<P> UGC is modelled after University Grants Committee of UK which was an advisory committee of the British government and advised on the distribution of grant funding amongst the British universities . The committee was in existence from 1919 until 1989 . </P> <P> The UGC was first formed in 1945 to oversee the work of the three Central Universities of Aligarh, Banaras and Delhi . Its responsibility was extended in 1947 to cover all Indian universities . </P> <P> In August 1949 a recommendation was made to reconstitute the UGC along similar lines to the University Grants Committee of the United kingdom . This recommendation was made by the University Education Commission of 1948 - 1949 which was set up under the chairmanship of S. Radhakrishnan "to report on Indian university education and suggest improvements and extensions". In 1952 the government decided that all grants to universities and higher learning institutions should be handled by the UGC . Subsequently, an inauguration was held on 28 December 1953 by Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, the Minister of Education, Natural Resources and Scientific Research . </P> <P> In November 1956 the UGC became a statutory body upon the passing of the "University Grants Commission Act, 1956" by the Indian Parliament . </P>

Who gave the recommendation for setting up of university grant commission