This article on ‘Laws regulating Universities in India‘ was written by an intern at Legal Upanishad.
Introduction
From ancient times to the current era, our country, India, has had a magnificent Higher Education System. During the post-independence period, the system grew stronger. Ancient India was home to the world’s earliest universities, including Takshashila, Nalanda, and Vikramashila. India was certainly a centre of learning, not only for its own people but also for people from neighbouring republics. Perhaps many of us are unaware that India has expanded so amazingly that we can now enjoy learning in the world’s third-largest education system. The University Grants Commission ( UGC) is regarded as the principal body regulating universities in India.
History of UGC
The image of UGC that we have now is the consequence of countless intensive initiatives taken both before and after Indian independence. Come and be a part of the University Grants Commission’s establishing journey.
- The Sargent Report, published in 1944, was the first attempt at establishing an educational system.
- The University Grants Committee was founded in 1945 as a result of the recommendation, and it was charged with supervising three Central Universities: Aligarh, Banaras, and Delhi. The committee was given the role of controlling all institutions in 1947.
- In 1948, the University Education Commission was established, with Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan as its head. The commission proposed that the existing University Grants Committee be renamed University Grants Commission India, as it is in the United Kingdom.
- On December 28, 1953, former Education Minister Maulana Abul Kalam Azad established the University Grants Commission.
- In November 1956, the Parliament passed the ‘University Grants Commission Act, 1956,’ which formally formed the UGC (University Grants Commission) as a statutory entity of the Government of India. The objective was to oversee the coordination, determination, and maintenance of university education standards in our country. It acknowledges Indian universities and provides funding to such authorised universities and colleges. Regional offices are situated in Pune, Bhopal, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Guwahati, and Bangalore; the corporate office is in New Delhi.
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Functions and power of the commission
- To investigate universities’ financial needs.
- Distribute subsidies to universities for general or specific purposes of upkeep and development.
- Establish and sustain institutions that provide facilities, and everything required for a set of universities.
- Recommend to any university the measures required to strengthen university education.
- Acts as an advisor to CG and SG on the allocation of grants to universities for any general or specific purpose.
- If requested, advise any authority on the founding of a new university or recommendations related to the extension of any university’s activities.
- Provide advice to the CG and SG or any University on any matter referred to the Commission by the CG, any SG, or any University.
- Collect information on all aspects of university education in India and make it available to any university.
- Request information from universities regarding their financial situation or the research they are conducting in the various fields of knowledge, as well as carry out any other duties the Commission may prescribe or judge necessary to further the cause of higher education in India.
Officials and members of UGC
Prof. Dhirendra Pal Singh is the current Chairman of the UGC (D. P. Singh). He has 34 years of expertise in educational planning and administration, institution construction, teaching and training, research and development, and international cooperation, among other things.
Dr. Bhushan Patwardhan has been appointed as Vice Chairman of the UGC.
Shri Amit Khare is now the Secretary Department of Higher Education in the Ministry of Human Resource Development.
The mandate of the UGC comprises;
University education promotion and coordination
Determine and uphold university teaching, examination, and research standards.
Creating regulations governing basic educational criteria.
Monitoring changes; distributing funds to universities and colleges.
Acting as a bridge between the union and state governments, as well as educational institutions.
advising the federal and state governments on the steps that must be taken to strengthen university education
UGC Rules and Regulations 2022
The University Grants Commission (UGC) has published new UGC rules 2022 revisions.
The new modifications will go into effect on April 1, 2021. According to a press release, the UGC has made the required adjustments to the restrictions outlined in the UGC Act of 1956. Its purpose is to enable it to offer approval to universities for the establishment of new courses. Including those at the graduate level as well as research institutions.
The first major modification concerned the eligibility requirements for applicants seeking any form of scholarship or fellowship.
The candidate must now present academic transcripts as well as additional supporting papers such as an employment contract. Or any other proof that he/she is a legitimate individual capable of completing the project successfully. This update will aid in the prevention of fraudulent candidates for any scholarship or fellowship programme.
The revised course submission form may now be found on the UGC website. You can download it from there and then follow the directions to submit your courses. The procedure for uploading courses is now simpler than before. You never have to worry about making mistakes when submitting your courses.
The revisions to the legislation, according to the UGC report, are intended to assist universities in meeting their requirements. Everything had to do with the approval of their courses and their curriculum policies.
The UGC also stated that it will continue to work to improve educational quality through innovations in teaching approaches and faculty training.
Conclusion
In, 2018 Central Government issued a proposal of replacing UGC with the Higher Education Commission of India. To begin, the UGC includes numerous placement issues, which include cronyism at the top of the ladder and understaffing at the bottom. To avoid its replacement, it should work its way toward redesigning itself in accordance with the T.S.R. Subramanian committee’s advice, preserving a smaller and thinner form of the commission as a nodal institution and creating a distinct system for fellowship payout. This may allow it to focus on the more important issue of quality education.
References
- “What is UGC? All about its Establishment, Functions, and Structure”, Eduncle, 25 April 2022, available at: https://scoop.eduncle.com/about-university-grants-commission
- “The University Grants Commission Act, 1956 & University Grants Commission (Returns of Information by Universities) Rules, 1979”, Team Lease RegTech, available at: https://www.teamleaseregtech.com/resources/acts/article/81/the-university-grants-commission-act-1956-university-grants-commission/
- “UGC ( University Grants Commission) Rules and Regulations 2022”, Aimlay, available at: https://www.aimlay.com/ugc-university-grants-commission-rules-and-regulations-2022/