List of private universities in India

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The higher education system in India include both private and public universities. Public universities are supported by the Government of India and the state governments, while private universities are mostly supported by various bodies and societies. Universities in India are recognized by the University Grants Commission (UGC), which draws its power from the University Grants Commission Act, 1956.[1] In addition, 15 Professional Councils are established, controlling different aspects of accreditation and coordination.[2] Private universities in India are regulated under the UGC (Establishment and Maintenance of Standards in Private Universities) Regulations, 2003.[3] Per the UGC act and these regulations, private universities are established by an act of a local legislative assembly and listed by the UGC in the Gazette upon receiving the act. As confirmed by ruling of the Supreme Court of India, recognition by the UGC is required for the university to operate.[4] Also per the 2003 regulations, the UGC sends committees to inspect the private universities and publishes their inspection report.

The UGC publishes and regularly updates the lists of private universities.[5] As of 6 October 2017, the UGC list of private universities lists 282 universities.[6] The earliest date of notification is that of Sikkim Manipal University, 11 October 1995. The earliest inspection report is that of Nirma University of Science and Technology, from 15 May 2004.[6] Private universities were established in 22 of the 29 states of India and in none of the union territories.

Section 12 (B) of the UGC Act of 1956 also grants the UGC the right to "allocate and disburse, out of the Fund of the Commission, grants to Universities..."[1] As such, the UGC may declare a private university as "Included under 12(B) f the UGC Act, 1956". Updates to these declarations are done in meetings of the UGC and published in the minutes.[7] The latest list, published by the UGC on 31 March 2016, lists 5 private universities as Included under 12(B).[8]

Other types of universities controlled by the UGC include:

Central universities, or Union universities are established by Act of Parliament and are under the purview of the Department of Higher Education in the Union Human Resource Development Ministry.[9]
State universities are run by the state government of each of the states and territories of India, and are usually established by a local legislative assembly act.[10]
Deemed university, or "Deemed-to-be-University", is a status of autonomy granted by the Department of Higher Education on the advice of the UGC, under Section 3 of UGC Act, 1956.[11][12]
Apart from the above universities, other institutions are granted the permission to autonomously award degrees. These institutes do not affiliate colleges and are not officially called "universities" but "autonomous organizations" or "autonomous institutes". They fall under the administrative control of the Department of Higher Education.[13] These organizations include the Indian Institutes of Technology, the National Institutes of Technology, the Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research, the Indian Institutes of Management (though these award diplomas, not degrees)[14] and other autonomous institutes