Association of Indian Universities (AIU)

The Association of Indian Universities (AIU) is an apex advisory body authorised by the Ministry of Education to evaluate the comparability of foreign degrees and organise youth and sports initiatives in India's higher education sector. AIU has been serving the higher education sector for the past 97 years and currently has around 914 member universities, including 14 international universities. The most notable instances of national luminaries who have worked for AIU in various roles include Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, Dr. Zakir Hussain, and Dr. Syama Prasad Mukherjee. The association has served as the nation's intellectual resource and made a contribution to the government's and its agencies' policy-making processes.

Since 1985, the AIU has been organising the Inter-University Youth Festivals (UNIFESTS) at the zonal and national levels. Nearly 45,000 affiliated colleges and a significant number of young artists from member universities engage in these events. These festivals significantly contribute to the promotion of our youth, the pride in Indian culture, and the growth of youth identity. For organising inter-university youth programmes for the approximately 39 million students enrolled in India's higher education system, AIU is the only nodal organisation in the entire nation. Additionally, this is the only organisation that can conceptualise and implement the aforementioned youth programmes for students at the zonal, national, and global levels. The Asian University Youth Festival (AUFEST), the International Youth Festival, the National Women Student Parliament, the National Moot Court Competition, the National Adventure/Tracking Camp, the National Qawwali Competition, and other events have been organised by the AIU as part of ongoing endeavours. AIU has divided the entire nation into eight zones starting with this session to ensure that Youth Affairs Programmes run more smoothly.