UGC Flags 54 Private Universities as Defaulters, IIT Kanpur SIIC Hits 500 Startups, DAAD Scholarships & AICTE PhD Reforms

Oct 1, 2025

54 Private Universities Default, IIT 500 Startups, DAAD & PhD Reforms

Published: Wednesday, October 1, 2025

UGC Flags 54 State Private Universities as Defaulters

The University Grants Commission has declared 54 state private universities as defaulters for failing to submit mandatory information under Section 13 of the UGC Act, 1956, and not making required public disclosures on their websites. Madhya Pradesh leads with 10 defaulter institutions, followed by Gujarat (8), Sikkim (5), and Uttarakhand (4).

Compliance Requirements and Transparency Mandates

According to UGC Secretary Manish Joshi, universities were directed to submit detailed information for inspection purposes along with supporting documents duly attested by the registrar. They were also required to upload completed formats and appendices on their websites with home page links to ensure accessibility for students and the general public.

The guidelines on public self-disclosure mandate that higher education institutions maintain functional websites for stakeholder information sharing. The disclosed information should be easily accessible without registration or login requirements, with search facilities for easy navigation.

Regulatory Tightening and Enforcement Actions

UGC has intensified monitoring of private universities in recent months. In July, it warned 23 institutions for not appointing ombudspersons. The commission has circulated the defaulter list and warned universities to take immediate corrective steps, with further action possible if instructions continue to be ignored.

This enforcement reflects broader regulatory efforts to ensure transparency and accountability in private higher education, particularly regarding public information disclosure that affects student decision-making and institutional credibility.

IIT Kanpur SIIC Achieves Historic 500+ Start-up Milestone

The Start-up Incubation and Innovation Centre at IIT Kanpur has become one of the first IIT-led incubators to incubate over 500 start-ups since its establishment in 2000 in collaboration with SIDBI. The incubated start-ups have collectively achieved a valuation of approximately ₹12,000 crore through fundraising.

Comprehensive Impact Across Sectors and Demographics

SIIC has supported more than 150 women-led companies, with the top 253 start-ups creating over 10,800 skilled and unskilled jobs across 22 states in India. The incubator supports ventures across diverse sectors including MedTech, aggrotech, defence, aerospace, artificial intelligence, fintech, clean technology, and social tech.

Notable success stories include Offgrid Energy Labs, which secured $15 million in Series A funding to advance its zinc-bromine-based battery system, and Primary Healthtech, expanding its IoT-enabled Mobilab device for point-of-care diagnostics. Other start-ups like Lifeandlimb.ai and AgrowSure represented India at the Commonwealth Start-up Fellowship in the UK.

Strategic Partnerships and National Alignment

In 2025, SIIC partnered with US-based accelerator NMexus to expand international access and regulatory support for incubated ventures. The centre's work aligns with national programs including Make in India, Vocal for Local, and Aatmanirbhar Bharat, contributing to economic development and technology-led solutions addressing societal needs.

SIIC offers comprehensive infrastructure, mentorship, and partnerships with government and industry to support innovation-driven start-ups, enabling ventures to scale from prototype to market-ready solutions while supporting India's broader innovation and self-reliance agenda.

DAAD Opens Fully-Funded German Postgraduate Scholarships for 2026

The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) has invited international students to apply for the DAAD International Postgraduate Scholarship 2026, one of Germany's most prestigious opportunities supporting foreign students in higher education. The program is fully funded and open to candidates pursuing master's degrees, MPhil, or short postgraduate courses at recognized German universities.

Comprehensive Financial Support and Coverage

The scholarship provides extensive financial support including a monthly stipend of €934, travel allowance covering round-trip airfare, health and accident insurance, study and research subsidy, monthly rent subsidy where applicable, family allowance for spouses or children, and optional German language courses for two, four, or six months.

The program covers studies in visual communication and film, fine art, architecture, design, and music, with duration varying between 12-24 months depending on the chosen field and university. Recent graduates and students awaiting results are eligible to apply, broadening access to this opportunity.

Application Requirements and Critical Deadlines

Application deadlines fall on September 24, September 25, and November 10, 2025, providing flexibility for students. Required documents include bachelor's degree certificate and transcripts, curriculum vitae, motivation letter, two recommendation letters, English proficiency proof (IELTS/TOEFL), passport copy, and portfolio (mandatory for Art, Design, and Music applicants).

The scholarship ensures comprehensive coverage allowing students to focus solely on their studies at Germany's top institutions while providing exposure to European research and academic environments.

AICTE Introduces Revolutionary PhD Guidelines Eliminating Interviews

The All India Council for Technical Education has introduced its first comprehensive guidelines for PhD and DSc programs covering engineering, technology, management, and design. The reforms aim to standardize admission, research, and evaluation practices across AICTE-regulated institutions, with guidelines currently awaiting central government approval.

Elimination of Interview-Based Admissions

The most significant change removes interviews entirely from PhD admissions. Previously, institutions used a 70:30 ratio with written exams (70%) and interviews (30%). Under new guidelines, admissions will be based entirely on written assessments—70% weightage for institutional entrance exams and 30% for national-level qualifying exams like GATE or NET.

The committee justified this change as reducing bias and ensuring transparency, though some academics argue that removing interviews may limit assessment of qualitative factors such as research alignment, communication skills, and long-term engagement potential.

Mandatory Publications and Research Requirements

Reversing UGC's 2022 decision, AICTE has made research publications mandatory for all doctoral candidates. For thesis submission eligibility, scholars must publish two Scopus-indexed journal papers (excluding review articles) and one peer-reviewed conference paper, with candidates listed as both first and corresponding author.

The guidelines allow early thesis submission up to six months before minimum duration for scholars meeting specific criteria including two Q1 Scopus-indexed journal publications, one peer-reviewed conference paper, and demonstrated significant research contributions.

AI Declaration Requirements and DSc Criteria

Acknowledging increasing AI tool usage in academic writing, AICTE requires scholars to declare any AI use in research submissions with supervisor certification of ethical and original application. For the first time, AICTE has issued formal guidelines for Doctor of Science (DSc) degrees requiring PhD holders with 20 years experience including 10 as professor, plus stringent research benchmarks including 25 published papers, specific h-index requirements, and supervision of 15 awarded PhDs.