Minister of HRD (State), Dr. Satya Pal Singh informed Rajya Sabha that the University Grants Commission has been playing a magnificent role in identifying the fake universities across the country. Already, UGC has uploaded the list of 23 fake universities on its official website. In addition, UGC has added IIPM (Indian Institute of Planning and Management), New Delhi and Bharatiya Shiksha Parishad, Lucknow into the list of fake universities. Both these institutes have been functioning without UGC recognition under Section 2(f) of the UGC Act, 1956, he explained.
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Dr. Satya Pal Singh also listed the measures taken in the last one year by UGC to regulate fake universities. These measures include: -
- Publishing the list of fake universities in Hindi and English newspapers and issuing public notices of the same.
- The UGC directed Principal Secretaries, State Chief Secretaries and Education Secretaries will take action against the fake universities functioning in their respective jurisdictions.
- UGC issued show-cause notices to unrecognised institutes that have been offering invalid degrees to the students.
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Apart from IIPM New Delhi and Bharatiya Shiksha Parishad, UGC included the following institutes in the list of fake universities: -
- Sree Bodhi Academy of Higher Education, Pondicherry
- North Orissa University of Agriculture & Technology
- Viswakarma Open University for Self-Employment, New Delhi
- Institute of Alternative Medicine and Research, Kolkata
It is the responsibility of the students to check the recognition of an institute before seeking admission. Students can check the list of fake universities on the official website of UGC.