Weeks ahead of admission season of the 2014-15, the University Grants Commission (UGC) has identified and posted on its official website, a list of 21 self-styled, unrecognised institutions in nine states, which are functioning against the provisions of the UGC Act, 1956.
Uttar Pradesh tops the list with 10 fake varsities while Maharashtra has just one Raja Arabic University, which is based in Nagpur. All these institutions have been declared as bogus and do not have any right to confer or grant degrees.
UGC officials said, "Many students are enrolled in these varsities as they are unaware that its a phony. This facilitates the quacks to continue to run their business."
Interestingly, majority of these varsities have figured in the UGC fake varsity list many a times in the past few years. However, neither UGC nor any government authority has taken any action to close them down and thus vulnerable students continue to lose their money and time.
"We have no power to take any action on these centres. The police can take action only if someone lodges a complaint with them," said a UGC official.
Incidentally, the name of these varsities are often so grand and are so similar to the state-run vasrities, for example, the Indian Institute of Science and Engineering, New Delhi – is one such university that no one will even doubts it to be fake, said a professor of Mumbai University.
According to Section 22(1), of the UGC Act, only universities that are established by an Act of Parliament or the State Legislature or an institution deemed to be a university or an institution especially empowered by an Act of the Parliament can award degrees.
The degrees that are to be awarded by such universities, should also be listed by the UGC under Section 22(3) of the UGC Act, 1956. Furthermore, the word 'University' can't be used by any institution other than a university established by or under a Central or a State Act or a Provincial Act.
State-wise list
Maharashtra
Raja Arabic University, Nagpur
Bihar
Maithili University/Vishwavidyalaya, Darbhanga, Bihar
Delhi
Commercial University Ltd., Daryaganj, Delhi, United Nations University, Delhi, Vocational University, Delhi, ADR-Centric Juridical University, Indian Institute of Science and Engineering, New Delhi
Karnataka
Badaganvi Sarkar World Open University Education Society, Gokak, Belgaum
Kerala
St. John's University, Kishanattam
Madhya Pradesh
Keserwani Vidyapith, Jabalpur
Tamil Nadu
DDB Sanskrit University, Putur, Trichi, Tamil Nadu.
West Bengal
Indian Institute of Alternative Medicine, Kolkata
Uttar PradeshVaranaseya Sanskrit Vishwavidyalaya, Varanasi / Jagatpuri, Delhi., Mahila Gram Vidyapith Allahabad, Gandhi Hindi Vidyapith, Prayag, National University of Electro Complex Homeopathy, Kanpur, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose University (Open University), Achaltal, Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh Vishwavidyalaya, Kosi Kalan, Mathura, Maharana Pratap Shiksha Niketan Vishwavidyalaya, Pratapgarh, Indraprastha Shiksha Parishad, Institutional Area, Khoda, Makanpur, Noida Phase- II, Gurukul Vishwavidyalaya ,Vrindavan, Bhartiya Shiksha Parishad, Lucknow, UP (the matter is subjudice)
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