An institution established by an Act of Parliament and funded by the Government of India, which includes all the IITs, NITs and AIIMS, is called

Bodies set up by a parliamentary act and centrally funded, covering all IITs, NITs and AIIMS, are Institutions of National Importance.

A deemed university is an institution granted university status, a different category.

A meta university is a collaborative arrangement pooling the resources of several institutions.

A central university, though centrally funded, is a distinct statutory type from these technical and medical institutes.

The status marks institutions seen as pivotal for skilled-personnel development.

Parliament confers this status through specific legislation.