The University Grants Commission (UGC) has declared 24 “self-styled” institutes fake and found two more in violation of norms, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan told parliament on Monday.
Mr Pradhan made the statement in response to a written question in Lok Sabha.
The list, available on UGC website, was published in October 2020, based on the complaints received from the students, parents, general public.
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 and 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).
West Bengal:
Indian Institute of Alternative Medicine, Kolkata
Institute of Alternative Medicine and Research, Kolkata
Odisha:
Nababharat Shiksha Parishad, Rourkela
North Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology.
“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 told the Lok Sabha.
Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Puducherry and Maharashtra have one fake university each. 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.
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.”
He said, “The commission writes letters to state chief secretaries, Education secretaries and principal secretaries to take action against such universities located in their jurisdiction”.