The University Grant Commission (UGC) issued a public notice addressing the students and parents to be aware of fraud at universities or colleges. The public notice issued on 1st August at the website, informs that UGC has noticed a number of institutions have not been established under UGC Act, State or Central Act, or Provincial Act to grant degrees. Citizens can complain to ugcampc@gmail.com.
University Grants Commission (UGC) has shut down several fake universities in India due to public outcry and student complaints. They have identifying 21 fake universities, with Delhi having the most (7). On their website, the UGC clarified the recognition criteria under the 1956 UGC Act and warned parents and students about these illegitimate institutions.
The UGC in its public notice has warned the general public and fake institutions “Degrees awarded by fake institutions, unauthorized by the provision of UGC Act are recognizable nor valid for future education and govt or private jobs purposes.” Further, the UGC has strongly confirmed: “Only those institutions/colleges/universities have right to offer the degrees which have been established either under a Central, State, Provincial Act or Institution empowered as per UGC Act 1956.”
Beware of fake universities: the road to nowhere!
Watch Chairman, UGC Prof. @mamidala90 on Fake Universities.
Also, visit https://t.co/TwbU3BtUSm for regular updates and list of Fake Universities. #fakeuniversities #UGC #educationalawareness@PMOIndia @EduMinOfIndia pic.twitter.com/fVjrOdncie
— UGC INDIA (@ugc_india) August 8, 2023
Recently a matter of fraud has come to the notice of students at an Edu Tech Institution in Karnataka. The institution has taken crores of loans on students’ names by misusing their personal and academic credentials promising to offer them jobs. A student organization- All India Students Association (Aisa), for the student’s rights expressed its solidarity and informed about a protest held in Bangalore against the fraudulent EduTech Company’s Gate. The Aisa tweeted the protest video on its ‘Aisa Karnataka’ Twitter handle yesterday.
The University Grants Commission (UGC) is closing down a number of fake universities in India as a result of public outcry, student complaints, and referrals from the state, university, and local governments.
The UGC has identified 21 fake universities, seven in Delhi, one in Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, and West Bengal. Uttar Pradesh has four fake universities, Odisha two, Puducherry has one, and Andhra Pradesh has one.
As a secretary of the UGC, Rajnish Jain clarified university recognition criteria under the 1956 UGC Act. Universities and other relevant institutions must be established by a Central or State Act. In addition to sending show cause notices to these illegitimate institutions, the UGC contacts state and UT Principal Secretaries and Education Secretaries for action.
An institution that is not established by a State or Central Act or recognized as a deemed university or institute of national importance can be considered a fake university, according to Pankaj Mittal, secretary-general of the Association of Indian Universities (AIU). Their degrees are worthless and their names are illegal. AIU usually alerts AIU to fake universities.
The UGC warned students and parents about these fake universities on their website, www.ugc.ac.in/page/fake-universities.aspx.
Hence, the UGC has requested that all the concerned students and parents must check the UGC website, www.ugc.ac.in for information on validation of any institutions/universities “whether it is a recognized college/university under UGC list or a Fake institution.” In order to stop the fraudulent activities, UGC has provided an email at ugcampc@gmail.com for public convenience to complain if they find a fake institution – “so that an appropriate action can be taken against such institutions.”
