| Indian government has adopted policy of welfare | | | | 110.28 lakhs- 14.27 lakhs (12.94%) in University |
| state and providing facility of educational services to | | | | Departments and 96.01 lakhs (87.06%) in affiliated |
| the peoples of India. Education has been a joint | | | | colleges. The enrolment of women at the beginning |
| responsibility between the Union (central) and state | | | | of the academic year 2006-7 was 44.66 lakhs, |
| governments. The states bear 80% of the fiscal | | | | constituting At the beginning of the academic year |
| burden for higher education in India. The Union | | | | 2007-08, the total number of students enrolled in the |
| government can pass nationally-binding legislation for | | | | Universities and Colleges was 116.13 Lakhs (approx). |
| higher education and is the final standards and | | | | The enrollment of women was about 40% of the |
| accreditation authority. The Department of Higher | | | | total enrollment. |
| Education lies within the Ministry of Human Resource | | | | University Grants Commission (UGC) is responsible for |
| Development in the Union government. | | | | coordination determination, and maintenance of |
| There has been phenomenal growth in the Higher | | | | standards, release of grants. Professional councils |
| Education System and a virtual explosion in the | | | | such as All India Council for Technical Education |
| number of Universities and colleges. There were only | | | | (AICTE), Distance Education Council (DEC), are |
| 20 universities and 500 Colleges at the time of | | | | responsible for recognition of courses, promotion of |
| Independence; the country has now 416 Universities | | | | professional institutions and providing grants to |
| –251 State Universities, 24 Central Universities, | | | | undergraduate programmes and various awards. |
| 103 Deemed Universities, 5 Institutions established | | | | National Assessment and Accreditation Council |
| under State Legislation and 33 Institutes of National | | | | (NAAC) is an autonomous institution established by |
| Importance established by Act of Parliament. In | | | | the UGC in 1994 to assess and accredit institutions of |
| addition, there are 20677 Colleges including 2166 | | | | higher education that volunteer for the process, |
| Women Colleges. At the beginning of the academic | | | | based on prescribed criteria. 129 Universities and 2954 |
| year 2006-07, the total number of students enrolled | | | | colleges/institutions have been accredited by NAAC till |
| in the universities and colleges was reported to be | | | | 2005 some are reaccredited now. |