O. P. Jindal Global University Granted Autonomy by the UGC

O.P. Jindal Global University (JGU) has been granted autonomous status by the University Grants Commission (UGC) under graded autonomy Regulations 2018. This announcement was made by the Union Human Resource Development Minister Mr. Prakash Javadekar on 20 March. JGU has become the first and only private university in Haryana and also one among the two private universities in India to be granted autonomy. 

In an endeavour to introduce a liberalised regime in the higher education sector and emphasizing the linking autonomy with quality, UGC and MHRD granted autonomy to 52 universities, out of which 5 are central universities, 21 state universities, 24 deemed and 2 private universities. There are more than 300 private universities in India but only two have been granted this special status, one of them being O.P. Jindal Global University. Significantly, none of the other reputed private universities or other such institutions in India have been granted the “autonomy” status in this historic recognition by the Government of India. 

 Naveen Jindal, Founding Chancellor, O. P. Jindal Global University said, “This feat reiterates JGU’s commitment to shaping India's aspirations of building world-class universities through comparative and international dimensions. We are grateful to MHRD and UGC who have appreciated our endeavour. It is imperative for India to take stock of the state of its universities and redefine their roles in the fast-changing global scenario. It is time for India to join ranks with world-class universities and improve the academic environment for our students.

“This recognition initiates a major paradigm shift that will mark the future of Indian universities and encourage our pursuit of institutional excellence in higher education. This is a big milestone in JGU’s journey and I wish to congratulate all JGU stakeholders, including faculty members, students, staff, alumni, parents and the State Government of Haryana, as well as the regulatory bodies, for their support. Our Sincere thanks to Mr. Naveen Jindal, Founding Chancellor of JGU, for reposing trust and confidence in our ability to contribute towards institution building. It is his vision, philanthropy and drive that has culminated in this success,” said Prof C Raj Kumar, Founding Vice Chancellor, JGU. 

This status will allow the University the freedom to introduce new courses and departments, and enter into collaborations with foreign educational institutions, without seeking the UGC’s permission. There will also be exemption from regular UGC inspections, with appraisals being obtained on the basis of self-reporting. Besides, JGU will be allowed to hire global talent for up to 20% of their total faculty strength while filling up 20% of seats with international students.