The University Granth Nirman Board (UGNB) is a book publishing institute established by the Government of Gujarat. It was set up to promote the production of textbooks, reference works and academic literature in the Gujarati language for use at the university and higher education level. The Board operates as an autonomous body associated with the Higher and Technical Education Department of the state government.
| Name | University Granth Nirman Board |
|---|---|
| Type | State government publishing body |
| Sector | Academic and educational publishing |
| Parent | Government of Gujarat |
| Region | Gujarat, India |
| Working language | Gujarati |
Background
After the formation of the state of Gujarat in 1960, one of the policy concerns of the state government and its universities was the limited availability of higher education textbooks in Gujarati. Most university-level material in subjects such as the sciences, social sciences, commerce and humanities was available primarily in English. To address this gap, the state set up the University Granth Nirman Board as a dedicated agency to commission, prepare and publish university-level books in Gujarati, and to encourage Gujarati scholars and academics to write original works in their disciplines.
Functions
- Commissioning and publishing university-level textbooks in Gujarati across disciplines including science, technology, humanities, commerce and social sciences.
- Translating standard reference works and academic books from English and other Indian languages into Gujarati.
- Supporting authors, subject experts and translators through honoraria and editorial assistance.
- Producing dictionaries, glossaries of technical terminology and supplementary academic literature in Gujarati.
- Distributing affordable editions of academic books to students, libraries and universities in the state.
Organisation
The Board functions under the administrative oversight of the Higher and Technical Education Department of the Government of Gujarat. Its governing structure typically includes representatives drawn from state universities, academicians, subject specialists and government officials, who guide editorial policy, approve titles and oversee publication programmes.
Significance
The University Granth Nirman Board is one of several state-level initiatives in India aimed at developing higher education resources in regional languages, comparable in objective to bodies in other states that produce university literature in Marathi, Tamil, Kannada and other Indian languages. By making advanced academic content available in Gujarati, the Board has contributed to the medium-of-instruction debate in Indian higher education and supports learners who pursue university studies in their mother tongue. Its catalogue forms a notable part of modern academic publishing in Gujarati.
Related topics
- Government of Gujarat
- Gujarati language
- Higher education in India
- Gujarat State Board of School Textbooks
- Sahitya Akademi
- National Book Trust
References
- Wikidata entry: Q72828448
- Higher and Technical Education Department, Government of Gujarat — official publications and notifications.