UGC warns students against fake universities conferring degrees

NEW DELHI: The University Grants Commission (UGC) has announced 20 universities as fake and has warned students agaisnt taking admissions to them. Announcing the fake universities, UGC said that these institutions do not have any power to confer degrees. The fake institutions were functioning against the University Grants Commission Act, 1956.

According to reports, most of the fake universities are from Delhi followed by four from Uttar Pradesh. The fake universities from Delhi are All India Institute of Public and Physical Health Sciences; Commercial University Ltd, Daryaganj; United Nations University; Vocational University; ADR-Centric Juridical University; Indian Institution of Science and Engineering; Viswakarma Open University for Self-Employment; and Adhyatmik Vishwavidyalaya (Spiritual University).

Gandhi Hindi Vidyapith; National University of Electro Complex Homeopathy; Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose University (Open university); and Bhartiya Shiksha Parishad are the fake universities from UP.

Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal have two such universities each. These are Christ New Testament Deemed University and Bible Open University of India in Andhra Pradesh, and Indian Institute of Alternative Medicine and Institute of Alternative Medicine and Research in West Bengal. Badaganvi Sarkar World Open University Education Society (Karnataka), St John's University (Kerala), Raja Arabic University (Maharashtra) and Sree Bodhi Academy of Higher Education (Puducherry) are also on the list.

Also Read | UGC makes NET, SET, SLET mandatory for direct recruitment of assistant professors in universities, colleges

As per the UGC statement, universities can confer degrees only if the university is established under a central, state or provincial Act or by an institution empowered to grant degrees.

Students and parents have been advised to look out for fake institutions before applying for higher education, as it has been notified to UGC that several institutions are offering degrees that are in contravention with the provisions of the UGC Act.

The statement also mentions that the degrees awarded by such universities “shall neither be recognised nor valid for higher education and employment purposes”.

Instructing the public to bring to the notice of UGC, if any university or institution is found to be offering fake degrees, the commission said that they can also send an email to ugcampc@gmail.com so that appropriate action can be taken against them.

(With inputs from PTI)