List of state universities in India

State universities are public universities run by the State Government of each of the states and territories of India, and are usually established by a local legislative assembly act. The University Grants Commission (UGC), draws its power from the University Grants Commission Act, 1956.^[1] In addition, 15 Professional Councils are established, controlling different aspects of accreditation and coordination.^[2] The UGC publishes and regularly updates the lists of state universities.^[3] As of 16 November 2022^[update], the UGC lists 459 active state universities.^{[4][note 1]} The oldest establishment date listed by the UGC is 1857, shared by the University of Calcutta, the University of Madras and the University of Mumbai.

Section 12 (B) of the UGC Act of 1956 also grants the UGC the right to "allocate and disburse, out of the Fund of the Commission, grants to Universities..."^[1] As such, the UGC categorizes state universities as either "declared fit to receive Central/UGC assistance under Section 12 (B) of the UGC Act–1956", or not, and notes this status at the lists published. Updates to these declarations are done in meetings of the UGC and published in the minutes.^[6] The latest list, published by the UGC on 26 September 2022^[update], lists 267 universities as fit to receive Central/UGC assistance.^[7]

Other types of universities controlled by the UGC include:

• Central universities, or Union universities are established by Act of Parliament and are under the purview of the Department of Higher Education in the Union Human Resource Development Ministry.^[8]
• Deemed university, or "Deemed-to-be-University", is a status of autonomy granted by the Department of Higher Education on the advice of the UGC, under Section 3 of UGC Act, 1956.^[9][10]
• Private universities are approved by the UGC. They can grant degrees but they are not allowed to have off-campus affiliated colleges.^[11][12]

Apart from the above universities, other institutions are granted the permission to autonomously award degrees. These institutes do not affiliate colleges and are not officially called "universities" but "autonomous organizations" or "autonomous institutes". They fall under the administrative control of the Department of Higher Education.^[13] These organizations include the Indian Institutes of Technology, the National Institutes of Technology, the Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research, the Indian Institutes of Management (though these award diplomas, not degrees)^[14] and other autonomous institutes.