Beware of Blacklisted Universities: Fake Institutes to Avoid in India

The University Grants Commission (UGC) is the top regulatory body for higher education in India. It has the authority to declare institutions as fake or illegal if they use the word “university” in their names without proper approval.

Recently, the UGC issued a public notice listing 24 self-styled, unrecognized institutions that are operating as fake universities across certain states. These universities are not legally authorized to confer degrees.

Students and the public are advised to practice caution when considering enrolling in the following blacklisted fake universities:

Delhi

Commercial University Ltd, Daryaganj
United Nations University
Vocational University
ADR-Centric Juridical University
Indian Institution of Science and Engineering
Viswakarma Open University for Self-employment
Adhyatmik Vishwavidyalaya

Karnataka

Badaganvi Sarkar World Open University Education Society, Gokak, Belgaum

Kerala

St. John’s University, Kishanattam

Maharashtra

Raja Arabic University, Nagpur

West Bengal

Indian Institute of Alternative Medicine, Kolkata
Institute of Alternative Medicine and Research, Kolkata

Uttar Pradesh

Varanaseya Sanskrit Vishwavidyala, Varanasi
Mahila Gram Vidyapith/Vishwavidyalaya, Prayagraj
Gandhi Hindi Vidyapith, Prayagraj
National University of Electro Complex Homeopathy, Kanpur
Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose University, Aligarh
Uttar Pradesh Vishwavidyalaya, Mathura
Maharana Partap Shiksha Niketan Vishwavidyalaya, Pratapgarh
Indraprastha Shiksha Parishad, Noida

Odisha

Nababharat Shiksha Parishad, Rourkela
North Orissa University of Agriculture & Technology, Baripada

Puducherry

Sree Bodhi Academy of Higher Education, Puducherry

Andhra Pradesh

Christ New Testament Deemed University, Guntur

The UGC advises students not to enroll in these fraudulent institutions because the Commission and the Indian government will not recognize their degrees. Students are advised to verify an institute’s credentials directly with UGC before seeking admission.

UGC will update the list as necessary. Stay cautious and avoid becoming a victim of misleading universities. Your future depends on earning a real education from an accredited institution.

Beware of India's Blacklisted Universities

India has seen a proliferation of dubious universities that are not recognized or accredited by educational authorities. Students need to steer clear of these “blacklisted” institutions to avoid wasting their time and money on worthless degrees. Here is a list of universities that have been flagged as fake, illegal, or substandard in India.

UGC Blacklisted Universities

The University Grants Commission (UGC) is the top regulatory body for higher education in India. It maintains a list of fake universities that are not authorized to confer degrees. Some examples include:

Commercial University Ltd.
United Nations University
Vocational University
Indian Institute of Science and Engineering

These universities are not permitted to use the word “University” in their names and their degrees are not valid.

AICTE Debarred Institutions

The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) oversees technical and management colleges in India. It has blacklisted numerous institutes for infractions like submitting fake documents, lacking proper facilities, or misrepresenting facts. Some AICTE debarred colleges are:

Indian Institute of Planning and Management
Institute of Productivity & Management Science
Mahila Gram Vidyapith/Vishwavidyalaya

Degrees from these technical institutes will not be recognized by the government.

Universities with Fake Affiliations

Some shady universities pretend to be affiliated to reputed boards like UGC, AICTE, or DEC (Distance Education Council) but are actually operating illegally. Students should verify directly with the boards to confirm affiliation status.

Be Cautious

With India having hundreds of universities and tens of thousands of colleges, it can be tricky navigating the system. Refer to official blacklists when considering both public and private institutions. Consult education regulators to verify approvals and accreditation status before taking admission. Choosing an unrecognized university can have devastating consequences on your future prospects.

Regulatory Red Flags

When evaluating a university, look out for these suspicious traits:

Name similar to a top university but not actually affiliated. For example, Stanford College or Oxford College.
Address is a small residential or commercial building rather than a proper campus.
Website has plagiarized content from other sites or uses unprofessional email domains.
Claims international accreditations but does not name the specific agencies.
Advertises unrealistic programs like part-time PhD degrees.
Charges very low fees compared to market rates.

Consequences of Blacklisted Degrees

Getting a degree from an illegal university can have serious repercussions:

Cannot obtain government jobs or higher education admissions. Degrees are not recognized.
Difficulty in finding reputed private companies willing to accept the degree.
May still have to repay education loans taken despite having a worthless degree.
Time and money wasted on substandard education.

Attestation Complications

Students who obtain degrees from blacklisted universities face additional problems if they need to get their certificates attested. Attestation is the process of verifying the authenticity of documents by getting them stamped by the relevant government departments and the Foreign Ministry. However, the authorities will refuse to attest to degrees issued by universities that are deemed fake or illegal. The HRD Ministry and state governments will not validate blacklisted university documents. Even the Foreign Ministry and UAE Embassy will decline attestation and equivalency for such degrees. Without proper attestation, these certificates have no validity and cannot be used for any official purposes. Students will be unable to take advantage of job opportunities overseas as the degrees will not be recognized.

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