Why in the News?

• Illinois Tech University announced that India’s University Grants Commission (UGC) had formally approved its plan to open a new campus in Mumbai, making it the first American university to receive authorisation to establish a degree-granting campus in India.

Key Points:

About Mumbai Campus:

⇒ Illinois Tech University will welcome students to its new Mumbai campus starting in Fall 2026.

⇒ The campus will offer undergraduate and graduate degrees in high-demand fields such as Computer Science, Engineering, and Business.

⇒ It will deliver the same experiential and industry-aligned curriculum as Illinois Tech’s Chicago campus.

⇒ It will also include the university’s signature Elevate program, which guarantees students access to hands-on research, internships, and career-enhancing opportunities.

University Grants Commission (UGC):

About:

• India's first effort to establish a national education system began with the 1944 Sargeant Report, which recommended creating a University Grants Committee.
• Formed in 1945, the committee initially supervised Aligarh, Banaras, and Delhi universities. By 1947, its scope expanded to include all existing universities.
• In 1948, the University Education Commission, led by Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, recommended its restructuring based on the UK model.
• In 1952, the Union Government designated the University Grants Commission (UGC) to oversee grants for Central Universities and higher education institutions.
• Formally inaugurated by Maulana Abul Kalam Azad in 1953 , it became a statutory body in 1956.
• The head office of the UGC is located in New Delhi.

Composition:

• UGC is made up of a Chairman, a Vice-Chairman, and 10 other members.
• The Central Government appoints all members of the UGC.

Key Functions:

• Assess universities' financial needs, and allocate and disburse grants for maintenance, development, and other purposes. Recommends improvements in higher education and assists in implementation.