LUCKNOW: Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University (BBAU), Lucknow, was graded as a category-1 university by the University Grants Commission (UGC) on Monday. This status grants BBAU additional academic and administrative autonomy, allowing the university to design its own curriculum, initiate online distance learning courses, appoint foreign faculty, and engage in academic collaborations without requiring UGC approval.
Vice-chancellor Sanjay Singh said, “This achievement reflects the collective effort of the entire university community. As a category-1 university, BBAU aims to explore new frontiers in academia and other domains in the future. This milestone will undoubtedly have a positive impact on university activities, as we are now free to introduce new courses, programmes, departments, schools, and centres.”
BBAU achieved a remarkable score of 3.72 on a scale of 4. Additionally, the university secured the 42nd position in NIRF ranking, the 204th position in South Asia ranking, and a 3.5-star rating from the Institution Innovation Counselling, he said.
Category-1 universities are ranked by the UGC based on their NAAC score, which should be higher than 3.51. BBAU’s score of 3.72 is currently the highest among Central Universities. Universities under category-1 can initiate courses aligned with the National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF) just by informing the commission.
Singh further added that the university has the authority to establish off-campus centres and units within its geographical jurisdiction without UGC approval. Moreover, it can set fees for foreign students without restrictions, engage in academic collaborations with foreign educational institutions (as per Regulations 2016, without UGC approval), and conduct Open and Distance Learning (ODL) and Online Learning (OL) without UGC approval.
{{/usCountry}}Singh further added that the university has the authority to establish off-campus centres and units within its geographical jurisdiction without UGC approval. Moreover, it can set fees for foreign students without restrictions, engage in academic collaborations with foreign educational institutions (as per Regulations 2016, without UGC approval), and conduct Open and Distance Learning (ODL) and Online Learning (OL) without UGC approval.
{{/usCountry}}With these provisions, BBAU aims to expand its educational resources, ensuring the provision of top-quality education and infrastructure development to meet the needs of students effectively.
Lucknow University received this recognition in November 2023, and Chhatrapati Shahuji Maharaj University, Kanpur, achieved this distinction in March of this year. The UGC grants different categories to universities based on their national and international performance in accreditation and QS rankings.