The University That Dissolved Itself by Running Away
When the University Grants Commission sent a Fact-Finding Committee to visit EIILM University — Eastern Institute for Integrated Learning in Management — in Jorethang, Sikkim in April 2015, the officials who should have been there to answer for the university's conduct simply were not. The Vice-Chancellor, Registrar, Controller of Examinations, and Director of Distance Education Programmes had all absconded, as confirmed by State Government officials who were present.
What the committee found in their absence — and what UGC's official RTI reply now confirms in detail — is a story of a university that sold degrees without conducting examinations, opened study centres across India without any approval, operated an off-shore campus in Mauritius without authorization, and misled thousands of students for years.
The Sikkim Cabinet formally approved the dissolution of EIILM University on 28 April 2015. This is not an allegation. It is a confirmed, documented government action — now confirmed again in an official UGC reply to an RTI filed by Kamesh on 28 January 2026.
| RTI Reference | F.No.1-1086/2026(RIA/(CPP-I/PU)/176179 |
| RTI Filed Date | 28 January 2026 |
| UGC Reply Date | 26 February 2026 |
| Authority | University Grants Commission, Ministry of Education, New Delhi |
| Institution | EIILM University, Jorethang, Dist. Namchi, Sikkim |
| RTI Filed By | Kamesh |
What EIILM Was — and Was Not — Authorized to Do
EIILM University was established under Sikkim Act No. 4 of 2006, notified by the State Government of Sikkim via Gazette Notification No. 195 dated 07 July 2006. Like all private universities established under a state act, it was empowered to award degrees only through its main campus in regular mode, with approval from Statutory Bodies.
The UGC reply makes the limitations crystal clear:
NOT Authorized to Open Study Centres Outside Sikkim
EIILM was not authorized to open study centres or off-campus centres beyond the territorial jurisdiction of Sikkim, as per the Supreme Court judgment in Prof. Yashpal vs. State of Chhattisgarh. UGC never granted any permission to establish any off-campus, study centre, or off-shore centre anywhere.
DEC Recognition: One Year Only — 3 Programmes Only — Sikkim Only
The Distance Education Council (DEC) accorded recognition for just one academic year — 2009–10 — for three specific programmes: BA (Hospitality & Tourism), BCA, and MBA. This recognition was never extended beyond 2009–10 and covered only the territorial jurisdiction of Sikkim.
The Violations: What UGC Found
UGC received complaints from individuals across the country. What those complaints described amounted to a systematic fraud operation:
Running numerous programmes through distance mode — without any authorization after 2009–10
Opening unauthorized study centres across the country outside Sikkim
Franchising of higher education — explicitly prohibited by UGC since 2001
Issuing degrees without conducting any examinations or practicals
Misleading students with wrong information on its website
Selling degrees by charging money instead of conducting classes or exams
Conducting programmes through collaborative mode with industries and companies
Operating an off-shore campus at Mauritius — with no authorization
"Selling degrees by charging money instead of providing classes or conducting exams."
— UGC Official RTI Reply, describing complaints received against EIILM University | F.No.1-1086/2026 | 26 February 2026The UGC Fact-Finding Committee Visit — And Who Was Missing
Faced with the volume of complaints, UGC constituted a Fact-Finding Committee to visit EIILM University and examine the situation directly. The committee visited from 27 to 29 April 2015. What they found — or rather who they did not find — was extraordinary.
Four Key Officials Were Absconding During the UGC Visit
As confirmed by State Government officials present during the Fact-Finding Committee's visit, all four of EIILM University's key academic and administrative officials had absconded.
The committee managed to meet only the Dean, one Administrative Staff member, and two Assistant Professors of Management. On the basis of what it examined, it made its recommendations to UGC — and they were severe.
What the Fact-Finding Committee Recommended
DISSOLUTION of EIILM University in accordance with the relevant section of the EIILM University Act. The Sikkim Government was already progressing in this direction — and the Sikkim Cabinet approved dissolution on 28 April 2015.
As a unitary university, EIILM had no mandate to affiliate any college or institute. UGC never granted any permission to establish off-campus, study, or off-shore centres.
State Government to protect interests of regular on-campus students in Sikkim, accommodating them in nearby colleges until they complete their courses.
Only degrees for 2009–10 in three disciplines (BA Hospitality, BCA, MBA) for students admitted within Sikkim may be validated. Degrees in all other disciplines and beyond 2009–10 shall not be valid.
UGC to issue public notice advising the general public not to take admission in EIILM University or any of its off-campus centres or study centres.
UGC to communicate with Ministry of Information and Technology for banning and blocking the EIILM University website which had been misleading students.
What Is Valid and What Is Not
| Programme | Condition | Validity |
|---|---|---|
| BA (Hospitality & Tourism), BCA, MBA | 2009–10 only, within Sikkim only, admitted at main campus | MAY BE VALIDATED |
| Any programme beyond 2009–10 | — | NOT VALID |
| Any programme outside Sikkim | — | NOT VALID |
| Any programme not among the three approved | — | NOT VALID |
| Any degree from off-campus/study centre | — | NOT VALID |
Why This Investigation Matters in 2026
EIILM University was dissolved in 2015 — over a decade ago. Yet in 2026, Kamesh's RTI was necessary because the consequences of EIILM's fraudulent operations are still being felt. Individuals across India continue to hold EIILM degrees on their CVs, present them to employers, submit them to immigration authorities, and use them in applications for higher education.
Employers who encounter an EIILM degree need to know: the university no longer exists, was dissolved for cause, and the vast majority of degrees it issued — anything outside the three approved programmes, beyond 2009–10, or outside Sikkim — are not valid.
If You Hold an EIILM Degree — What to Do
If you hold a degree from EIILM University, or if you have received one from a job applicant, here are the steps you should take immediately.
Check the programme and year
Only BA (Hospitality & Tourism), BCA, and MBA from 2009–10, for students admitted within Sikkim at the main campus, may be valid. Everything else is not.
File an RTI with the Sikkim HRDD
The Director (Higher Education), Human Resource Development Department, Government of Sikkim holds the admission records. File an RTI asking for your enrolment record.
File a consumer complaint
If you paid fees for a programme that was never conducted legitimately, file a consumer complaint against the institution or agent through whom you enrolled.
Report to UGC
File a complaint at ugc.ac.in. UGC has a formal complaint mechanism for fake and irregular degree matters.
Contact Kamesh
For RTI support, verification guidance, or investigative assistance, reach out via educationfraudcheck.com. All guidance is provided free of charge.
What this investigation establishes: All facts are sourced from the official UGC RTI reply F.No.1-1086/2026(RIA/(CPP-I/PU)/176179 dated 26 February 2026. The dissolution of EIILM University is a confirmed government action by the Sikkim Cabinet on 28 April 2015.
Pages 3 and 4: The UGC RTI reply is a 4-page document. This investigation is based on pages 1 and 2. Additional findings from pages 3–4 will be incorporated when the complete document is available.
EFC standard: We publish only what official documents confirm. Nothing in this article goes beyond what the UGC's own RTI reply states.