The higher education system in India includes 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, which draws its power from the
University Grants Commission Act, 1956. In addition to this, 15 Professional Councils are established, controlling different aspects of accreditation and coordination. The status of a deemed to be university allows full autonomy in courses, syllabus, admissions and fees. , the UGC lists 146 institutes which were granted the deemed to be university status. According to this list, the first institute to be granted deemed university status was
Indian Institute of Science which was granted this status on 12 May 1958. The state with the most deemed universities is
Tamil Nadu with 28 universities having deemed status. 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..." The latest list As of August 2025., 67 institutes as fit to receive Central/UGC assistance. ==Other types==