UGC Lists 32 Fake Universities in India: Students Must Verify Before Admission
🚨 Admission Alert: Verify Your University Before You Enrol
Choosing a university is one of the most important decisions a student makes.
A university may have an impressive name, attractive advertisements, websites and even promises of degrees or certificates. But before paying admission fees, students should verify whether the institution is legally recognised and authorised to award degrees.
The University Grants Commission (UGC) currently lists 32 institutions as fake universities, with the list dated February 2026.
The Ministry of Education also confirmed in August 2026 that the latest UGC list contained 32 institutions and said UGC had issued notices/clarifications and written to concerned state authorities regarding action against such institutions.
⚠️ Important: The term “fake university” in this article refers specifically to institutions included in the UGC’s official list. Students should always check the latest UGC database before taking admission.
📋 State-Wise List of 32 Institutions
According to the UGC’s February 2026 list:
| State/UT | Institution | No. |
|---|---|---|
| Andhra Pradesh | Christ New Testament Deemed University | 1 |
| Bible Open University of India | 2 | |
| Arunachal Pradesh | Indian Institute of Alternative Medicine | 1 |
| Delhi | Mountain Institute of Management & Technology | 1 |
| World Peace of United Nations University (WPUNU) | 2 | |
| Institute of Management and Engineering | 3 | |
| National Institute of Management Solution | 4 | |
| All India Institute of Public & Physical Health Sciences (AIIPHS) State Government University | 5 | |
| Commercial University Ltd. | 6 | |
| United Nations University | 7 | |
| Vocational University | 8 | |
| ADR-Centric Juridical University | 9 | |
| Indian Institute of Science and Engineering | 10 | |
| Viswakarma Open University for Self-Employment | 11 | |
| Adhyatmik Vishwavidyalaya (Spiritual University) | 12 | |
| Haryana | Magic & Art University | 1 |
| Jharkhand | Daksha University (Vocational and Life Skill Education) | 1 |
| Karnataka | Global Human Peace University | 1 |
| Sarva Bharatiya Shiksha Peeth | 2 | |
| Kerala | International Islamic University of Prophetic Medicine (IIUPM) | 1 |
| St. John’s University | 2 | |
| Maharashtra | Raja Arabic University | 1 |
| National Backward Krushi Vidyapeeth | 2 | |
| Puducherry | Usha Latchumanan College of Education | 1 |
| Sree Bodhi Academy of Higher Education | 2 | |
| Rajasthan | Rajeev Gandhi Institute of Technology & Management | 1 |
| Uttar Pradesh | Gandhi Hindi Vidyapith | 1 |
| Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose University (Open University) | 2 | |
| Bhartiya Shiksha Parishad | 3 | |
| Mahamaya Technical University | 4 | |
| West Bengal | Indian Institute of Alternative Medicine | 1 |
| Institute of Alternative Medicine and Research | 2 |
The complete names and details above are taken from the UGC’s official list.
📊 Which States Have the Most Institutions on the List?
The distribution is:
| State/UT | Institutions |
|---|---|
| Delhi | 12 |
| Uttar Pradesh | 4 |
| Andhra Pradesh | 2 |
| Karnataka | 2 |
| Kerala | 2 |
| Maharashtra | 2 |
| Puducherry | 2 |
| West Bengal | 2 |
| Arunachal Pradesh | 1 |
| Haryana | 1 |
| Jharkhand | 1 |
| Rajasthan | 1 |
| Total | 32 |
Delhi accounts for 12 of the 32 institutions on the February 2026 list.
⚠️ Why Students Need to Be Careful
Before taking admission, students should not rely only on:
- University advertisements
- Social media posts
- WhatsApp messages
- Agents or consultants
- Attractive websites
- Claims of “UGC approved”
- Claims of “Government recognised”
- Placement promises
- Low-fee admission offers
Instead, verify the institution through official regulatory sources.
A university’s name containing words such as University, National, International, Government or Institute does not by itself establish legal authority to award recognised degrees.
✅ 5 Checks Before Paying Admission Fees
1️⃣ Check the official UGC website
Search for the institution on the official UGC website.
UGC — List of Fake Universities
2️⃣ Check the university category
Depending on the institution, verify whether it is listed as a:
- Central University
- State University
- Private University
- Deemed-to-be University
UGC provides official university information through its website.
3️⃣ Verify the programme
Even when an institution is legitimate, the specific programme may have additional regulatory requirements.
For example, students should check relevant regulators where applicable, such as:
- UGC
- AICTE
- NMC
- BCI
- NCTE
- PCI
- Other applicable professional regulators
4️⃣ Be careful with online/distance programmes
For online and distance education, check the programme and institution through the UGC/Distance Education Bureau (DEB) information before enrolling.
5️⃣ Don’t pay based only on an advertisement
Always verify the information from an official government/regulator website before transferring money.
🎓 What Students Should Remember
A university’s recognition status matters because students invest significant time and money in their education.
An unrecognised institution can create serious problems when a student later needs to use a qualification for:
- Higher education
- Government recruitment
- Professional registration
- Competitive examinations
- Employment verification
- Further academic admission
The Ministry of Education has stated that UGC periodically publishes its fake-university list and that authorities have been asked to take appropriate action against institutions operating in violation of applicable provisions.
🔎 Don’t Just Trust a Screenshot
The newspaper clipping shared above is useful as an awareness visual, but students should not use a newspaper image as the final authority.
Always verify the latest status directly with UGC.
The UGC page currently identifies its list as “As of February 2026” and the page itself shows it was updated on 16 September 2026.
📌 Official Source
University Grants Commission — List of Fake Universities
Check the official UGC list here
Ministry of Education / PIB — Fake Universities operating in the country
Read the Ministry of Education update
🚨 Final Student Alert
Before you pay admission fees, verify.
Don’t choose a university only because:
❌ The advertisement looks professional
❌ The website looks genuine
❌ Someone promises a degree quickly
❌ An agent says “UGC approved”
❌ The fee is unusually attractive
Instead:
✅ Check UGC
✅ Check the institution’s legal status
✅ Check the specific programme
✅ Check applicable regulators
✅ Verify before paying
🎓 Your degree can affect your career for years. Take five minutes to verify before spending your money.
Share this information with students, parents and anyone planning admission.
