the Central Advisory Board of Education's report on the post-war development of education in India.
• The University Grants Committee was founded in 1945 through recommendation, and it was charged with supervising the three Central Universities of Aligarh, Banaras, and Delhi.
• In 1947, the committee was given the role of supervising all institutions at the time.
• In 1948, the University Education Commission was created, and Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan served as its chairman. The report recommended changing the current University Grants Committee into a University Grants Commission India, similar to the UK.
• On December 28, 1953, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, a former minister of education, established the University Grants Commission.
• The "University Grants Commission Act, 1956," passed by the Parliament in November 1956, established the UGC (University Grants Commission) as a statutory body of the Government of India.The goal was to supervise the planning, establishing, and upkeep of national standards for higher education.
• In 1994 and 1995, the UGC established six centers in Pune, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Bhopal, Guwahati, and Bangalore to oversee the region-based educational system in India.

Role of UGC

• The primary goal and function of the UGC in higher education are to fund universities and to coordinate, establish, and uphold the ethical standards in these institutions.
• Maintaining track of changes in colleges and university education; providing financing to colleges and universities.
• Maintain coordination among state governments, union governments, and higher education institutions.
• Give suggestions to the federal and state governments to improve higher education.

Functions of UGC in the Indian education system

• To Use its  funds to make grants to colleges and universities for development or other general reasons. 
• Provides advice to the national and state governments on how to distribute funds from the India Consolidated Fund to universities.
• Creating examination standards such as ICAR NET, UGC NET, and CSIR UGC NET.
• Examine expansion in the realm of college and university education.
• Educate pupils in numerous fields through its nationwide classroom lectures and a four-year-old 24-hour educational channel called 'Vyas'.
• Gather information on international and Indian university education.

Why should students apply to universities recognized by the UGC?

In India, the UGC oversees hundreds of smaller regional and private colleges in addition to Central Universities and State Universities. The Ministry of Human Resource & Development (HRD) oversees the activities of these institutions and their curricula in order to uphold the level and quality of education.

UGC recognition certifies the university's authenticity and assures the degree issued is genuine. On its official website, the University Grants Commission publishes full inspection reports of universities.

As a result, it is usually advised for students to only choose UGC-recognized institutions and to conduct thorough research before making a decision. On the UGC website, you may find a list of accredited institutions and universities in India.

Conclusion

The University of Grand Commission (UGC) is an Indian government body that accredits institutions and oversees their operations. With the increased demand for higher-quality education, the UGC is reinventing the study style and launching new courses to meet the needs of the modern world.

For a student's career, choosing the right university is crucial, especially in the current environment when hundreds of institutions have sprung up all across the nation. The UGC-recognized institutions would imply that the necessary educational standards have been met. Additionally, their degree will be recognized.