UGC Approved Central Universities – North India

UGC Approved Central Universities – North India

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Aayushi
Aayushi Madavi
Associate Senior Executive
Updated on Apr 4, 2025 15:55 IST
Out of the many central universities, some popular ones are located in the north of India. Check out this list of the UGC-approved central universities in North India.

 

UGC-Approved Central Universities in North India - There are as many as 56 Central Universities in India. These universities are established under an Act of Parliament. Central universities are directly controlled by the Department of Higher Education, which works under the Union Human Resource Development Ministry. The University Grants Commission (UGC) typically provides all the funding required for the development and maintenance of these universities. Central universities are also commonly known as union universities. While some central universities have built a strong credibility over years of their operations, some central universities are relatively new. In this article, you will find the list of the UGC-Approved Central Universities in North India. Read on to learn more.  

Also Read: UGC Approved Central Universities – West & Central India

Table of content
  • 1. Delhi University (DU), Delhi
  • 2. Jamia Millia Islamia University (JMI), Delhi
  • 3. Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Delhi
  • 5. Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), Delhi
  • 6. South Asian University (SAU), Delhi
  • 7. Central University of Haryana, Haryana
  • 8. Central University of Himachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh
  • 9. Central University of Jammu, Jammu & Kashmir
  • 10. Central University of Kashmir (CUK), Jammu & Kashmir
  • 11. Central University of Punjab (CUPB), Punjab
  • 12. Central University of Rajasthan, Rajasthan
  • 13. Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), Uttar Pradesh
  • 14. Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University (BBAU), Uttar Pradesh
  • 15. Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Uttar Pradesh
  • 16. University of Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh
  • 17. Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University, Uttarakhand
  • 18. Rajiv Gandhi National Aviation University, Uttar Pradesh
  • 19. Rani Lakshmi Bai Central Agricultural University, Uttar Pradesh
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1. Delhi University (DU), Delhi

Delhi University was established in 1922 and is one of the largest central universities in India. Currently, the university has 77 affiliated colleges, 86 academic departments, and 16 faculties.

Some of the departments at DU include:

Applied Social Sciences & Humanities

Law

Arts

Management Studies

Commerce & Business Studies

Mathematical Sciences

Education

Medical Sciences

Interdisciplinary & Applied Sciences

Music & Fine Arts

Open Learning

Science

Social Sciences

Technology

2. Jamia Millia Islamia University (JMI), Delhi

Established in 1920, Jamia Millia Islamia University offers a myriad of programmes in disciplines such as Law, Commerce, Science, BTech, BEd, and Languages. A number of programmes on offer at JMI University. The category-wise number of programmes are mentioned in the table below. 

Q:   Is Allahabad University under CUET?
A:

Yes, Allahabad University accepts CUET-UG scores for admission to its UG courses. These courses include BA, BCom, BSc, BPA, BFA and Integrated BA LLB (Hons). All these courses are offered across multiple specialisations. To be eligible for this exam, all the UG aspirants must have completed their Class 12 with the relevant subjects. The details on the subject combinations required for different courses can be checked on the official website of CUET-UG. 

Q:   Is BSc (Hons) available at DU?
A:

At the undergraduate level, DU offers BSc (Hons) and BSc programmes across 19 and 10 specialisations, respectively, of three years' duration. Offered in both honours and general specialisationshe, the honours courses are more specialised and focus on a particular subject area while the general courses are more broad-based and cover a wider range of subjects, such as BSc (General) or BSc (Pass).

Out of the 90+ affiliated colleges under DU, more than 25 instituites offer BSc or BSc (Hons) courses to the students.  Admission to all these courses was subject to merit in Class 12 till 2021. However, starting 2022, admission for all the undergraduate courses at DU will be based on CUET (conducted by NTA). The most popular specialisations offered under BSc (Hons) at the University of Delhi remain Physics, Chemistry, Maths and Computer Science, among various others. However, the popularity and choice of the course must depend on students' interest and academic background. 

Q:   Is it worth doing an MBA from IGNOU?
A:
There are many universities in India that offer distance MBA programmes to students. Among such universities, IGNOU is one of the most reputed and popular open universities in India. Although, the scope of a distance MBA is lesser as compared to a full-time MBA, IGNOU's MBA is a blessing for those who are unable to pursue a full-time MBA due to financial or some other constraints.

