The increase in the number of students opting for higher education every year has led to a widespread menace of fake institutes. A recently conducted survey highlighted that there are various institutions that use the word ‘University’ even though they don’t fit into the University Grants Commission’s defined set of criteria. As per the guidelines of UGC, a University has to be established by a Central/State/Provincial Act or an ‘institution Deemed to be University’ under section 3 or an institution specially empowered by an Act of Parliament to confer UGC specified degrees under section 22(3) of the Act.
The University Grants Commission highlights that there are a number of fake universities in the country, which include prominent universities and top private engineering colleges. According to Mahendra Nath Pandey, the Minister of State for Human Resource Development, the ministry had asked the State governments to investigate into the matter and register police complaints against the fake universities. Some of the Universities involved in defrauding and cheating students include/List of Fake Universities:
- United Nations University, Delhi
Headquartered in Japan, the United Nations University (UNU) calls itself a global think tank and postgraduate teaching organization. It claims that it reports annually to the UN General Assembly, the UN Economic and Social Council, and the Executive Board of UNESCO.
- Indian Institute of Science and Engineering
Boasting of being the premier institute for advanced scientific and technological research and education in India, the Indian Institute of Science and Engineering is yet another fake university black-listed by the UCG.
- Vishwakarma Open University for Self-employment, India
Vishwakarma Open University for Self-employment claims to be a non- Academic GLOBAL UNIVERSITY which conducts its own, self-competency development programme / training for all. The university is listed in the UGC’s list of top ten fake universities which dupe the students.
- St. John’s University, Kishanattam, Kerala
Calling itself a ‘Global University with students from 123 countries and locations in the US and abroad’, St. John’s University is yet another spurious university. Its bogus claims about its Global Studies programs have landed it in the list of top ten fake universities.
- Indian Institute of Alternative Medicine
Not lagging behind is the Indian Institute of Alternative Medicine, which is a self proclaimed ‘Internationally Recognized Government Registered Institution of Complementary and Alternative Medicines providing correspondence courses, international conferences and world-wide research in the field of complementary and alternative medicines’.
- Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose University (Open University), Achaltal, Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh
Indicted of being a fraudulent university, the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose University boasts itself as one of the oldest and premier Universities in India. The official website of the university says that it was established in 1857 consequent upon “Wood’s Education Dispatch”, and it is one amongst the first three Universities in India.
- Gurukul Vishwavidyala, Vridanvan, Uttar Pradesh
Listed among the top ten fake universities in India, the Gurukul Vishwavidyala swanks that a number of India’s prominent leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Madan Mohan Malwiya, Jawaharlal Nehru, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Sarojini Naidu, Dr. Sampoornanand, etc visited its campus prior to the year 1980.
- Nababharat Shiksha Parishad, Anupoorna Bhawan
Calling itself as ‘a legally authorized body which has a right to impart educational programmes’, the Nababharat Shiksha Parishad holds a position in the list of top ten fake Indian universities. Its official website claims that the university formulates the bye-laws, the prospectus and other documents for schools and colleges.
- North Orissa University of Agriculture & Technology, Odisha
The North Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology claims that it was established by the Legislature of the State of Orissa in 1961 with the objective of incorporating a University of Agriculture and Technology for the agricultural education of people of the State. Despite being black-listed by UGC, the university proclaims that it is recognised by UGC, PCI, DEB, BCI and AIU.
Apart from the aforementioned universities, there are a few shrewd enough to remove their details from the online platforms. Maithili University (Bihar), Commercial University Ltd. (Delhi), Vocational University (Delhi), ADR-Centric Juridical University (Delhi), Badaganvi Sarkar World Open University Education Society (Karnataka), Raja Arabic University (Maharashtra), Varanaseya Sanskrit Vishwavidyalaya (Uttar Pradesh), Mahila Gram Vidyapith (Uttar Pradesh) and Gandhi Hindi Vidyapith, Prayag ( Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh), to name a few.
So if don’t want your hard work and efforts to turn futile, don’t even hover around these universities. You can get their details on the official website of UGC- website www.ugc.ac.in.
