Key Points:
The University Grants Commission (UGC) has released a list identifying 32 fake universities operating across India as of February 2026.
Delhi has the highest number, with 12 fake universities, followed by Uttar Pradesh with four.
The UGC warned that degrees issued by these institutions hold no academic or employment value.
The vision of educational institutions in India has reached a point where fiction seems intertwined with reality. Amid the rising number of scams, such as bogus degrees issued by fake universities, the issue has become a focal point of discussion after the University Grants Commission (UGC) declared that more than 30 universities operating in the country are not genuine.
The shocking part is that the national capital, Delhi, has emerged as a hub for such fake universities.
The situation reminds us of the Hindi movie F.A.L.T.U., directed by Remo D’Souza, which revolved around a fake university named F.A.L.T.U., short for Fakirchand and Lakirchand Trust University.
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As of February 2026, the UGC released a state-wise list of all the fake universities operating across the country. The UGC, a statutory body that aims to maintain the quality of higher education in India, stated that it has identified around 32 such universities and further warned that the degrees provided by the institutions included in the list do not possess any institutional value and are invalid for employment purposes.
The UGC, which operates under the Union Ministry of Education, has promptly informed students and parents that these fake universities are not recognised by the UGC and therefore hold no value. Students have been advised to verify the authenticity of institutions before taking admission to them. The commission further clarified that educational qualifications obtained from these universities have no value for any official purposes.
The list categorises different states that house such bogus institutions, with Delhi at the top of the list. According to the UGC, Delhi has the highest number of fake universities, followed by Uttar Pradesh. Delhi has 12 fake universities, whereas Uttar Pradesh has four. Other states on the list include Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Maharashtra, Puducherry, Arunachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, and others.
Some of the universities recognised by the UGC as fake include United Nations University, World Peace University of the United Nations, Bible Open University of India, Mountain Institute of Management & Technology, and Viswakarma Open University for Self-Employment, among several others.
As per an International Institutional Ranking Framework (IIRF) report, the issue of fake universities remains a persistent challenge in a country like India. These institutions serve as hubs where unapproved courses and certifications are offered to students, ultimately harming their “future prospects” and undermining the nation’s education system. In several cases, even genuine institutions have been found providing fake degrees, which erode the educational structure at its very foundation.
In one of the recent cases involving fake degrees, Manav Bharti University (MBU) in Solan, Himachal Pradesh, was caught in a web of fraud and became one of the biggest education scams of 2021. According to reports, MBU sold more than 36,000 fake degrees over a period of 11 years. Following an investigation, a massive fake-degree racket worth crores of rupees was uncovered.
A charitable trust named Manav Bharti Charitable Trust was granted permission by the Himachal Pradesh government to operate the institution in 2009. The trust owns two institutions—one in Himachal Pradesh and another in Rajasthan.
As part of the investigation, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) froze assets worth ₹194.17 crore belonging to MBU chairman Raj Kumar Rana. The probe further revealed that students were sold these fake degrees at prices ranging from ₹1 lakh to ₹3 lakh.
Now that the UGC has listed the names of 32 fake universities in India, a widely disregarded web of scams has been brought into the spotlight, raising serious concerns about a grave issue underlying the country’s education system. The issue of fake universities and fake degrees, much like those depicted in the film F.A.L.T.U.
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