Thu Feb 06 02:02:17 UTC 2025: ## Government Shuts Down 12 Fake Universities, 21 Remain on Watchlist
**New Delhi** – The Indian government has cracked down on fraudulent higher education institutions, closing 12 fake universities since 2014, Minister of State for Education Dr. Sukanta Mazumdar revealed in a Lok Sabha statement. This follows ongoing efforts to address the issue of institutions falsely representing themselves as universities and defrauding students.
The University Grants Commission (UGC) maintains a list of 21 fake universities, with eight operating in Delhi alone. While the central government has instructed state and union territory administrations to take legal action against these institutions and prosecute those involved in the deception, the responsibility for law enforcement rests with the respective state governments.
The minister stated that the government has filed FIRs against several institutions, issued warnings and show-cause notices to unauthorized entities awarding fake degrees, and publicized the list of fake universities via social media and the UGC website to alert the public. Furthermore, states have been urged to identify and report any additional fraudulent universities not yet included on the UGC list.
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