The University Grants Commission, the central agency that determines, co-ordinates and maintains the standards of university education in India, was formally established in November 1956, on the general model of the UGC of the United Kingdom. The head-office of the UGC is at Bahadur Shah Safar Marg in
New Delhi, with two additional bureaus operating from Feroze Shah Road and the South Campus of the
University of Delhi. It has six regional centers at
Pune,
Hyderabad,
Kolkata,
Bhopal,
Guwahati and
Bangalore. At a time the Commission has a dozen or more members.
The UGC, the only grant-giving agency in the country, is a vital link between the State and Central Governments, and universities and higher educational institutions. It has numerous faculty development and quality assurance programs, that rate and ensure academic excellence of universities and affiliated institutions throughout the country.
