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New Delhi [India], May 20 (ANI): The Delhi High Court on Wednesday sought responses from the Centre, the Delhi government, the University Grants Commission (UGC) and the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) on a Public Interest Litigation seeking a CBI investigation into fake universities allegedly issuing invalid degrees and misleading students.
A Division Bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia observed that the petition raised "serious issues" concerning students and the higher education system.
The Bench also asked Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma to bring the concerns highlighted in the plea to the notice of officials in the Education Ministry and impress upon them to take appropriate action.
"Such a request is being made for the reason that students are attracted by such [fake] institutions, and if they pursue their courses, it would ultimately result in a waste of time, energy and resources, as they would end up getting degrees which would not make them employable," the Court observed.
The matter has now been listed for further hearing in August.
The PIL has been filed by advocate Shashank Deo Sudhi, who has sought directions for a CBI inquiry against persons allegedly involved in the creation and continued operation of fake universities across the country. The petition seeks identification of the number of degrees conferred by such institutions and the number of students whose careers were allegedly affected due to unrecognised qualifications.
The plea alternatively seeks constitution of a high-powered committee headed by a retired High Court judge to examine the functioning of fake universities, identify lapses and negligence by officials which enabled their proliferation, and recommend accountability as well as remedial measures to safeguard the education system.
The petition further prays for criminal prosecution and confiscation proceedings against institutions identified by the UGC as "fake universities", along with directions for the creation of a centralised online portal and helpline for verification of recognised institutions and assistance to victims allegedly duped by such entities.
According to the plea, fake universities continue to operate by falsely portraying themselves as recognised institutions and conferring degrees, diplomas and certificates without legal authority. The petition states that such institutions allegedly exploit students by using misleading advertisements, fabricated affiliations and online platforms to attract admissions.
The petitioner has contended that despite repeated public notices and advisories issued by the UGC warning students about fake universities, many institutions continue to appear in successive lists issued over the years, demonstrating a lack of effective enforcement action.
The plea alleges that there is a regulatory vacuum under the UGC Act, 1956, as the statutory framework lacks adequate enforcement and penal provisions to effectively shut down such institutions. It claims that the absence of strong punitive mechanisms has enabled unauthorised entities to function "with practical impunity", resulting in loss of time, money and career opportunities for thousands of students.
The petition also refers to representations allegedly sent by the petitioner to the Ministry of Education and the UGC in November 2025, seeking investigation, prosecution and closure of fake universities and amendment of the UGC Act to strengthen enforcement powers. However, no response was allegedly received to the representation.
Further, the plea relies on RTI replies allegedly indicating that despite knowledge of such fraudulent institutions, no meaningful prosecution, closure action or confiscatory proceedings had been initiated by authorities. (ANI)