The University Grant Commission (UGC) has conferred the 'Deemed to be University' status upon the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) and its five regional centers. IIMC New Delhi and its five regional campuses—in Jammu, Amravati, Aizawl, Mizoram, Kottayam, Kerala, and Dhenkanal, Odisha—as well as IIMC New Delhi are included in this status.
Expressing gratitude on social media
Taking to the digital realm, IIMC expressed its gratitude in a tweet, stating, "A big thank you to the UGC for declaring Indian Institute of Mass Communication, New Delhi and its five regional centers as a Deemed to be University under a distinct category. IIMC is committed to giving its best to promote education, training, and research in mass communication."
Screengrab of the tweet | IIMC/X
The 'Deemed to be University' status is a desired recognition bestowed upon institutions of higher education that, while not universities themselves, exhibit exceptional standards in specific areas of study. Acting on the advice of the UGC, the Central Government has the authority to grant this status, endowing such institutions with academic standing and privileges akin to traditional universities.
New regulations and distinct institutions
This announcement follows the release of the UGC (Institutions Deemed to be Universities) Regulations, 2023 by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan in June 2023.
The UGC Act of 1956 provides the Central Government with the authority to declare any institution, excluding universities, as a 'Deemed to be University.' The regulations governing this status underwent their first iteration in 2010, with subsequent revisions in 2016 and 2019.
