Quick Overview: Backdated and forged degrees will never be deemed legitimate substitutes for genuine degrees in India. If any degree has been obtained using fraudulent records, from an unrecognized university, or through any unauthorized process, then one can run into a lot of problems. The students of Hyderabad and Bangalore must check all such aspects before making any payment for their degrees.
Hyderabad and Bangalore are two of the most important cities in terms of education and employment within India. There are many students and professionals who want to find flexible ways of getting educated, even with their busy lives and responsibilities.
However, there are chances of some agencies providing services for backdated degrees, speedy completion of studies, or a guarantee of awarding certificates without attending any courses or exams. Such programs may appear appealing to those who want to obtain a degree within a short period. There is a possibility that such a degree may either turn out to be legally unacceptable or may not be verified by an employer, institution of higher learning, or any governmental department.
Are Backdated and Fake Degrees Valid in India?
The backdated or fake degrees, which are unauthorized or fake, cannot be considered substitutes for valid degrees in India. The credibility of these degrees cannot be established on the basis of a mere certificate, a stamp, a registration number, or any assurance from any agent. The awarding of a degree from an institute that does not have the right legal authority or a course that does not adhere to the right recognition requirements could be rejected for any official purpose.
The actual penalty that would be meted out would be based on the circumstances surrounding the case, the institution involved, the scheme, and the relevant laws pertaining to the issue. Utilizing any fake documents and knowingly lying about one’s qualifications will also carry a penalty. Effective 1 July 2024, any acts of forgery shall be covered under the provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (BNS), replacing the Indian Penal Code.
Section 336 BNS covers forgery, providing imprisonment up to two years and/or a fine, while forgery for cheating provides imprisonment for up to seven years and a fine. The use of a fake document as genuine falls under Section 340 of the BNS, as discussed in this explainer on the IPC and BNS forgery sections.
Students need to confirm the institute or program with the University Grants Commission (UGC), and also the UGC Distance Education Bureau (UGC-DEB), if applicable. The issuing university holds the responsibility for confirming the genuineness of any particular degree.
Fake University, Fake Certificate, or Improper Award?
There are three types of fake degrees:
- Fake University: It is a university without any legitimate right to grant degrees. This type of university is listed by the UGC.
- Certificate of a valid university that is a forgery: Here the university is genuine, but the certificate of the university is printed using the name of the university by some other person. Cases have been registered in Hyderabad and Bengaluru, where there were forged certificates bearing the names of a genuine university. The issuing university alone can validate a certificate.
- The degree is granted without going through any proper academic procedure: here the certificate looks authentic, but it is issued without undergoing any kind of admission, examination, or attendance. There is one Hyderabad case where this very thing was alleged by the police.
That’s why when one checks if the university is a fake university or not, that’s just one step towards validation.
What Has Been Reported About Backdated Degree Offers in Hyderabad and Bangalore?
Both cities have police-reported cases of forged or improperly issued degrees. The cases below are allegations and arrests, not court convictions.
Hyderabad (Telangana)
The list of fake universities compiled by the UGC (February 2026) includes 32 fake universities in the country. It does not mean that all agents or certificates in Hyderabad are legitimate, as most complaints include fake certificates or wrong awards.
- SRK University Case. Four cases were filed by the Central Crime Station of Hyderabad against agents of educational consultants and the management of SRK University of Bhopal. According to the police, degrees were awarded without examination and without attending lectures in exchange for huge amounts of money; 101 certificates were awarded, and the vice-chancellor and the retired vice-chancellor were arrested.
- Masab Tank case. The police had arrested three individuals along with 15 fake certificates, including certificates of B.Sc., M.Sc. and B.Com. from Monad University and semester-wise memos of Glocal University. They thought that there was some network that took online money from the dropouts and unemployed youth.
- Keesara raid: The Special Operations Team, Malkajgiri, made four arrests and confiscated 40 fake degrees from Shobhit University, Sri Krishna Devaraya University, and Ambedkar Open University.
- Earlier reports. A 2019 report said fake degrees were available for Rs 10,000 to 15,000 and that about 10 Hyderabad consultancies approached candidates enrolled at Annamalai University and Bangalore University. In 2022, police had held 10 people in a 10 Hyderabad consultancies.
In most of these cases, the police did not say that the universities named on the certificates were involved. The exception is the SRK University case, where police alleged wrongdoing by the university's own management.
Bangalore (Karnataka)
The February 2026 list of the UGC contains two universities in the state of Karnataka, which are Global Human Peace University (Bengaluru) and Sarva Bharatiya Shiksha Peeth (Tumakuru). Please see the table below for more information.
Bengaluru CCB case (January 2023): According to the Central Crime Branch, the man, who had been involved in selling fake degree certificates for a long time, was apprehended, and around 6,800 fake certificates from 15 universities were confiscated, along with 22 laptops and computers, as well as 13 mobile phones. The fake certificates bore the names of Bangalore University, Annamalai University, Sikkim University, Venkateshwara University (Arunachal Pradesh), and Mangalore University.
