The University Grants Commission (UGC), on Monday has declared 24 higher educational institutes fake while 2 more were found to be violating the UGC norms. These institutes have no power to confer degrees to the students as they were functioning against the UGC Act. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said that after receiving various complaints from parents, students as well as the general public, UGC has decided to declare these self-styled institutes fake.
Out of the 24 fake universities, Uttar Pradesh holds the highest, i.e. 8 of them.
1. Varanaseya Sanskrit Vishwavidyalaya, Varanasi
2. Mahila Gram Vidyapith, Allahabad
3. Gandhi Hindi Vidyapith, Allahabad
4. National University of Electro Complex Homeopathy, Kanpur
5. Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Open University, Aligarh
6. Uttar Pradesh Vishwavidyalaya, Mathura
7. Maharana Pratap Shiksha Niketan Vishwavidyalaya, Pratapgarh
8. Indraprastha Shiksha Parishad, Noida.
Similarly, Delhi holds the second-highest, i.e. 7 fake universities.
9. Commercial University Ltd
10. United Nations University
11. Vocational University
12. ADR Centric Juridical University
13. Indian Institution of Science and Engineering
14. Vishwakarma Open University for Self Employment
15. Adhyatmik Vishwavidyalaya (Spiritual University)
Likewise, 2 universities from West Bengal were declared fake.
16. Indian Institute of Alternative Medicine, Kolkata
17. Institute of Alternative Medicine and Research, Kolkata
Odisha also has 2 such fake universities.
18. Nababharat Shiksha Parishad, Rourkela
19. North Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology
It is recorded that there is 1 fake university each from Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Puducherry and Maharashtra.
20. Sree Bodhi Academy of Higher Education, Puducherry
21. Christ New Testament Deemed University, Andhra Pradesh
22. Raja Arabic University, Nagpur
23. St John’s University, Kerala
24. Badaganvi Sarkar World Open University Education Society, Karnataka
Mr Pradhan also added that besides the 24 fake universities, there are 2 institutes that were found violating the UGC Act of 1956. Those institutes are:
1. Bhartiya Shiksha Parishad, Lucknow, UP
2. Indian Institute of Planning and Management (IIPM), Qutub Enclave, New Delhi
However, the matter regarding these two institutes are sub judice in the court. As a necessary step taken against these unrecognized universities, the Commission issued public notices in the English and Hindi national newspapers. UGC also wrote letters to the chief secretaries of the states, the education secretaries as well as the principal secretaries to take necessary action against the universities that are located under their jurisdiction. Further, show cause and warning notices are also issued to such institutes in case they are found to violate the UGC 1956 Act to award invalid degrees to the students.
