UGC's fake university list: 32 names, four in UP, and how to check a college before you pay

Admission season brings glossy brochures, and some of them come from places that have no right to call themselves universities. The University Grants Commission (UGC) keeps a public list of such institutions. The current version, marked "as of February 2026" on the UGC website, names 32 fake universities across 12 states and union territories.

The list sits on UGC's page for higher education institutions violating regulations, alongside three other lists that students and parents should also know about. This guide explains what each list says and how to check an institution before paying a fee.

What the fake university list says

Delhi accounts for 12 of the 32 entries, more than any other place. Uttar Pradesh has four. Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Puducherry and West Bengal have two each, and Arunachal Pradesh, Haryana, Jharkhand and Rajasthan have one each.

The four in Uttar Pradesh are Gandhi Hindi Vidyapith in Prayag, Allahabad; Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose University (Open University) in Achaltal, Aligarh; Bhartiya Shiksha Parishad at Bharat Bhawan, Matiyari Chinhat, Faizabad Road, Lucknow; and Mahamaya Technical University, listed at an address opposite Sector 110 in Noida.

The Haryana entry is Magic & Art University at Dashmesh Plaza, Mathura Road, Faridabad, which matters for families in Gurugram and the rest of the National Capital Region. The Jharkhand entry is Daksha University (Vocational and Life Skill Education) in Ranchi.

Several Delhi entries carry names that could easily be mistaken for genuine bodies, among them United Nations University, Delhi; World Peace of United Nations University; Vocational University, Delhi; Commercial University Ltd. in Daryaganj; and Indian Institute of Science and Engineering, New Delhi. Another entry, All India Institute of Public & Physical Health Sciences, describes itself as a state government university.

Why a degree from these bodies does not count

Under Section 22 of the UGC Act, 1956, the right to award degrees can be exercised only by a university set up under a central, provincial or state Act, an institution deemed to be a university, or an institution given that power by an Act of Parliament. Section 23 bars any other institution from using the word "university" in its name, with limited exceptions. A degree from a body on the fake list is therefore not a recognised degree, however official the certificate looks.

The cost of finding out late can be high. A student may discover the problem only when applying for a government job, a postgraduate seat or a visa, by which time the fees and years are already spent.

The three other UGC lists

The same page carries a list of institutions not following UGC's PhD regulations. It names five private universities: OPJS University in Churu, Sunrise University in Alwar, Singhania University in Jhunjhunu and Shri Jagdish Prasad Jhabarmal Tibrewala University in Jhunjhunu, all in Rajasthan, and Monad University in Hapur, Uttar Pradesh. These are not fake universities, but anyone weighing a PhD at one of them should check UGC's current position before enrolling.

A second list names universities that have not appointed an ombudsperson, the officer UGC requires every university to have for hearing student grievances. It has 29 entries across 17 states and union territories. It includes Dr. Rajendra Prasad National Law University in Prayagraj, Bihar Sports University, Delhi Sports University and the Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga, along with well-known names such as the National Law School of India University and the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences in Karnataka. For students at these universities, the listing means a key complaint channel may not be in place.

A third list, of defaulter state private universities, has four names: Dev Sanskriti Vishwavidyalaya in Durg, Chhattisgarh; India International University of Legal Education and Research in South Goa; TeamLease Skills University in Vadodara; and OPJS University in Churu, which also appears on the PhD list. The page does not give the reason for each listing.

How to check before you pay

Start with the UGC website, which publishes state-wise lists of central, state, private and deemed universities. If the name you have been given is not there, or the address does not match, treat it as a warning. Check the fake list by name and by town, because some entries share names with genuine institutions elsewhere.

For distance and online degrees, the university also needs UGC recognition for that mode and that programme. Being a genuine university does not by itself allow a course to be offered by distance. UGC's most recent recognition round for open and distance learning closed in September, as reported in our story on UGC's ODL and online applications.

Be wary of an "approved" label that does not name the approving body, of degrees promised in weeks, and of fees demanded in cash or into a personal account. Ask which Act the university was set up under. A genuine state private university will be able to name it, and the Act will be on the state government's website.

Money for a genuine course is also easier to find at a recognised institution. Government support such as scholarships on the National Scholarship Portal and PM-Vidyalaxmi education loans is linked to recognised institutions, which is one more reason to check first.

UGC updates these lists from time to time, and the February 2026 version is the one currently shown on its website. Anyone who comes across an institution calling itself a university without recognition can bring it to UGC's notice.