[ Bengia Teri ]
In India today, ‘Dr’ is no longer always a mark of scholarship. It is, tragically, a purchasable commodity. While genuine PhD scholars struggle for years to earn their title through sweat, research, and sleepless nights, others strut about with bogus ‘honorary doctorates’ conferred by organisations that exist only on paper.
One such racket is of dubious outfits operating out of the same address and the same telephone ID in Delhi’s Best Business Park, Netaji Subhash Place, flaunting names like World Human Rights Protection Commission, Bharat Gaurav Ratna Shri Samman, World Peace Institute of United Nations, and World Peace United Nations University. Their websites scream of affiliations with the United Nations and the Government of India. In truth, they are nothing more than registered entities with no authority to grant degrees, doctorates, or awards. Yet, gullible citizens – and worse, respected public figures – fall into their trap.
In 2023, an ‘International Anti-Corruption and Human Rights Council’ staged a sham ceremony at Anna University, Chennai, handing out fake doctorates while borrowing the university’s logo for credibility. It was academic theft in broad daylight. And still, such rackets multiply across the country, unchecked.
The rot runs deep. ‘Sprout News’, Mumbai, in its 28 May, 2025 exposé revealed how these paper universities trade in vanity degrees, naming individuals like Tapan Kumar Rautary, Kavita Bajaj – allegedly directing not one but four such outfits. Their business model? Sell fake prestige to the fame-hungry. Even more brazen, they pretend to confer top national honours – Bharat Ratna, Padma awards – while pocketing ‘fees’ for these titles.
Even the government had to step in. On 17 August, 2025, the Press Information Bureau (PIB) on its X handle fact-check publicly declared that Bharat Gaurav Ratna Shri Samman is not associated with the Government of India, and that its claims of approval to confer top national awards like Bharat Ratna, Padma Vibhushan, and Padma Bhushan were false. In other words, official confirmation that these titles are a scam.
The bogus degree factories
# World Human Rights Protection Commission (WHRPC). Claims to a champion human rights but is busy selling fake honorary doctorates.
# Bharat Gaurav Ratna Shri Samman. Poses as a national award body, even ‘conferring’ Bharat Ratna and Padma awards, which PIB exposed as fraudulent.
# World Peace Institute of United Nations (WPIUN). Dresses itself in UN branding, offers diplomas and even PhDs without recognition. Not affiliated with the UGC.
# World Peace United Nations University (WPUNU). A so-called ‘global university’ with no campus, no recognition, and no legitimacy. No affiliation with the UGC.
# International Anti-Corruption and Human Rights Council (IACHRC). Infamously exposed at Anna University, Chennai, for faking affiliations.
These outfits exist only on paper – no ground work, no campus, no contributions to the society; only indulging in lavish parties and events where they honour people with fake honorary doctorate degrees.
Bogus titles in Arunachal
This national disease has not spared Arunachal Pradesh. In fact, some of the state’s own prominent personalities have been duped and swept up in the glitter of these fake degrees. Following Sprout News’ investigation, one organisation piqued my interest – the WHRPC – which awarded honorary doctorates to several names in the state.
These so-called honours were celebrated across the local press, without so much as a question mark. Social media flooded with congratulatory messages. Ceremonies were held. Titles were flaunted and continue to be flaunted.
But here lies the uncomfortable truth: none of these degrees came from UGC-recognised universities. They were issued by dubious organisations already exposed for fraud – some even disowned by the Government of India itself. By uncritically echoing these stories, sections of the media became amplifiers of deceit, fooling the public into believing that these honorary titles carried legitimacy.
Personalities who have been duped of these organisations should come forward and surrender the degree and take a strong stance against fake honorary doctorate degree. The title ‘Dr’ carries a significant weightage in our state; it’s seen as a mark of respect, and such instances take away its credibility. The public continues to be duped by these titles carried these personalities. This is not just vanity – it is academic theft. Each fake ‘Dr’ title chips away at the respect due to scholars who spend years of their lives earning the real thing.
The University Grants Commission (UGC) cannot hide behind silence. Its inaction is complicity. The Rajiv Gandhi University Academic Council and the Higher Education Department of Arunachal Pradesh must intervene. And the media, instead of cheerleading fraud, must expose it.
But the public, too, has a role. We must stop being dazzled by glittering ceremonies and grandiose titles. We must question: who conferred this degree? Is the institution recognised by the UGC? Has PIB or UGC issued a warning against it? Vanity must not come at the cost of truth. One must not blindly be swayed by the titles, and do some own research on the person who has been awarded the degree; it’s the foolishness of the public that gives rise to such academic theft. The public must question as to how, when and from whom he/she got the degree.
On the occasion of Teachers’ Day, we must remind ourselves of what true education truly stands for. Education is not about prestigious titles – it is about nurturing minds, shaping societies, and building futures. As Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, the scholar-statesman in whose honour we celebrate this day, once stood for, the dignity of knowledge must always outweigh the allure of prestige.
The time for politeness has passed. The ‘Dr’ title is not for sale. If India values its academic future, it must stamp out these fake degrees with urgency. Otherwise, tomorrow, every street corner will have its own ‘university’, and the scholar’s pen will be worth less than the fraudster’s cheque. This article is a reminder that not every ‘Dr’ is a Dr.
Finally, be wary of such organisation that claims to award you with titles and honours without checking the background of the organisation and institute. (The contributor is pursuing MA in Hindi literature at the Mahatma Gandhi Antarrashtriya Hindi Vishwavidalay, Wardha, Maharashtra)
