Chronic failure of regulation in higher education

FAKE degrees and unrecognised universities have become a recurring menace, eroding the credibility of our higher education system. The University Grants Commission (UGC) has once again flagged 22 unrecognised institutions operating across the country, with Delhi alone accounting for 10. Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Kerala follow with multiple violators. These findings reaffirm the uncomfortable truth that this is a cyclical failure of regulation and enforcement. The consequences are grave. Thousands of unsuspecting students waste precious years and hard-earned money on institutions that hold no legal standing or academic legitimacy. Parents are deceived and employers left questioning the authenticity of qualifications. The moral rot is deeper as when education becomes commerce without conscience, society pays the price.

Over the years, the UGC has routinely issued such dubious lists. Over 20 fake universities have been named in the past few years. What makes matters worse is that many of the ‘institutions’, including those sounding like professional colleges, are repeat offenders. For instance, Commercial University Ltd, United Nations University and Vocational University (Delhi), Indian Institute of Planning and Management (IIPM) and St John’s University, Kishanattam (Kerala) have featured in previous years for misleading students with high degrees and bright futures. It clearly indicates that penalties are too mild and oversight too sporadic to deter malpractice.

Simply issuing advisories and updating websites is not enough. The UGC and state governments must launch joint crackdowns, pursue criminal action against fraudulent promoters and run year-round awareness drives in schools and online portals. India aspires to be a global education hub under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. But that vision rings hollow when fake universities flourish even in the national capital. Credibility must be the cornerstone of higher education reform.