Chaudhary Charan Singh University

Chaudhary Charan Singh University in Meerut, established in 1965 and later renamed after the former Prime Minister, is the big affiliating state university of western Uttar Pradesh, with hundreds of colleges across the region examining and graduating under its name. It holds an A+ grade from NAAC — strong for a large affiliating university — and its own campus runs postgraduate and professional departments, with the arts a substantial part of the teaching base. Fees are at low state levels, and Meerut is an affordable city with rapid transit links to Delhi now improving its connectivity markedly. The usual caveat applies: quality varies enormously between the main campus and the affiliated colleges, so applicants should be precise about where a programme is taught. It suits students from western UP seeking an inexpensive, recognised public-university degree near home.