140 private universities set up in India in last 5 years: Ministry of Education

A total of 140 private universities have been established across the country over the last five years, with Gujarat leading in the count, followed by Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, according to statistics from the Ministry of Education.

Data accessed by PTI reveals that Gujarat saw the establishment of 28 private universities, followed by Maharashtra with 15,



Madhya Pradesh with 14, and Karnataka with 10 during this period.

A senior education ministry official clarified the process of establishing private universities, emphasising that they must adhere to UGC norms, and no major violations have been reported so far. The highest number of private universities, 40, were established in the 2018-19 academic session.