A deemed university or deemed-to-be-university is an accreditation granted to higher educational institutions in India by the Department of Higher Education under the Ministry of Education. To quote the Ministry of Education, "An Institution of Higher Education, other than universities, working at a very high standard in specific area of study, can be declared by the Central Government on the advice of the University Grants Commission (UGC), as an Institution 'Deemed-to-be-university'. Institutions that are 'deemed-to-be-university' enjoy the academic status and privileges of a university."