From a distance, after stepping into Rithala village in north-west Delhi’s Rohini, one can spot a four-storey building on which are painted two words in large letters — ‘SPIRITUAL UNIVERSE’. On closer inspection, one can discern a faint ‘TY’ at the end and a colour mismatch in the second ‘E’, hinting that the second word may originally have been spelt ‘UNIVERSITY’. An employee at the front desk doesn’t dispute it and attributes the confusion to the error on the part of the painter.
According to the UGC Act, 1956, no institute can use the word ‘university’ without the commission’s approval. However, the employee says they do not require permission from any authority as they “do not comply with the norms of the material world”.
Satish Narayan Jha, who works here, says he is a “messenger of God” and a follower of “Sanatana Dharma” and that he teaches students of all age groups, who visit on Sunday, about the “soul”.
‘Adhyatmik Vishwavidyalaya’ (Spiritual University) has been featured several times in the University Grants Commission (UGC)’s list of fake universities. However, the list has done little to dissuade the institute from operating as usual.
The ‘university’ first came under the spotlight in 2017 after allegations emerged of young women being illegally confined in it by a self-styled godman, Virender Dev Dixit, who is now absconding.
According to the UGC, Delhi has the most number of fake universities in the country. When students stop enrolling or the authorities crack down, many of these institutes disappear without a trace. However, even after being called out, some institutes continue maintaining functional websites and offering various courses, while others, such as Adhyatmik Vishwavidyalaya, continue brazening it out.
‘Keep a close watch’
On the issue of fake universities, UGC Chairperson Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar said the commission compiles a list regularly on the basis of news articles and complaints by students.
“When we find certain institutions awarding degrees in violation of the UGC Act, we include them in the list of fake universities,” he told The Hindu.
He added, “UGC periodically alerts students, through social media and our website, to be aware of such unscrupulous elements. We request students to look into the credentials of the institutes before applying for admission.”
The latest list published by the UGC — on May 2024 — lists eight such universities, of which three names have appeared regularly for the past 30 years. However, the commission says it can do little besides issuing lists and requesting State governments to ensure their closure.
Delhi government officials did not respond to queries about the shutting down of fake universities.
Nowhere to be found
The menace of fake universities may not be due to the lack of enforcement alone. A ground visit by The Hindu reveals that several institutes appearing on the UGC’s list of fake universities for the past several years don’t even exist.
Near the now-shuttered Golcha Cinema in Daryaganj, a narrow, dimly-lit staircase leads up to a wooden door on the building’s second floor, which once housed ‘Commercial University’. Taped on its door is a “strike-off and dissolution” notice by the Union Ministry of Corporate Affairs. A man seated inside, who did not want to be named, said, “The university stopped functioning in 2020, and no students have come here since.” However, the institute was mentioned in this year’s UGC list.
At Rajendra Place’s Gopala Towers, a pesticide company functions from the premises of what once used to house ‘ADR-Centric Juridical University’. People here say the institute folded up many years ago. However, it was also mentioned in the latest UGC list.
As was ‘Viswakarma Open University for Self-Employment’. The institute used to function from a small two-room flat in Jahangirpuri’s Sanjay Enclave. The name did not ring a bell with any of the residents in the building, except for a man on the fourth floor, who said, “Students used to come here once. But they shut the institute around two years ago. Someone said the institute had been shifted to Haryana, but it too shut down eventually.”
‘All India Institute of Public & Physical Health Sciences (AIIPHS) State Government University’ is supposed to operate from a building in north Delhi’s Alipur, according to the UGC list. However, a woman working at a Mohalla Clinic in the building says the ‘university’ stopped functioning six months ago. Through its website, the institute continues to offer diploma programmes, such as a “Diploma in Sanitary Inspector”.
When asked how often the commission updates its list, the UGC Chairperson said, “The list is revised at regular intervals or as and when required.” Regarding the institutes mentioned on the list of fake universities that no longer exist, Mr. Kumar said the UGC had no information about such cases.
He added that students should ensure that the university they are applying to is accredited by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council.
“Students should be wary of universities that offer admission with little or no qualification checks or require substantial fees upfront without proper documentation. Fake universities often have vague or incomplete information about their programmes, faculty, and facilities,” he said.