Central universities in India are public universities established by an Act of Parliament and are under the purview of the Department of Higher Education in the Ministry of Education,[1] except for nine universities which are under the purview of other ministries.[2] In general, universities in India are recognised by the University Grants Commission (UGC), which draws its power from the University Grants Commission Act, 1956.[3] In addition, 15 Professional Councils are established, controlling different aspects of accreditation and coordination.[4] Central universities, in addition, are covered by the Central Universities Act, 2009, which regulates their purpose, powers, governance etc., and established 12 new universities.[5] As of June 2023,[update] the list of central universities published by the UGC includes 56 central universities.[2]