1823: Elphinstone's Minutes: The then Governor of Bombay Presidency, Mountstuart Elphinstone, a Scottish statesman and historian, emphasised the need for English and European sciences education in India.
1835: Macaulay's Minutes: Lord T B Macaulay, English historian, peer, politician, and poet, advocated for making Indians "thoroughly good English scholars".
1854: Wood's Dispatch: Sir Charles Wood's dispatch, known as Magna Carta of English Education in India, recommended a comprehensive education scheme from primary schools to universities.
1857: Establishment of Universities: The universities of Calcutta, Bombay (now Mumbai), and Madras were set up.
1887: University of Allahabad was established.
1925: The Inter-University Board (now Association of Indian Universities) was formed to promote university activities.
1944: Sargent report recommended a national system of education and the formation of a University Grants Committee.
1948: University Education Commission, chaired by Dr S Radhakrishnan, suggested improvements to Indian university education.
1952: Union government decided that all cases pertaining to allocation of grants-in-aid from public funds to the Central universities and other universities and institutions of higher learning might be referred to the University Grants Commission.
1953: Establishment of UGC: The University Grants Commission was formally inaugurated on December 28 by Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, the then Minister of Education.
1956: UGC Act: The UGC was formally established as a statutory body through an Act of Parliament to coordinate and maintain university education standards in India Mandate.
What are the functions of UGC ?
* Promoting and coordinating university education.
* Determining and maintaining standards of teaching, examination and research in universities.
* Framing regulations on minimum standards of education.
* Monitoring developments in the field of collegiate and university education; disbursing grants to universities and colleges.
* Serving as a vital link between the Union and state governments and institutions of higher learning.
* Advising Central and state governments on the measures necessary for improvement of university education .