UGC List of Fake Universities in India

List of Fake Universities in India - The University Grants Commission (UGC) has black-listed as many as 20 institutions and tagged them as 'Fake Universities’. Careers360 brings you the list of ‘Fake Universities in India’ in accordance with the UGC list announced in March 2023.
Many institutions use the word 'University', despite UGC prohibiting the same unless an institution fits into a defined set of criteria. The UGC defines a University to be the one established by a Central/State/Provincial Act or an ‘institution Deemed to be University’ under section 3 or an institution specially empowered by an Act of Parliament to confer UGC specified degrees under section 22(3) of the Act.

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Moreover, the UGC Act prohibits the use of the word ‘University’ by any institution other than a University established as defined above.

After due verification, the UGC has listed a total of 20 operating institutions as fake Universities. The UGC has also stated that “such self-styled, unrecognized Universities which are functioning in contravention of the UGC Act has been declared as fake and not entitled to confer any degrees."

The UGC's Fake Universities list carries a number of 4 institutions from Uttar Pradesh followed by 8 institutions from Delhi. Further, other states including Bihar, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra and West Bengal have institutions listed as a fake university by UGC. Additionally, Varanaseya Sanskrit Vishwavidyalaya located in Jagatpuri of Delhi has been dropped from the fake university list by UGC in India, even as another university from Delhi has been recognised as 'fake' by the UGC. One university form the union territory of Puducherry has also made its name the recent list of 20 universities blacklisted in India.

Besides, this addition, the UGC has also omitted out one institution that was in the last year's 'Fake Universities' list. Answering to Careers360 queries on listing-out 'Kerserwani Vidyapeeth', an institution of Madhya Pradesh, the UGC said, "After the death of Sunderlal Kesherwani, Director of Keshervani Vidyapeeth, the institution had been closed down and is nor more existing." Moreover, the UGC has also forwarded an official document (dated October 16, 2015) to Careers360 stating the same. Check the updated fake university list by UGC below.

Further, All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), the regulatory body for technical education in India had also announced a list of colleges that are offering technical programmes without the former's approval. The tables below in this page list out such technical institutions across the nation which have been de-recognised or are 'fake technical institutions' according to AICTE.

UGC Approved University List Overview

The list of total number of universities in India are listed below. The overview is based on a notification from the University Grant Commission (UGC) on January, 2023.

UGC List of Approved Universities under 12(B)

Fake Universities List in India by UGC

Students, as well as parents and educators are advised to go through the list below to be aware of the fake universities in India as per UGC notification on March 2023.

Fake University list in State-Wise

Here is a list of all the fake universities in India as per notification from UGC, issued on March 2023.

Apart from the above listed ‘Fake Universities’, status of ‘Bhartiya Shiksha Parishad, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh’ is subjudice before the District Judge, Lucknow.

*The list above is based on UGC notification of March 2023.

What are Fake Universities in India?

The University Grant Commission has issued a ugc fake university list PDF on the official website - ugc.gov.in. Universities which offers degrees which are not approved by University Grant Commission (UGC) and Government of India are considered to be the fake universities in India. UGC is a body set up by Union Government of India which is responsible for maintaining the higher education and providing recognization to the universities in India. The role of UGC is also to list out those universities in the country which are not adhering the proper guidelines released by the statutory body. Students are advised not to enroll themselves in any such programme offered by these self styled or fake universities.