For an uninterrupted functioning, 62 higher education institutes have been awarded full autonomy by the Indian statutory body of higher education development, University Grants Commission. The list contaions some reputed and top central universities of the country, which are– AMU (Aligarh Muslim University), BHU (Banaras Hindu University), TERI (The Energy and Resources Institute), University of Hyderabad and JNU (Jawaharlal Nehru University). The other universities in the list of 62 higher education institutes are 21 state universities, 24 deemed universities, 2 private universities and 5 central universities. With this decision, the universities will remain under the UGC, however, they now have the freedom to start new courses and other academic programs. Union Human Resource Development Ministers, Prakash Javadekar referred the UGC decision as historic and said, “The institutes will have the authority to take foreign students, introduce distance learning. They can take decision regarding their admission procedure, fee structure and curriculum without the UGC interference.”

Autonomous status granted to state universities are Utkal University, Panjab University, University of Mysore, University of Madras, Anna University, Guru Nanak Dev University, University of Jammu, Kurukshetra University, Osmania University, Utkal University, National University of Law, Algappa University, Andhra University, Jadavpur University, while the two private universities are OP Jindal Global University of Sonipat and Pandit Deen Dayal Petroleum University of Gujarat. The UGC also have issued show-cause notice to three deemed universities for ignoring the standard requirements.