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Universities are regarded as the apex of the education system. They provide various programmes and disciplines for students and allow them to gain skills and build their future. In this blog post, we shall discover the necessary licenses required to start a university in India.
Opening a university for the purpose of educating students is a noble cause. It helps the youth to build their future and excel in their career. You can educate the underprivileged students by offering them discounts on courses your university offers.
You can also set up a placement cell that can help students get jobs at famous companies once they graduate. Overall, by starting a university, you can contribute to the development of the nation. If you want to do good for society, establishing a university is a great way to do it.
To open a university in India, you require various licenses, certifications and approvals. We have discussed some of them below:
A university is usually established as a non-profit organization in India. This is because a university’s purpose is to educate students rather than profit generation. You must register your university from the available business structure options: (i) Society, (ii) Trust, or (iii) Section 8 Company.
To register a trust, you must file an application with the Registrar of Trusts in accordance with Indian Trusts Act 1882. If you want to register your university as a society, you must file an application with the Registrar of Societies in accordance with Societies Registration Act 1860.
If you want to choose section 8 company model to establish your university, you must file an application with the Registrar of Companies as per the provisions of the Companies Act 2013.
Another crucial requirement for a university is securing approval from the University Grants Commission (UGC). The purpose of this approval is to ensure that your university offers quality education to the students.
To get UGC recognition, you need to file an application for your entity with UGC. After UGC receives the application, your entity will undergo an inspection by a UGC-designed expert panel. Only after the panel is satisfied with the vision of management, infrastructure, faculty, staff, policies, curriculum, etc., the university gets recommended for the recognition.
If the panel isn’t satisfied, then it’ll reject the application right away or give your institute time to fulfill all the compliance requirements. To check the UGC recognition status and detailed report by inspection panel, you can visit the official UGC website.
Another requirement to start a university is an affidavit of site plan. This affidavit must state the details of the university building’s site plan. It must be filed with the Municipal Corporation of the respective state or union territory, and must align with the Bye-Laws for Buildings in that state or union territory.
The bye-laws must cover parameters related to construction such as height, coverage and design parameters. After the Municipal gives approval for the plan, no violation must be made against the plan.
Every university needs to provide water that is safe for consumption. It is a basic necessity. Therefore, it is essential to obtain a water testing report for your university. This report shows the results of a water quality analysis. It ensures that the water provided by the university is void of harmful substances and can be consumed and used by students safely.
The water board/department of the state or union territory is responsible for issuing the water testing report. For instance, in Delhi, the Delhi Jal Board issues the water testing report.
If you want to set up a food canteen in your university, you must obtain a FSSAI license. This license, issued by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), is mandatory for all food businesses in India.
Interestingly, there are different types of FSSAI licenses. The exact FSSAI license required to operate a canteen at university depends on the business annual turnover. If the annual turnover is less than Rs. 12 lakh, then FSSAI basic license is mandatory.
However, if the annual turnover is between Rs. 12 lakh to Rs. 20 crore, then FSSAI state license is required. If the yearly turnover is more than Rs. 20 crore, then FSSAI central license is necessary. For the basic FSSAI license, you need to file an application using Form A. However, for the state or central license, you need to file an application using Form B.
For higher education institutions, including universities, NAAC accreditation is a must. It is granted by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), which is an autonomous body under the University Grants Commission.
The NAAC accreditation is especially important for universities that want to receive funding or grants from the University Grants Commission. Additionally, it is also essential for institutional recognition, affiliations and students who want to get good jobs after the end of their course.
You will require specific approvals from different regulatory bodies depending on the courses you want to offer at your university. For offering law courses, you must get approval from the Bar Council of India.
If you want to offer technical courses, you will need to get approval from All India Council for Technical Education. In case you want to offer medical courses at your university, you will have to obtain the National Medical Commission’s approval.
To get approval, make sure you fulfill the necessary requirements like qualified faculty members, proper infrastructure and labs, detailed curriculum plans and compliance with the minimum standards and norms set forth by the respective regulatory body.
To start a university, you require various approvals from concerned authorities. To begin the process of establishing a university, you need to register your entity with the Registrar of Trusts/Societies/Companies under the applicable laws. You must also obtain UGC approval, water testing report, FSSAI license, etc. For assistance in opening a university in India, you can connect with Registrationwala’s experts!
Q1. Which authority’s approval is required to offer LLB and LLM courses at a university?
A. The Bar Council of India’s approval is required to offer LLB and LLM courses at a university.
Q2. Which authority’s approval is required to start an MBBS course at a university?
A. The National Medical Commission’s approval is required to start an MBBS course at a university.
Q3. Why does a university need to secure a water testing report?
A. To ensure the water is safe for consumption and use.
Q4. Can a university be registered as a trust?
A. Yes, a university can be registered as a trust under Indian Trusts Act 1882. For this, a trust registration application needs to be filed with the Registrar of Trusts.
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