Lok Sabha Question No. 147 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-07-18
Subject: Check on Fake Universities
Ministry: HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: JYOTIRADITYA MADHAVRAO SCINDIA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 147 TO BE ANSWERED ON 18.07.2016

## Check on Fake Universities

## 147. SHRI JYOTIRADITYA M. SCINDIA :

Will	the	Minister	of HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT be	pleased	to	state :

(a)	 whether	 the	 Government	 has	 taken	 note	 that	 a	 large	 number	 of	 'fake' universities	are	functioning	in	the	country;

(b)	if	so,	the	details	thereof;

(c)	whether	the	Government	is	also	aware	that	a	large	number	of	'fake'	varsities	and institutions	are	functioning	abroad	also	and	if	so,	the	details	thereof;	and

(d)	 whether	the	Government	proposes	to	take	effective	steps	to	wind	up	the	fake universities	 in	 the	 country	 and	 ensure	 that	 the	 students	 do	 not	 get	 trapped	 and duped	by	fake	foreign	varsities	and	institutions	and	if	so,	the	details	thereof?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT (SHRI PRAKASH JAVADEKAR)

(a)	 to	 (c):	 The	 Government	 is	 aware	 that	 fake	 universities	 are	 functioning	 in	 the country.	University	Grants	Commission	(UGC)	has	listed	22	known	fake	universities operating	in	the	country	which	is	available	on	www.ugc.ac.in. Apart	from	above,	the	names	of	two	universities	are	not	being	reflected	in	the UGC	 list	 of	 fake	 universities	 due	 to	 Hon'ble	 Court	 Order.	 The	 matter	 relating	 to unrecognizing	of	Bhartiya	Shiksha	Parishad,	Lucknow,	U.P.	is	sub-judice	before	the District	 Judge,	 Lucknow.	 In	 addition,	 in	 view	 of	 Delhi	 High	 Court	 Order	 dated 27/06/2008	 in	 Writ	 Petition	 (Civil)	 No.8799/2008	 and	 5467	 of	 2008,	 UGC	 has issued	 a	 separate	 public	 notice	 in	 relation	 to	 Indian	 Institute	 of	 Planning	 and

Management	(IIPM),	New	Delhi.		 No	specific	list	is	maintained	by	UGC	or	Association of	 Indian	 Universities	 (AIU)	 on	 the	 fake	 universities	 reported	to	 be	 functioning	 in other	countries. (d) The	 Ministry	 vide	 its	 D.O.	 letter	 No.	 12-3/2015/U3A	 dated	 21st	 July,	 2015 requested	the	Chief	Secretaries	of	respective	State	Governments	to	investigate	the matter	 and	 register	 complaints	 in	 police	 station	 against	 these	 fake	 universities. Prosecution	may	also	be	initiated	against	those	who	are	involved	in	defrauding	and cheating students by misrepresenting themselves as 'Universities' awarding degrees	with	their	name. In	 addition	 to	 above,	 the	 UGC	 has	 also	 taken	 several	 steps	 against	 these fraudulent	universities.	Some	of	the	steps	are	as	follows: (i)	For	the	awareness	of	general	public/students/parents,	the	UGC	has	put	the	list	of fake	institutions	on	its	website	i.e. www.ugc.ac.in and	also	issues	press	release	and public	notices	in	newspapers	at	the	beginning	of	every	academic	session. (ii) All	self-styled	unrecognized	and	unapproved	institutions	have	been	cautioned that	 running	 of	 Undergraduate	 and	 Postgraduate	 degree	 courses	 and	 giving misleading	 advertisements	 shall	 attract	 severe	 action	 under	 the	 provisions	 of appropriate	laws	including	the	UGC	Act	and	the	Indian	Penal	Code,	etc. (iii) Cases have also been filed in various courts by UGC against fake universities/institutions.	Various	cases	are	pending	in	the	court	of	law	filed	by	the fake	universities/unrecognized	institutes.

(iv)	 The	 UGC	 has	 sent	 letters	 to	 the	 State/UT	 Principal	 Secretaries/Education Secretaries	to	take	appropriate	action	against	the	fake	universities	located	in	their jurisdiction. (v)		The	UGC	has	also	written	to	the	Vice	Chancellor/	Director,	in	charge	of	the	all fake	universities	to	close	the	down	the	institutions	immediately. (vi)	 	 The	 High	 Court	 of	 Delhi	 has	 given	 the	 final	 decision	 against	 the	 IIPM	 and advised	that	acts	of	the	IIPM,	Arindam	Chaudhari	and	Malay	Chaudhari	constitute	a criminal	offence	of	cheating	punishable	under	section	420	of	the	Indian	Penal	Code. To	comply	with	the	Court	decision,	the	UGC	has	lodged	FIR	against	IIPM	in	the	Police Station. AIU	 has	 issued	 an	 advisory	 for	 the	 Students	 seeking	 admission	 to	 Programme	 of Studies	 Promising	 Qualifications	 /	 Degrees	 from	 Foreign	 Universities	 which	 is available	on	their	website	www.aiu.ac.in.

*************