The University Grants Commission (UGC) has issued a public notice warning students that the Institute of Management and Engineering at Kotla Mubarakpur, Delhi, is operating without recognition and offering degrees that are invalid under the UGC Act, 1956, as per a report by TOI. The regulator said the institute is running unapproved programmes in breach of Section 22 and is “neither established under any Central or State Act nor recognised under Sections 2(f) or 3,” making its degrees unusable for academic or professional purposes.
UGC’s latest notice and action
The UGC placed the institute on its list of unrecognised entities after finding it lacked statutory foundation and required approvals. According to the Commission’s notice, the body is not empowered to award degrees and students who enrol risk receiving qualifications that will not be accepted by universities, professional councils or employers. The notice directs readers to the UGC’s official publication for verification.
This advisory forms part of an ongoing UGC crackdown on a network of self-styled universities and degree-granting bodies that have, for decades, misrepresented their legal status. The regulator lists 22 such unrecognised entities concentrated in a few states — notably Delhi and Uttar Pradesh — which the UGC says reflects a repeatable business model that exploits gaps in oversight and public awareness.
Delhi accounts for nine of the listed entities, the highest share, with operators leveraging familiar academic signifiers and national-sounding names to attract applicants. Uttar Pradesh has five entries, where operators often adopt correspondence-style or “open” branding to create a veneer of legitimacy. Smaller clusters appear in Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and West Bengal, with single listings in Maharashtra and Puducherry.
UGC’s list of fake universities by state
The UGC attributes the persistence of these fake institutions to weak verification practices and an enforcement chain that is slow and fragmented. While the Commission publishes both a recognised-university directory and a fake-university list, students and counsellors sometimes rely on promotional materials rather than official databases, and state authorities — not the UGC — hold the power to seal illegal campuses. That gap, the regulator warns, enables rapid renaming, relocation and online reappearance of dubious outfits.
How to check if a university is fake
Why the problem persists
The notice stresses practical verification steps students should follow before enrolling: check whether an institution appears in the UGC directory as a university under Section 2(f) or Section 3; confirm professional approvals (AICTE, PCI, NMC, etc.) for regulated courses; and insist on verifiable final certificates (for example, NAD/DigiLocker verification). The UGC cautions that terms such as “industry-validated,” “international partner” or “autonomous” do not, by themselves, confer the legal right to award degrees.
The regulator concludes that removing a name from official lists is not enough where penalties are not swift or certain. Until enforcement becomes faster and more consequential, the UGC says, fake degree-offering enterprises will continue to exploit aspirational demand and information asymmetries, turning hope into a long-term credential liability for unsuspecting students.
(With inputs from TOI)
UGC’s latest notice and action
The UGC placed the institute on its list of unrecognised entities after finding it lacked statutory foundation and required approvals. According to the Commission’s notice, the body is not empowered to award degrees and students who enrol risk receiving qualifications that will not be accepted by universities, professional councils or employers. The notice directs readers to the UGC’s official publication for verification.
This advisory forms part of an ongoing UGC crackdown on a network of self-styled universities and degree-granting bodies that have, for decades, misrepresented their legal status. The regulator lists 22 such unrecognised entities concentrated in a few states — notably Delhi and Uttar Pradesh — which the UGC says reflects a repeatable business model that exploits gaps in oversight and public awareness.
Delhi accounts for nine of the listed entities, the highest share, with operators leveraging familiar academic signifiers and national-sounding names to attract applicants. Uttar Pradesh has five entries, where operators often adopt correspondence-style or “open” branding to create a veneer of legitimacy. Smaller clusters appear in Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and West Bengal, with single listings in Maharashtra and Puducherry.
UGC’s list of fake universities by state
The UGC attributes the persistence of these fake institutions to weak verification practices and an enforcement chain that is slow and fragmented. While the Commission publishes both a recognised-university directory and a fake-university list, students and counsellors sometimes rely on promotional materials rather than official databases, and state authorities — not the UGC — hold the power to seal illegal campuses. That gap, the regulator warns, enables rapid renaming, relocation and online reappearance of dubious outfits.
How to check if a university is fake
- Verify legal status: Check the UGC website to confirm if the university is listed under Section 2(f) or 3. If it isn’t there, stop.
- Check course approval: For professional courses like engineering, management, pharmacy or nursing, verify recognition with the respective councils (AICTE, PCI, NMC, etc.).
- Beware of misleading terms: Words like “international partner”, “industry-validated”, “autonomous”, or “open and flexible” do not mean the institute can award degrees.
- Confirm certificate authenticity: Ensure final certificates are verifiable through NAD or DigiLocker with a QR code. If not, it’s unreliable.
- Cross-check with UGC’s fake university list: If the name appears on the UGC’s list, do not proceed—today’s shortcut can become tomorrow’s setback.
Why the problem persists
The notice stresses practical verification steps students should follow before enrolling: check whether an institution appears in the UGC directory as a university under Section 2(f) or Section 3; confirm professional approvals (AICTE, PCI, NMC, etc.) for regulated courses; and insist on verifiable final certificates (for example, NAD/DigiLocker verification). The UGC cautions that terms such as “industry-validated,” “international partner” or “autonomous” do not, by themselves, confer the legal right to award degrees.
The regulator concludes that removing a name from official lists is not enough where penalties are not swift or certain. Until enforcement becomes faster and more consequential, the UGC says, fake degree-offering enterprises will continue to exploit aspirational demand and information asymmetries, turning hope into a long-term credential liability for unsuspecting students.
(With inputs from TOI)
You may also like
Countries commit to cut emissions but far short of the desired goal to keep global warming within limit, says new UN report
IRCTC hotel corruption case: CBI files no reply to plea of Lalu Prasad Yadav seeking once in week hearing
Anyone with a garden urged to check for one bird as snow returns to UK
Andrew Neil issues stark four-word warning to Keir Starmer after nightmare poll for Labour
Doctor's suicide note sparks probe; post-mortem shows hanging as cause