The Cases at a Glance
| Case | City | What was reported |
| SRK University | Hyderabad | 101 degrees issued without exams or attendance, as alleged; two university heads arrested |
| SRK University | Hyderabad | 15 fake certificates recovered; 3 arrested |
| Keesara raid | Hyderabad | 40 fake degree certificates seized; 4 arrested |
| Bengaluru CCB (Jan 2023) | Bengaluru | About 6,800 fake certificates of 15 universities seized; 1 arrested |
What Are the Red Flags of a Backdated Degree Offer in Hyderabad and Bangalore?
- Degree Program Without Any Education: Be cautious of the agents who offer you the chance to enrol in any recognized degree program at undergraduate or postgraduate levels without any studying or examination.
- Quick Certificate Award in Days: An offer to award a full diploma within days without any legitimate academic procedure is another major red flag. Ensure that you inquire with the institution about their legitimate admission, assessment, and awarding procedures.
- No Communication Channel for the University: Some agents refer to themselves as representatives of universities in an unauthorized way. Contact the university through their website and inquire whether this agent is authorized to recruit students and levy charges on behalf of the university.
- No Valid Academic Documentation: The documentation for an academic credential should include admission documents, examination documents, and degree awarding documents. Inability to produce any form of document means that the channel is a red flag.
- Demanding Immediate Payment: Be careful when someone asks you to pay immediately, pays himself, or asks for an extra amount to get a guaranteed certificate. Request an official fee structure as well as the receipt issued by the authorized body.
- Offering a Degree without Attendance under Any Circumstances: Even though the online courses and distance learning courses are flexible, they are still bound by some specific regulations. It is impossible for the agent to authenticate any degree that is unauthorized by claiming it as an online or distance degree.
- All-inclusive payment without a breakdown: Real universities have their official fee structure and give receipts to students. An all-inclusive fee without a breakup is a red flag.
- Fancy University Name: Often fraudulent universities use university names similar to those of known universities. Check the exact name, address, and legal status of the university on the UGC website.
Is an Online Degree a Valid Alternative to a Backdated Degree in India?
Yes, online degrees are valid in India, provided that they have been granted by a university that has been eligible and entitled to award such degrees as per the required rules.
Information regarding institutions and programs accredited to provide online or ODL education is released by the UGC-DEB. Accreditation may vary by academic year, the program itself, and mode of instruction. As such, students are advised to consider the specific course and admission session instead of the university’s reputation.
This means that a student interested in an online program should confirm:
- Whether the university is registered under law.
- Whether the particular course is registered or authorized for that particular admission cycle.
- Whether the method selected is allowed for that course.
- Whether examinations and assessments are conducted according to the guidelines of the university.
- Whether you have been requested to get your DEB-ID. Candidates who join ODL and online courses are supposed to get their DEB-ID through the UGC-DEB portal using their Academic Bank of Credits (ABC) ID.
Online education cannot be compared to purchasing a certificate without studying. There might be certain constraints on online or distance mode for some disciplines. Courses that fall under the jurisdiction of regulating bodies likeAICTE (technical and management courses, among others) might need the approval of the regulating body.
How Can You Choose a Safe Alternative to a Backdated Degree?
Students in Hyderabad and Bangalore are recommended to join any recognised regular, online, or distance education courses suitable for them. These are the procedures to undertake before joining the institutions:
- Recognition of the course: It is advisable to look for the UGC list of recognised universities, the fake universities list, and UGC-DEB programme lists.
- Validation of the admission period: It is necessary to validate the recognition of the same institution in the same academic session when you are going to join.
- Contact the institution: The contact information can be obtained from its official website.
- Course rules: One is advised to review the eligibility, duration, exams, costs, and assessment procedures.
- Degree verification: The issuing institution is supposed to validate your degree and see if it is in the National Academic Depository (NAD), uploaded by the same institution.
- Career verification: The qualifications for regulated careers or government employment must be verified.
Do not enroll in a program because an agent has told you that it guarantees employment or promotion. If you dropped out of a program, find out how to get back into the same program or transfer credits from another one.
What Should You Do If an Agent Offers a Backdated Degree or You Have Already Paid?
- Avoid making any further payments, and do not provide original documents and information like Aadhaar number or bank account information.
- Document all ads, conversations, call information, invoices, and evidence of payments.
- Find out if the agent is legitimate by contacting the University through their official contact information.
- In case you have been cheated in an online transaction, report this to the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal the 1930 helpline and file a complaint at your nearest Police Station or Police Commissionerate.
- In case you already possess a suspicious certificate, get it verified from the concerned University and consult a lawyer.
How Can College Vidya Help You Choose a Genuine Degree Instead of a Backdated Degree?
College Vidya is one such website where students may research online education or distance education opportunities for themselves. It may also be helpful in making comparisons and learning about options for further studies.
However, the learners need to check everything related to the university and program by themselves from official regulatory channels. Do not take it for granted that a program will be accredited just because it features on a comparison website or recommendation of any counsellor. Check all formalities regarding the admission process at the university, accreditation of the program for the particular academic year, and how to complete it.
Conclusion
Although backdated degrees seem to be an easy fix, it is important to note that this approach may endanger the finances, careers, and further education of the learners. The true degrees should be earned and issued according to the legal academic procedures. Counterfeit degrees are not a secure way out for the learners.
If you live in Hyderabad, Bangalore, or in any other city of India, always ensure that the university, course, intake year, and method of learning are checked before you opt for the particular course. An accredited online or distance learning degree program is a suitable option in case all the necessary conditions are met.
