Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan announced on Monday that the University Grants Commission (UGC) has declared 24 “self-styled” institutes to be fake and found two more in violation of rules.
In response to a written question in the Lok Sabha, Pradhan made the statement. UGC has declared 24 self-styled institutes as fake universities based on complaints from students, parents, the general public, and electronic print media.
“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.
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 and Indraprastha Shiksha Parishad, Noida; are the universities in Uttar Pradesh.
Delhi has seven such fake universities Commercial University Ltd, United Nations University, Vocational University, ADR Centric Juridical University, Indian Institution of Science and Engineering, Vishwakarma Open University for Self Employment, and Adhyatmik Vishwavidyalaya (Spiritual University).
Odisha and West Bengal have two such universities each. These are the Indian Institute of Alternative Medicine, Kolkata and Institute of Alternative Medicine and Research, Kolkata as well as Nababharat Shiksha Parishad, Rourkela, and North Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology.
One fake university in each of the states like Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Puducherry, and Maharashtra are found.
They are Sree Bodhi Academy of Higher Education, Puducherry; Christ New Testament Deemed University, Andhra Pradesh; Raja Arabic University, Nagpur; St John’s University, Kerala and Badaganvi Sarkar World Open University Education Society, Karnataka.
“The UGC issues public notices regarding the list of fake universities/institutes in national Hindi and English publications,” Pradhan added, elaborating on the procedures taken by the UGC against fake or non-recognized universities.
“The commission writes letters to state chief secretaries, Education secretaries, and principal secretaries urging them to take action against such universities in their jurisdiction,” he explained.
“When any self-styled institution is found or noticed functioning in violation of the UGC Act, 1956, show cause and warning notifications are issued to the unapproved institutes offering invalid degrees.”
