Educational institutions and study programmes

Below, we explain what types of educational institutions and study programmes there are in India. We also explain how we check whether these are recognised and/or accredited. We check the recognition and accreditation to make sure that the quality is sufficient. We give the necessary information per educational sector.

Students are educated at a school, but take their exams from a board. There are 2 types of boards:

• state boards, for example the board of the state of Punjab;
• central (national) boards.

State boards

India is divided into 28 states. Each state has 1 or more boards. Some states have separate boards for the lower and upper phases of secondary education.

Central boards

There are 3 central boards:

• Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE);
• Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE);
• National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS).

The central boards set somewhat higher standards than the state boards. For this reason, diplomas issued by the central boards – as opposed to the state boards – can sometimes be compared to a VWO diploma.

In secondary education, you should especially pay attention to whether a student has a diploma from a recognised board. We describe the board diplomas on our webpage about Indian primary and secondary education. You should also pay attention to the subjects that the student took. For more information, see Secondary education | study results.

There are different types of higher education institutions in India:

• universities and university level institutions;
• colleges and similar institutions;
• stand-alone institutions.

Universities and university level institutions

Universities and university level institutions are allowed to award degrees, such as bachelors or masters. Types of institutions that fall into this category include:

• central universities;
• state universities;
• open universities (for distance learning);
• private universities;
• deemed universities (institutions with the status of a university);
• Institutes of National Importance;
• institutes under State Legislature Act;
• other institutions which are allowed to award degrees and are established on the basis of a State/Central Act or an Act of Parliament.

Colleges

Colleges and similar institutions offer education that is supervised by a university or university institution. There are 2 types of colleges:

• university colleges/constituent colleges (established by the university or university institution);
• affiliated colleges (affiliated with the university or university institution).

Among other things, the university or university institution determines the content of the study programmes and awards the official degrees. Neither type of college is allowed to do that itself. Colleges gain more independence if they are granted the autonomous status.

Autonomous colleges

Both university/constituent colleges and affiliated colleges can be granted autonomous status. Autonomous colleges have greater independence than colleges without this status, for instance in terms of admission requirements and curricula. The university or university institution can apply for the autonomous status on behalf of colleges with the University Grants Commission (UGC). See the UGC website for the requirements for the autonomous status.

Autonomous colleges do, however, remain affiliated with the university or university institution, which also still awards the diplomas. The difference is that the name of the college also appears on the diploma.

Stand-alone institutions

Stand-alone institutions are independent institutions that are not affiliated with a university or university institution. These can be technical educational institutions, such as polytechnics, teacher training institutes and nursning institutes. Stand-alone institutions are not permitted to award degrees, so students obtain other diplomas from them, such as a Diploma in General Nursing and Midwifery or a Post Graduate Diploma.

After checking if an education institution is recognised, it is important to check if an educational institution is a top institution. The level a diploma can depend on it. By a top institution, we mean a higher education institution that has either:

• the Institute of National Importance status;
• the Institute of Eminence status; or
• the highest NAAC accreditation level

Institutes of National Importance

Institutes of National Importance are institutions known for the high standard of education they provide. They mainly offer research-oriented study programmes. The Indian government can grant this status to institutions. Well-known examples include the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and the National Institutes of Technology (NITs). Admission to these types of institutions is very competitive. In this description, we refer to Institutes of National Importance as top institutions.

Institutes of Eminence

Institutes of Eminence (IoEs) are educational institutions with high quality education. They are supported by the Indian government to become world-class educational and research institutions. IoEs mainly offer research-oriented education. Admission to their study programmes is highly competitive.

The ‘Institute of Eminence’ status has existed since 2017. The UGC can give this status to up to 10 public institutions and 10 private institutions. The status is valid for 5 to 15 years.

NAAC accreditation level

An educational institution can also be a top institution if it has the highest NAAC accreditation level. In recent years, the NAAC has modified its assessment system multiple times. Therefore, a particular accreditation level may have been the highest in one year, but not in another. This information cannot be checked in the database, as it only states the current accreditation levels.

In some cases, you also have to check if an educational institutions is accredited for a specific study programme. You need to check this for:

• technical study programmes;
• distance-learning study programmes (distance education);
• study programmes for a regulated profession.

Technical study programmes

Technical study programmes need to be accredited by AICTE.

Distance-learning study programmes

Distance-learning study programmes must be accredited by the Distance Education Bureau (DEB). Sometimes an institution may only offer certain study programmes via distance learning. It is also possible that an institution may offer all study programmes via distance learning. The accreditation always has a limited period of validity.

Study programmes for a regulated profession

Study programmes for a regulated profession, such as doctor, nurse or teacher, must be accredited by a professional council. Professional councils are organisations that are affiliated to the UGC. Among others, they determine which educational institutions are allowed to offer study programmes for regulated professions.