The Supreme Court has directed the University Grants Commission (UGC) and every other education regulator to issue public advisories cautioning students, parents and the public against seeking admission in, or dealing with, an institution without first checking that it is genuine. The Union government has been asked to monitor whether the regulators comply.

The direction was issued in an order dated 9 October 2026 by a bench of Justices Ahsanuddin Amanullah and N.V. Anjaria, according to reports by Bar and Bench and LiveLaw published over the weekend.

The Etah case

The order followed an application placing before the court a newspaper report from 1 September about a purported medical college in Mahmoodpur Nagaria village in Etah district, Uttar Pradesh. According to the reports, the institution appeared to operate from a dilapidated two- or three-room structure on farmland and claimed to offer courses including D.Pharma, B.Pharma, B.Sc. Nursing, DMLT, BMLT, BAMS, GNM and ANM.

The person shown on paper as the institution's chairman was described in the court record as an illiterate tea seller who said he was unaware of its activities but had signed documents given to him. Police have taken action against the man said to be running the institution and three others. No court has ruled on the allegations.

Additional Solicitor General K.M. Nataraj, appearing for Uttar Pradesh, told the bench that the police investigation had progressed substantially and that the state's Chief Secretary had also ordered an independent inquiry. He suggested that the UGC warn the public to verify institutions before dealing with them. The bench said it found the suggestion useful and made it a formal direction, while also noting the state's quick response.

A wider case on private universities

The matter arose in Ayesha Jain v. Amity University, Noida and Others, a writ petition that began as an individual dispute over university records. The court has since widened it into an examination of how private universities and other institutions are established, regulated and run across the country. The next hearing is listed for 19 November 2026, according to Bar and Bench.

How students and families can check an institution

Before paying fees, applicants can confirm that a university appears on the UGC's official lists of recognised universities and that it is not on the UGC's published list of fake universities. For professional programmes, approval must also come from the relevant statutory body, such as the National Medical Commission, Pharmacy Council of India, Indian Nursing Council or AICTE, and these bodies publish lists of approved institutions and courses. A physical campus visit and a written query to the regulator can settle doubts that a brochure or website cannot.

Sources

This News Desk report summarises information published by the sources above, written in our own words. Persons named in criminal matters are accused, not convicted, unless a court has ruled otherwise. To report an error, use our contact page.

Supreme CourtUGCFake InstitutionsUttar PradeshAdmissions

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