The University Grants Commission (UGC) took a step on Wednesday that affects many students across India. They made it known that there are 20 universities in the country that are not real. In other words, they’re fake. These fake universities are not allowed to give out degrees, which means students shouldn’t get their hopes up about getting a valid degree from them.

Here’s a quick rundown of these fake universities:

1. Christ New Testament Deemed University in Guntur
2. Bible Open University of India in Visakhapatnam
3. All India Institute of Public & Physical Health Sciences (AIIPHS) in Alipur
4. Commercial University Ltd in Daryaganj
5. United Nations University in Delhi
6. Vocational University in Delhi
7. ADR-Centric Juridical University in New Delhi
8. Indian Institute of Science and Engineering in New Delhi
9. Viswakarma Open University for Self-Employment in Delhi
10. Adhyatmik Vishwavidyalaya in Rohini
11. Badaganvi Sarkar World Open University Education Society in Belgaum
12. St. John’s University in Kishanattam
13. Raja Arabic University in Nagpur
14. Sree Bodhi Academy of Higher Education in Thilaspet
15. Gandhi Hindi Vidyapith in Allahabad
16. National University of Electro Complex Homeopathy in Kanpur
17. Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose University (Open University) in Aligarh
18. Bhartiya Shiksha Parishad in Lucknow
19. Indian Institute of Alternative Medicine in Kolkatta
20. Institute of Alternative Medicine and Research in Thakurpurkur

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The UGC wants everyone, especially parents and students, to be cautious about these universities. They’re quite clear that only universities established under specific Acts or authorized institutions can give out degrees. The UGC has noticed that some institutions are going against these rules and handing out degrees that don’t count. This is a serious matter because degrees from these fake universities won’t be recognized for further studies or jobs.

Prof. Manish R. Joshi, the Secretary of the UGC, explained that degrees from these fake universities won’t hold any weight. He said, “Don’t bother with degrees from these places, they won’t help you.” The UGC has a list of these 20 fake universities on their website, so you can check if any of them sound familiar.

How to report against fake universities?

For those wondering where these fake universities are located, they are spread out: 2 in Andhra Pradesh, 8 in Delhi, 1 each in Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, and Puducherry, and 4 in Uttar Pradesh, along with 2 in West Bengal.

If you stumble upon any university that seems fishy, the UGC is open to hearing about it. They’re continuously working on identifying these fake universities and updating their information. For genuine institutions, the UGC’s official website is the place to visit. There, you can find a list of authorized universities. But if you suspect something is off, you can reach out to the UGC via email at ugcampc@gmail.com. This way, you can help ensure that students are getting proper education from valid institutions.