Delhi leads UGC list of 20 ‘fake universities’ in India

Twenty universities across India have been labelled as fake by the University Grants Commission (UGC), with Delhi having the highest number of such institutions. The list encompasses universities from Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Puducherry, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal.

In a communication to the vice-chancellors of these universities, the UGC stated that they are classified as “fake universities” as they do not meet the criteria of a “university” as defined by Section 2(f) or Section 3 of the UGC Act, 1956. Instead, they are engaged in the unauthorised conferment of degrees or misuse the term “university” in their names to deceive unsuspecting students.

The letter expressed concern over the increasing number of students falling victim to these fraudulent institutions. The vice-chancellors were also instructed to provide a compliance report within 15 days confirming that their institution is not granting any degrees. Failure to respond within the stipulated period may lead to strict action, potentially including legal measures, as warned in the letter.

Among the twenty universities on the list, eight are located in Delhi. These include All India Institute of Public & Physical Health Sciences State Government University in Alipur, Commercial University Ltd. in Darya Ganj, United Nations University, Vocational University, ADR-Centric Juridical University in Rajendra Place, Indian Institute of Science and Engineering, Viswakarma Open University for Self-Employment, and Adhyatmik Vishwavidyalaya in Rohini.

The remaining institutions on the list are Christ New Testament Deemed University in Guntur, Bible Open University of India in Visakhapatnam, Badaganvi Sarkar World Open University Education Society in Belgaum, St. John’s University in Kishanattam, Raja Arabic University in Nagpur, Sree Bodhi Academy of Higher Education in Puducherry, Gandhi Hindi Vidyapith in Allahabad, National University of Electro Complex Homeopathy in Kanpur, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose University in Aligarh, Bhartiya Shiksha Parishad in Lucknow, and Indian Institute of Alternative Medicine and the Institute of Alternative Medicine and Research in West Bengal.