Kumar, a former IIT professor took charge as the JNU VC in January this year.
"The government has appointed M Jagadesh Kumar, Vice Chancellor, Jawaharlal Nehru University as a Member of UGC," an official statement said.
Kumar, a Padma Shree awardee, said, "research and innovation are the backbone of any developed society. One way to motivate students to get interested in Science is to expose them to research at an early stage in their education. Universities should play a proactive role in strengthening their research programs.