Central universities in India have been established under the Act of Parliament in 1956, and functions under the Department of Higher Education in the Union Human Resource Development Ministry. It is this Ministry that is responsible for the appointments made to the Central Universities, especially the Vice–Chancellors. There are different categories of universities in India and they include the Central universities, the State universities, the Private universities and the Deemed universities. All the universities in India need to be recognized by the University Grants Commission or the UGC to be functional. Though the list of the Top Central Universities in India account for 42 universities, at present only 41 are genuinely functional. A Central University has been established in almost every state in India, but some states have more than one.
All the Central Universities in India offer undergraduate, postgraduate and Research Programs for students in different categories of subjects. Enrollment depends on the course and the subject opted for but in general, the higher secondary certification is the main criteria. The President of India is a “Visitor” to all the Top Central Universities in India. Some of these universities are at par with the international standards and students from these universities have made a name for themselves worldwide.