15 Universities with Potential for Excellence: UGC

In the IX Plan, University Grants Commission (UGC) introduced “University with Potential for Excellence (UPE)” scheme to encourage the shortlisted universities to reach world-class standards in their chosen focus areas/domains. UGC also allocated additional funds to these selected Universities to help them improve their standards and achieve their goals.

In the IX, X and XI Plan, UGC identified universities under the UPE/Universities of Excellence (UoE) scheme only if they had a potential for excellence in teaching and research activities. But in the XII Plan more functions were included so that holistic development of the university can take place. As per UGC, the objectives of the UoE/UPE scheme are as mentioned below:

• To achieve excellence in education, training, research and governance to face the challenges of future.
• To strengthen the academic and physical infrastructure for achieving excellence and innovation in teaching, learning, research and outreach programmes.
• To enhance the quality of the learning process and teaching at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels with the help of a flexible credit based modular system and a whole range of innovations currently accepted across the world.
• To promote academic programmes relevant to the social and economic needs of the nation in general and the region in particular.
• To promote networking with other Centres/departments and laboratories in the country.
• To undertake any activity that may lead to excellence in all the domains listed above.

University with Potential for Excellence and their Focus Areas

Name of University	Focus Area
Jadavpur University, Salt Lake Campus, Kolkata	Mobile Computing and Communication and Nano-Science
University of Pune, Ganeshkhind Road , Pune	Bio-Chemistry & Bio-Technology
University of Hyderabad, Kukatpally, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh	Interface Studies and Research
Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Mehrauli Road, New Delhi	Genetics, Genomics and Bio-Technology
University of Madras, Chennai, Tamil Nadu	Herbal Science
Madurai Kamaraj University, Nagamalai Puthukottai, Tamil Nadu	Nano Science in Biology
North Eastern Hill University (NEHU), Shillong, Meghalaya	Bio-Sciences and Area Studies
University of Calcutta, Senate House, Calcutta	Modern Biology
University of Mumbai	Green Technology
Osmania University, Hyderabad	Material Research - Social Relevance
Banaras Hindu University Varanasi	Advance Functional Materials Genomics and Proteomics
University of Rajasthan, Jaipur	Materials and Converging Sciences: Nano Particles, Nano-Composites and Multilayers
University of Mysore, Karnataka	Processing Characterisation and Application of Advanced Functional Materials Media and Social Development-A Case Study of Karnataka
Karnatak University, Dharwad	Anti-Tumor Activity: An Integrated Approach
Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar	Material Science

 

UGC’s Financial Assistance for UPE/UoE

In a scenario wherein UPE status is awarded to a university during a phase of the scheme in such a scenario upper ceiling of financial assistance given to such a university will be Rs 75 crore. However, if the university is conferred the status of “University of Excellence (UoE)” then the ceiling of financial assistance will be Rs 150 crore.

UGC further informs that: “50% of the total allocation will be spent on one or two focused area(s) identified by the university and recommended by the Standing Committee and remaining 50% of the amount will be spent on holistic development of the university”.

Where can UPE/UoE Utilise the Financial Assistance

Shortlisted universities need to take the below mentioned aspects into account while using UGC assistance:

1) Strengthening of focused areas where the university has already shown excellence.

2) Promoting collaborative research projects cutting across the disciplines in the focused area(s). No individual projects will be awarded to any faculty member under the Scheme.

3) Encouraging the departments not covered under the focused area(s) to undertake collaborative research project(s) under the holistic development.

Note: In addition to the above, universities may spend the balance amount (available after spending on 1, 2 and 3 above) on academic and physical infrastructure, books and journals, equipments, participation of teachers in academic conferences held within India or abroad, etc.

4) Universities may re-appropriate grant to the tune of 5% of the total allocation after approval of the Advisory Committee. In no case, re-appropriation will be made for more than 5% of the total allocation.

UPE/UoE Tenure

Any university will be awarded UPE/UoE status for a maximum of three phases. Regarding the same UGC informs, “The tenure of one phase of the Scheme will be for a period of five years which will be counted from the date of communication of award of UPE/UoE status and may be extended, on the request of the university with sufficient reasons, by maximum of one year without any additional assistance”.