UGC warns about fraudulent calls by individuals demanding money for proposal approvals

The University Grants Commission has cautioned about fraudulent claims and calls by individuals posing as UGC officials demanding money from the public in return for approval of proposals. The commission has asked the public to report such incidents to the police and inform the commission's vigilance officer immediately.

The warning came after the commission noticed that “certain unscrupulous individuals are fraudulently demanding money from the public, falsely claiming to represent UGC officials and offering approval of proposals in return.”

Clarifying that all its official work is carried out strictly in accordance with the applicable rules and regulations, the commission said that it does not authorize any individual or agency to solicit money or offer approvals on its behalf.

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“The public, stakeholders are advised to remain vigilant and not to fall victim to such fraudulent claims or calls,” the commission warned.

UGC further said that if anyone encounters any such incident or suspicious activity, they should report it immediately to your nearest police station and also inform the chief vigilance officer, UGC at their phone number and secy.ugc@nic.in.

Recently, UGC cautioned students against degrees offered through ‘unrecognised’ collaborations between Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) or colleges and foreign-based educational institutions.