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Higher Education System in India

Higher Education

Useful for: UGC NET, Central Univ./IIT/NIT Faculty, OPSC Assistant Professor, OPSC PGT, SSB Lecturer / PGT

Overview

India’s higher education system includes central, state, deemed and private universities, institutes of national importance and affiliated colleges.

Key points

Central universities are created by Acts of Parliament; state universities by state Acts.
Deemed universities are declared under Section 3 of the UGC Act.
Institutes of National Importance (e.g. IITs, AIIMS) are created by Acts of Parliament.
Most colleges are affiliated to universities.
NEP 2020 aims at multidisciplinary institutions and a gross enrolment ratio of 50% by 2035.
A single regulator (HECI) has been proposed.

Explanation

University bodies include the court/senate, executive council and academic council.
The Vice-Chancellor is the chief executive and academic officer.
Autonomous colleges design their own courses.
Private universities are created by state Acts.
Funding comes from government grants, fees and research.

Step by step

Identify the concept, method or fact asked.
Recall the definition, thinker, year or rule.
Apply it and eliminate extreme or mismatched options.

Examples

IITs are → Institutes of National Importance.
Deemed university status → Section 3 of the UGC Act.
NEP 2020 GER target → 50% by 2035.

Traps and advanced points

Trap: Mixing central and state universities.
Trap: Calling IITs deemed universities.
Trap: Wrong GER target.

Quick revision

Central, state, deemed, private.
INIs by Act.
GER 50% by 2035.

Practice MCQs

Central universities are created by —
1. court orders
2. Acts of Parliament
3. state Acts
4. UGC notifications only
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Answer: (b) Acts of Parliament. Parliament establishes them.
Deemed universities are declared under —
1. Section 3 of the UGC Act
2. Article 21A
3. the RTE Act
4. the Companies Act
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Answer: (a) Section 3 of the UGC Act. Section 3 of the UGC Act.
IITs and AIIMS are —
1. deemed universities
2. state universities
3. Institutes of National Importance
4. private colleges
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Answer: (c) Institutes of National Importance. Created by Acts of Parliament.
NEP 2020 sets a GER target in higher education of —
1. 40% by 2040
2. 30% by 2030
3. 50% by 2035
4. 100% by 2025
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Answer: (c) 50% by 2035. 50% by 2035.
The proposed single regulator for higher education is —
1. CBSE
2. HECI
3. NCERT
4. NIOS
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Answer: (b) HECI. Higher Education Commission of India.
Private universities are created by —
1. UGC
2. NAAC
3. state Acts
4. Acts of Parliament only
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Answer: (c) state Acts. States legislate them.
The chief executive and academic officer of a university is the —
1. Dean
2. Chancellor
3. Vice-Chancellor
4. Registrar
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Answer: (c) Vice-Chancellor. The Vice-Chancellor.
Autonomous colleges can —
1. avoid regulation
2. charge any fee
3. design their own courses and evaluation
4. award degrees independently in all cases
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Answer: (c) design their own courses and evaluation. Academic autonomy within the university system.
Most colleges in India are —
1. independent universities
2. INIs
3. foreign campuses
4. affiliated to universities
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Answer: (d) affiliated to universities. Affiliation system.
NEP 2020 encourages higher education institutions to be —
1. exam-only
2. closed to research
3. multidisciplinary
4. single-subject only
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Answer: (c) multidisciplinary. Large multidisciplinary institutions.