As many as 21 institutions figure in the list of fake universities on the website of the University Grants Commission (UGC) and 12 fake universities have been closed since 2014, informed the Minister of State for Education Dr Sukanta Mazumdar in a written reply.

Answering a question in the Lok Sabha, on whether the Commission has declared the 21 universities as “fake” and what actions are taken by the government, the minister said: “Maintenance of Law and order is a subject matter of state governments.”

Accordingly, the minister added, the central government has requested the Chief Secretaries of all the states and union territories’ administrations to take legal action for the closure of the 21 fake institutions and take appropriate action against those involved in defrauding and cheating students by misrepresenting themselves as “Universities”, awarding degrees and using the word “University” with their name.

As a result, 12 fake universities were closed since 2014, the minister said.

The government has also requested to intimate if there are other fake universities functioning in their states or UTs which are not included in the UGC list of Fake Universities.

Apart from issuing public notices for general awareness through social media and UGC website for cautioning the general public, students, parents, and other stakeholders, the government has also lodged FIRs against several self-styled institutions and universities, issued show causes or warning notices to the unauthorised institutes awarding invalid degrees.

The UGC official website ugc.gov.in/universitydetails/Fakeuniversity has made the list of all the fake universities in the country.