New Delhi: With the admission season approaching, the University Grants Commission (UGC) has released an updated list of fake universities operating across the country as of February 2026. A total of 32 institutions across 12 states and Union Territories have been declared unauthorised.
Delhi has the highest number of such institutions with 12 entities on the list. The latest addition is Global Human Peace University in Bengaluru which the UGC says is operating in violation of the law.
Global Human Peace University added to list
In a public notice, the UGC stated, ‘This has come to the notice of UGC that Global Human Peace University, #1035, 4th Block, Near Golden Heights Dr Rajkumar Road, Rajali Nagar, Bengaluru-560010 (Karnataka) is awarding degrees in violation of UGC Act, 1956. The UGC has included its name in the UGC list of Fake Universities.’
The regulator further clarified that the institution ‘is neither recognised by UGC under Section 2(f)/ Section 3 of the UGC Act, 1956 nor approved by AICTE and any other statutory body. Hence, it is not entitled to award any degree/diploma.’
It added that ‘any degree/diploma awarded by this institute so far is not valid for Higher Education/ Government employment purposes’ and cautioned students not to take admission in the mentioned self-styled institution.
What the fake university list means
Under the UGC Act, 1956 only universities established by an Act of Parliament or a state legislature or those declared ‘deemed to be university’ under Section 3 of the Act are legally allowed to award degrees.
Any institution operating outside this legal framework does not have the authority to grant recognised qualifications no matter what name it uses. Degrees from institutions listed as fake cannot be used for government jobs, higher education admissions or any official recognition.
The commission has written to higher education departments and principal secretaries in the concerned states asking to take appropriate legal action against these institutions.
State-wise distribution of fake universities
Delhi continues to report the highest number of fake institutions. The list includes-
- All India Institute of Public & Physical Health Sciences
- Commercial University Ltd., Daryaganj
- United Nations University
- Vocational University
- ADR-Centric Juridical University
- Indian Institute of Science and Engineering
- Viswakarma Open University for Self-Employment
- Adhyatmik Vishwavidyalaya
- World Peace of United Nations University
- Institute of Management and Engineering
Other states mentioned in the February 2026 update include Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, West Bengal, Maharashtra and Puducherry. Haryana, Rajasthan, Jharkhand and Arunachal Pradesh have appeared as new additions this year.
In an earlier notice issued in March 2022, the UGC had also identified institutions in Karnataka and Kerala as fake including Badaganvi Sarkar World Open University Education Society in Gokak, Karnataka, and St John’s University in Kerala.