Category of Programmes

Number of Programmes

UG programmes

53

PG programmes

78

PG diploma programmes

11

Advanced diploma programmes

11

Diploma programmes

21

Certificate programmes

20

PhD programmes

47

Total

241

Also Read: CPGET Best Books: Preparation Tips

Existing departments at Jamia Millia Islamia University include:

Department of Adult and Continuing Education and Extension

Department of Civil Engineering

Department of Arabic

Department of Computer Science

Department of Art History & Art Appreciation

Department of Electrical Engineering

Department of Chemistry

Department of Geography

Department of Computer Engineering

Department of History and Culture

Department of Educational Studies

Department of Mechanical Engineering

Department of English

Department of Physics

Department of Hindi

Department of Sculpture

Department of Mathematics

Department of Teacher Training & Non-formal Education

Department of Persian

University Polytechnic

Department of Psychology

Department of Applied Sciences & Humanities

Department of Sociology

Department of Art Education

Department of Urdu

Department of Biotechnology

Department of Applied Art

Department of Commerce and Business Studies

Department of Architecture

Department of Economics

Department of Biosciences

Department of Electronics & Communication Engineering

Department of Graphic Art

Department of Islamic Studies

Department of Painting

Department of Political Science

Department of Social Work

Department of Tourism, Hotel, Hospitality and Heritage Studies

3. Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Delhi

Founded in early 1969, Jawaharlal Nehru University’s campus is spread across 1,000 acres of land in New Delhi. With an aim to offer admission to students from every nook and corner of India, the university conducts the JNU entrance exam simultaneously at 37 test centres across India every year. Some of the major schools and centres at JNU include:

School of Arts & Aesthetics

School of Life Sciences

School of Biotechnology

School of Physical Sciences

School of Computational & Integrative Sciences

School of Social Sciences

School of Computer & Systems Sciences

Centre for the Study of Law & Governance

School of Environmental Sciences

Special Centre for Molecular Medicine

School of International Studies

Special Centre for Nanoscience

School of Language, Literature & Culture Studies

Special Centre for Sanskrit Studies

Also Read: CPGET Best Books: Preparation Tips

5. Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), Delhi

The Indira Gandhi National Open University is the national resource centre for open and distance learning. Established under an Act of Parliament in 1985, the university has under its ambit 21 schools and a network of 67 regional centres, about 2,667 learner support centres, and 29 overseas partner institutions.
The university offers a total of 228 degree, diploma, doctoral, and certificate programmes to students in various disciplines. Given below is the list of 21 schools at IGNOU:

School of Agriculture (SOA)

School of Management Studies (SOMS)

School of Education (SOE)

School of Social Sciences (SOSS)

School of Foreign Languages (SOFL)

School of Translation Studies and Training (SOTST)

School of Humanities (SOH)

School of Continuing Education (SOCE)

School of Law (SOL)

School of Extension and Development Studies (SOEDS)

School of Sciences (SOS)

School of Health Sciences (SOHS)

School of Tourism and Hospitality Service Management (SOTHSM)

School of Journalism and New Media Studies (SOJNMS)

School of Computer and Information Sciences (SOCIS)

School of Performing and Visual Arts (SOPVA)

School of Engineering & Technology (SOET)

School of Social Work (SOSW)

School of Gender and Development Studies (SOGDS)

School of Vocational Education and Training (SOVET)

School of Inter-Disciplinary and Trans-Disciplinary Studies (SOITS)

-

6. South Asian University (SAU), Delhi

South Asian University is an international university established by the governments of eight countries of the South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation (SAARC) in 2010. These countries include Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.

Q:   Is JNU MCA entrance tough?
A:

JNU MCA admission is based on a valid Central University Entrance Test (Postgraduate) CUET-PG score. CUET PG is an all-India-level entrance exam conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA). According to test-takers, the General Test was easy and the Domain Knowledge section was moderate to tough. Although the questions were on the expected lines and within the CUET PG syllabus but according to some students, a few questions were out of the syllabus and tricky. So, the JNU MCA entrance is not very tough but can be tricky. 

Q:   Is it good to pursue BA from BHU?
A:

Banaras Hindu University (BHU) is one of the top-ranking universities in the country. In the NIRF rankings in 2023, BHU is ranked in fifth position under the "university" category. Moreover, as per the university NIRF report 2023, 480 UG (three-year) students were placed out of 3,564. The median package given to the placed candidates stood at INR 8 LPA. This was also the highest median package offered in the last three years. For more information on placements at BHU,  click here.

