New Delhi: Parliament was informed on Monday that 21 “fake universities” operate in the country, and the respective state governments are taking action against them.

Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan replied in the Lok Sabha that the list of fake universities is available on the University Grants Commission (UGC) website at https://www.ugc.gov.in/universitydetails/Fakeuniversity.

According to the website, only eight of these 21 “fake universities” are functioning in Delhi.

The Minister said that to prevent these institutions from defrauding and cheating students by misrepresenting themselves as “Universities,” the Central government has requested Chief Secretaries of all the states and Union Territories to take legal action for the closure of these institutions.

In a reply to questions from Sudheer Gupta and Dhairyasheel Sambhajirao Mane, the Minister said that apart from issuing public notices for general awareness through social media and the UGC website for cautioning the general public, students, parents and other stakeholders, other steps have also been taken by the UGC/government against such “fake Universities.”

He said that FIRs have been lodged against several self-styled institutions/universities and show cause notices/warning notices have also been issued to the unauthorised institutes awarding invalid degrees.

In response to another question, Minister of State for Education Sukanta Majumdar told the Lok Sabha that the budget allocation to the Department of Higher Education in 2024-25 increased by Rs 2875.29 crore compared to 2023-24.

MoS Majumdar said the department’s total budget in 2024-25 was Rs 47,619.77 crore, compared to Rs 44,744.48 crore in 2023-24, in reply to a question from Dushyant Singh.

In response to a question on public expenditure on higher education in Rajasthan, the MoS said that Rs 556.86 crore was released in FY 2024-25 until November 30, 2024, to three centrally funded higher education institutions in Rajasthan: IIT Jodhpur, Malaviya National Institute of Technology Jaipur, and Central University of Rajasthan.

The MoS said Rs 535.99 crore was also provided for setting up IIM Udaipur and IIIT Kota in Rajasthan.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

–IANS