UGC announces 21 ‘self-styled institutions’ as 'fake universities’; Delhi tops the list

University Grants Commission has issued a list of 21 "self-styled, unrecognized institutions" which are functioning in contravention of the UGC Act, that have been declared as fake universities and is not empowered to confer any degree.

As many as eight institutions from the national capital have been named in the list of self-styled and unrecognized institutions.

"All India Institute of Public & Physical Health Sciences, 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 have been flagged as the non-recognized institution.

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According to the UGC, the second highest number of fake universities have been found in Uttar Pradesh with four such institutions.

The names of two institutions each from West Bengal and Odisha, one each from Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Puducherry and Andhra Pradesh feature in the list.

The University Grants Commission Act, 1956; under Section 22 stipulated that the right of conferring or granting degrees shall be exercised only by a University established or incorporated by or under a Central Act, a Provincial Act or a State Act or an institution deemed to be a University under Section 3 or an institution specially empowered by an Act of Parliament to confer or grant degrees.

According to the Commission, Section 23 of the UGC Act prohibits the use of the word `University` by any institution other than a university established as stated above.