The university offers postgraduate and doctoral programmes to students in different disciplines. The degrees and certificates granted by SAU are recognised by both UGC as well as SAARC countries. Currently, SAU has four departments offering different courses to students:

Department of Computer Science

Department of International Relations

Department of Sociology

Department of Mathematics

The two other Central Universities located in Delhi are the Central Sanskrit University, New Delhi and Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri National Sanskrit University.

7. Central University of Haryana, Haryana

Central University of Haryana is one of the 15 central universities in India established by the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) under the XI Five-Year Plan (2007-12).

The university campus is spread across 488 acres of land in the Mahendergarh district of Haryana. The university’s schools offering different courses to students are as mentioned in the table below:

School of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences

School of Earth, Environment & Space Studies

School of Language, Linguistics, Culture & Heritage

School of Journalism, Mass Communication & Media

School of Chemical Sciences

School of Interdisciplinary & Applied Life Sciences

School of Computer Science & Informatics

School of Law, Governance, Public Policy & Management

School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences

-

8. Central University of Himachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh

The Central University of Himachal Pradesh was established under the Central Universities Act 2009. The university was established with the vision of being recognised as a ‘Research University’ with greater emphasis on the creation of knowledge vis-à-vis the revival of Indian Traditional Knowledge and Practices. 

Currently, the university has 11 schools (mentioned in the table below) offering PG courses to students in disciplines such as Science, Mathematics, and Management.

Business & Management Studies

Life Sciences

Earth & Environmental Sciences

Mathematics, Computers & Information Sciences

Education

Physical & Material Sciences

Fine Arts & Art Education

Social Sciences

Humanities & Languages

Tourism, Travel and Hospitality Management

Journalism, Mass Communication & New Media

-

It may be noted that in the coming few years the university is contemplating to have 17 schools with about 90 departments and 50 centres of studies.

9. Central University of Jammu, Jammu & Kashmir

Central University of Jammu came into existence in 2011 and offers PG and integrated PhD programmes to students. The university has a total of 13 approved schools and 81 approved departments under its ambit. However, currently only eight schools are functioning in the university.

Given below is the list of 13 approved schools at Central University of Jammu with their operational status:

School

Status

School of Business Studies

Operational

School of Knowledge Management, Information and Media Studies

Operational

School of Basic and Applied Sciences

Operational

School of Education

Operational

School of Humanities and Social Sciences

Operational

School of Languages

Operational

School of Law

Non-Operational

School of Visual and Performing Arts

Non-Operational

School of Medical and Allied Sciences

Non-Operational

School of Engineering Sciences and Technology

Non-Operational

School of Life Sciences

Operational

School of National Security Studies

Operational

School of Vocational Studies

Non-Operational

10. Central University of Kashmir (CUK), Jammu & Kashmir

Formerly known as Central University of Jammu and Kashmir, Central University of Kashmir was established in 2009. The university has a total of nine schools offering undergraduate and postgraduate courses to students in various disciplines. The nine schools include:

School of Engineering & Technology

School of Physical & Chemical Sciences

School of Education

School of Business Studies

School of Languages

School of Legal Studies

School of Social Sciences

School of Media Studies

School of Life Sciences

-

11. Central University of Punjab (CUPB), Punjab

Central University of Punjab came into existence in 2009 along with 12 other central universities in India. The university offers PG, MPhil, and PhD courses to students in disciplines including Science, Technology, Humanities, Law, and Social Science.

Currently, CUPB has 19 centres spread over nine schools. The schools include:

School of Basic and Applied Sciences

School of Legal Studies and Governance

School of Health Sciences

School of Environment and Earth Sciences

School of Education

School of Social Sciences

School of Languages, Literature and Culture

School of Global Relations

School of Engineering & Technology

-

12. Central University of Rajasthan, Rajasthan

Central University of Rajasthan was set up in 2009 and is located at Bandra Sindri near Kishangarh on Jaipur–Ajmer Road (NH-8). The university offers courses such as Architecture, Chemical Science, Environmental Science, Biotechnology, Mathematics, and Physics under the following schools:

School of Architecture

School of Life Sciences

School of Chemical Sciences and Pharmacy

School of Humanities & Languages

School of Commerce & Management

School of Mathematics, Statistics & Computational Sciences

School of Engineering and Technology

School of Social Science

School of Earth Sciences

School of Physical Sciences

13. Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), Uttar Pradesh

Founded in 1920, Aligarh Muslim University is one of the oldest central universities in India. Its campus is spread over 467.6 hectares of land in the city of Aligarh and offers over 300 courses in traditional and modern streams of education.

