Why number of fake universities in India rose by 60% in three years

In a significant move to safeguard the interests of students, the University Grants Commission (UGC) recently released its February 2026 notification, identifying 32 fake universities across 12 states. This marks a steep increase of 60% from 20 in 2023, signalling a persistent challenge of offering quality higher education in India.

What is a fake university?

As per the UGC guidelines, a fake university is a Higher Education Institution (HEI) which is not legally recognised as a university under the UGC Act, 1956. However, it still uses the word ‘University’ to lure gullible students with the promise of an easy and inexpensive degree which has no legitimate value in the job market or for pursuing higher studies.

Why does UGC notify fake universities?

The UGC frequently issues public notices through various channels, such as social media, its official website, and other media platforms to educate the public about the existence of fake universities and their fraudulent activities. In addition, show-cause notices and warnings are issued to unauthorised institutions that continue to operate and issue invalid degrees. The UGC also sends formal letters to the education secretaries of concerned states requesting action for the closure of fake universities, as physical enforcement remains state-level law-and-order issue.

The UGC regularly updates the list of fake universities which is accessible online. This allows students and parents to verify an institution’s legitimacy before seeking admission.

Surge of shadow universities

An analysis of fake universities notified by the UGC since 2015 shows that while the number ranged between 20 and 24 until 2023, there was a sudden surge to 32 in 2026. As of February 2026, Delhi leads with 12 fake universities (38% of the total), followed by Uttar Pradesh with four, followed by two each in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and West Bengal. New hotspots have emerged in Arunachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Haryana, indicating that these illegal entities are increasingly targeting regions with low level of awareness and digital literacy.

While 12 institutions (including five from Delhi and three from U.P.) have been on the list for over 10 years, only 12 fake universities had been officially confirmed as shut down, as per a written reply by the Minister of State of Education to Lok Sabha on December 16, 2024. Some of the institutions close their offices within 6–12 months of the notification and later restart under a new name. The Ministry’s response emphasises that the responsibility for maintaining law and order, including the closure of such fraudulent institutions lies with the state governments.

Source: UGC

Programs offered by fake universities

Fake universities generally offer programs that promise immediate social mobility or job opportunities. About 30% of the programs are in Alternative Medicine, offering fraudulent Doctorates in Naturopathy and Yoga, exploiting the lack of a single, rigid central regulator like the National Medical Council (NMC). Fast track Executive MBA programs promising degrees in six months for working professionals, contribute 25% of the programs. Professional programs in Engineering and Law contribute about 30%. Interestingly, about 15% of the programs are spiritual courses like Theology.

Student enrolments

Government admitted in its written reply in the Parliament that it does not track enrolment numbers of fake universities. However, conservative estimates by analysts suggest that over 50,000 to 70,000 students are currently enrolled in these 32 institutions across India.

Impact on the students

For a student, enrolling in a fake university is a catastrophic investment. Degrees from these institutions are considered scrap paper by employers, be it the government or private sector. They cannot be used for pursuing higher studies like Masters and Ph.D., in recognised universities. Families often exhaust their life savings or take loans to pay fees, only to receive zero return on investment.

How and when the fraud is exposed?

For victimised students, the realisation of being defrauded often comes late. It sets in only during a background verification process for employment or higher studies. Even if a student secures a private-sector job, background verification by the company will eventually flag the fake degree, leading to immediate termination and potential black listing. Most of the HR departments now use automated red lists that instantly flag any institution on the UGC’s blacklist.

Students planning to pursue higher education abroad are particularly vulnerable. In several instances, Indian students applying for Master’s programs in the U.S. and Singapore have had their visas revoked and were subsequently deported after it was discovered their undergraduate degrees were from unrecognised Indian institutions.

How does UGC identify fake institutions?

The UGC employs a continuous surveillance and monitoring system to identify self-proclaimed universities. Investigations often get triggered after grievances are raised by students or parents, who discover discrepancies during the course. The UGC teams verify whether the institution was established under a Central or State act. Cross-Referencing and verification with the AICTE (for technical courses) and the NMC (for medical courses) is done to check for mandatory professional approvals. Suspect institutions are given a timeline to prove their legal standing. Failure to do so leads to their inclusion in the formal fake university list.

How can students verify the legality of the university?

A student or parent can check the list of recognised universities on the UGC website and the list of fake universities. Most of the fake universities promise fast-track degrees or have a zero-attendance model. They also operate out of small commercial complexes or rented floors without a dedicated campus. Their websites do not show details of permanent faculty or verifiable credentials like campus infrastructure .

Root cause behind the fake label

Besides the tendency of students and parents to seek easy degrees, the mushrooming of these institutions is fuelled by a regulatory vacuum. Current regulations allow the UGC to identify the fakes, but does not give it the executive authority to close down the erring institution as criminal prosecution can be taken up only by the state-level police and education departments.

How regulatory gaps are proposed to be filled in the new HECI Bill 2026

The persistent recurrence of these institutions is largely due to the limited penal powers of the UGC Act, 1956. In the proposed Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill (VBSA ) 2026, illegal usage of the word ‘University’ is a non-bailable offence. Clause 33 provides for the imprisonment of promoters of fake universities up to three years . The bill replaces the archaic ₹1,000 fine with a penalty of at least ₹2 crore for any entity, falsely claiming university status. The new commission has the authority to order physical closure and freeze bank accounts, without waiting for prolonged litigation at the state level.

Preventing fake universities, beyond notifications

Until the VBSA Bill is passed by the parliament, a more proactive strategy is needed to safeguard the interests of students. Social media platforms should be mandated to verify the legitimacy of educational institution before allowing them to run paid advertisements. Direct coordination between the UGC and the cyber crime cell is needed to take down fraudulent websites within 24 hours of being flagged. Each state should have a dedicated cell under the department of higher education to spot unauthorised campuses during the construction or marketing phase, rather than after enrolment by thousands of students. Providing a verification API for the HR department of companies to instantly verify if a university is on the recognised list will discourage the market for fake degrees.

Conclusion

Reaching ambitious Gross Enrolment Ratios (GER) needs higher penetration into rural areas and more number of first generation students into the fold of formal education. A fake university is not just a regulatory lapse; it is a moral failure that destroys the aspirations of the youth. While awareness and vigilance on part of the students and parents are essential, protecting them from the academic fraud is the responsibility of the regulators and the HEIs. There is a dire need for a closer co-ordination between the central and the State governments to ensure strict compliance of the regulations. That alone can sanitise the Indian Higher Education ecosystem and ensure quality and purposeful education to the youth of the country.

(Prof O.R.S. Rao is the Chancellor of the ICFAI University, Sikkim. Views are personal.)

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Published – February 25, 2026 06:00 pm IST