The shocking revelations expose a list of nine fake universities that award fake degrees to 'people in highly influential positions' in India. Read on for complete details.
Concerned about "an influential mafia network that facilitates... fake degree infrastructure" in India, the Students' Federation of India (SFI) has written to the Ministry of Human Resource and Development (MHRD) urging 'vigilant intervention' to the problem.
The students' wing of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) further demanded the setting up of a high-level committee to inquire into the several fake universities that offer these 'fake degrees' to 'people in highly influential positions.'
"Genuine researchers earn a doctoral degree after years of committed work in their respective fields," reads the letter written to MHRD, "Lack of stringent actions... is in another way questioning and nullifying the genuine effort of scholars who work hard for a better part of their life."
The student body explained that the continuation of this practice is likely to malign the quality and credibility of higher education and research in the country.
The letter also highlights a list of nine fake universities in India specialised in awarding PhD and Doctor of Letters (DLitt) degrees for a hefty amount of money. SFI also made a shocking revelation by alleging that the recipients of these degrees include a list of top bureaucrats, fraud academicians, scholars, and media practitioners who 'publicise the news' of their doctoral degree award to establish fake credibility for themselves and hence misuse the titles to 'cheat the general public'.
According to reports, the institutes that have been exposed in the list are - University of Asia; The International Tamil University; Kings University, USA; Universal Tamil University; International Peace University, Germany; Indian Virtual University for Peace (IVUP); The Open International University for Complementary Medicines; Indian Peace University; and The International Economic University.
SFI National General Secretary Mayukh Biswas also said that the states like Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan are hubs for these institutions.
This comes in light of the marked rise in questionable universities in the private education sector in India, much like the infamous 'Think Tank' Indian Institute of Planning and Management (IIPM) run by Arindam Chaudhuri under false pretenses not too long ago, until his luck ran out in 2014 when the Delhi High Court and the University Grants Commission (UGC) censured the institution for misleading students.
The revelations regarding the situation are being considered by the student body to only be the tip of the iceberg, and it has urged the MHRD to take the requisite steps in tackling the issue, formulate proper guidelines regarding the operation of universities and ensure quality academia in the country.
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