UGC declares 24 universities in the country as 'fake'.

UGC has identified a list of 24 universities in the country as self-styled and unrecognized institutions terming them as fake.

UGC has identified a list of 24 universities in the country as self-styled and unrecognized institutions terming them as fake.The University Grants Commission(UGC), on October 7, 2020, declared 24 universities of the country as fake that are not empowered to confer any degrees to students. Eight of these termed fake universities are from Uttar Pradesh, Delhi has seven, and Odisha and West Bengal two each. While Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Puducherry, and Maharashtra have one such fake university each.

The universities were self-styled and unrecognized institutions as they are not established under a Central or State/Provincial Act. The universities are deemed to award degree certificates only when they are corroborated under Section 3 of the UGC act and an Institution especially empowered by an Act of Parliament.

Further, Section 23 of UGC also prohibits the use of the word ‘University’ if any of the institutions are not recognized as per UGC guidelines.