India: Names of 24 fake universities released by UGC

New Delhi: After complaints by students, parents, and the general public, the Ministry of Education said on Monday that the higher education regulatory body, University Grants Commission (UGC), has declared 24 "self-styled" institutes fake and has found two more in violation of norms.

Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan made the statement in response to a written question in Lok Sabha.

"Besides, two more institutes namely Bhartiya Shiksha Parishad, Lucknow, UP and Indian Institute of Planning and Management (IIPM), Qutub Enclave, New Delhi are also found functioning in violation of the UGC Act, 1956. The matters of Bhartiya Shiksha Parishad, Lucknow and IIPM, New Delhi are sub-judice in the court," he added.

Uttar Pradesh has the highest eight such fake universities

Varanaseya Sanskrit Vishwavidyalaya, Varanasi

Mahila Gram Vidyapith, Allahabad

Gandhi Hindi Vidyapith, Allahabad

National University of Electro Complex Homeopathy, Kanpur

Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Open University, Aligarh

Uttar Pradesh Vishwavidyalaya, Mathura

Maharana Pratap Shiksha Niketan Vishwavidyalaya, Pratapgarh

Indraprastha Shiksha Parishad, Noida.

Delhi has seven such fake universities

Commercial University Ltd

United Nations University

Vocational University

ADR Centric Juridicial University

Indian Institution of Science and Engineering

Vishwakarma Open University for Self Employment

Adhyatmik Vishwavidyalaya (Spiritual University)

Odisha and West Bengal have two such universities each.

Indian Institute of Alternative Medicine, Kolkata

Institute of Alternative Medicine and Research, Kolkata 

Nababharat Shiksha Parishad, Rourkela

North Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology

Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Puducherry and Maharashtra have one fake university each.

Sree Bodhi Academy of Higher Education, Puducherry

Christ New Testament Deemed University, Andhra Pradesh

Raja Arabic University, Nagpur; St John's University, Kerala

Badaganvi Sarkar World Open University Education Society, Karnataka

Elaborating on the steps taking by the UGC against the fake or non-recognised universities, Pradhan said, "the UGC issues public notices about the list of fake universities/institutes in national Hindi and English newspapers."

"Show cause and warning notices are issued to the unauthorized institutes awarding invalid degrees when any self-styled institution is found or noticed functioning in violation of the UGC Act, 1956."