The university has about 12 faculties consisting of 98 teaching departments, 15 centres and institutions, and three academies. Some of the departments at AMU include:

Applied Chemistry

Law

Applied Mathematics

Linguistics

Applied Physics

Mass Communication

Architecture

Mathematics

Biochemistry (Life Sciences)

Mechanical Engineering

Biochemistry (JNMC)

Medicine

Cardiothoracic Surgery

Microbiology

Chemical Engineering

Modern Indian Languages

Civil Engineering

Petroleum Studies

Computer Engineering

Physics

Computer Science

Sanskrit

Economics

South African and Brazilian Studies

Education

South Asia and Indian Ocean Region Studies

Electrical Engineering

Statistics & Operations Research

English

Surgery

Geography

Urdu

Hindi

West Asian Studies and North African Studies

History

Wildlife Sciences

Islamic Studies

Zoology

14. Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University (BBAU), Uttar Pradesh

Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University was established in 1996. Named after Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar, the university campus is situated on 250 acres of land on the Raebareli road, Lucknow. The BBAU schools offering different courses to students are as mentioned in the table below:

School for Ambedkar Studies

School for Legal Studies

School for Bio-Science Bio-Technology

School for Management Studies

School for Environmental Science

School for Physical Sciences

School for Education

Department of Hindi

School for Home Sciences

University Institute of Engineering and Technology (UIET) 

School for Info. Science Technology

Centre for Industry Institution Partnership Programme (CIIPP)

15. Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Uttar Pradesh

Banaras Hindu University was founded in 1916 by the nationalist leader Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya, along with the cooperation of personalities such as Dr. Annie Besant. The university is located in the city of Varanasi, and its campus is spread across 1,300 acres of land.

The university has a total of three institutes, 140 departments, 14 faculties, and four inter-disciplinary centres offering various UG, PG, and PhD courses to students in the fields of Science, Technology, Medicine, Humanities, Social Science, Fine Arts, and Performing Arts.

Different institutes at BHU include:

Science

Management Studies

Medical Sciences

Environmental & Sustainable Development

Agricultural Sciences

Indian Institute of Technology

Some major faculties at BHU include:

Arts

Performing Arts

Commerce

Social Sciences

Education

Sanskrit Vidya Dharma Vijnam

Law

Visual Arts

16. University of Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh

University of Allahabad was established in 1887. Currently, the university comprises four faculties, 31 departments, 12 institutes, and eight constituent institutes. The 12 institutes of the university are mentioned below:

Institutes of Interdisciplinary Studies

Centre of Globalization and Development Studies

Centre of Bio-Technology

M N Saha Centre of Space Studies

Centre of Bio-Informatics

K Banerjee Centre of Atmospheric & Ocean Sciences

Centre for Film & Theatre

Centre of Materials Science

Centre for Gandhian Thoughts

Centre of Environmental Sciences

Centre for Women’s Studies

Nano Technology Application Centre

17. Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University, Uttarakhand

Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University initially came into existence as a state university in 1973. However, the university was upgraded to the status of a central university under the Central Universities Act 2009.

The university has a total of three campuses located in regions like Srinagar, Pauri, and Tehri. All three university campuses offer UG, PG, and PhD programmes to students in different disciplines. Schools of studies at Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University are mentioned in the table below:

School of Agriculture & Allied Sciences

School of Arts, Communication & Languages

School of Sciences

School of Humanities & Social Sciences

School of Commerce

School of Law

School of Earth Science

School of Life Sciences

School of Education

School of Management

School of Engineering & Technology

-

 

18. Rajiv Gandhi National Aviation University, Uttar Pradesh

RGNAU or Rajiv Gandhi National Aviation University is an autonomous central university located at Fursatganj Airfield in Uttar Pradesh, India. The university is popular for aviation studies and research. The university is constituted by an Act of Parliament in 2013 and is under the administration of the Ministry of Civil Aviation of the Government of India. Meanwhile, the university was physically established in 2018. 

Post Graduate Diploma in Airport Operations

19. Rani Lakshmi Bai Central Agricultural University, Uttar Pradesh

One of the popular central universities, Rani Lakshmi Bai Central Agricultural University, is located in Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh. Established by the government of India through the Rani Lakshmi Bai Central Agricultural University Act, 2014. The first academic session of the university commenced in July 2014. 

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About the Author
author-image
Aayushi Madavi
Associate Senior Executive

Aayushi is a BAJMC graduate and an ardent consumer of content with a keen passion for film, TV and books. She specialises in Mass Communication and Humanities related exams, entrances and courses.