New Delhi: The University Grants Commission (UGC) on Wednesday announced a list of 24 "self-styled, unrecognised institutions" in the country, terming them as "fake" with the maximum of them operating from Uttar Pradesh followed by Delhi.

"Students and public are informed that currently 24 self-styled, unrecognised institutions are functioning in contravention of the UGC Act, which have been declared as fake universities and these are not empowered to confer any degree," UGC Secretary Rajnish Jain said.

The majority of eight of these universities are from Uttar Pradesh - Varanaseya Sanskrit Vishwavidyalaya, Varanasi; Mahila Gram Vidyapith, Allahabad; Gandhi Hindi Vidyapith, Allahabad; National University of Electro Complex Homeopathy, Kanpur; Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Open University, Aligarh; Uttar Pradesh Vishwavidyalaya, Mathura; Maharana Pratap Shiksha Niketan Vishwavidyalaya, Pratapgarh and Indraprastha Shiksha Parishad, Noida.

"Regarding Bharitya Shiksha Parishad, Lucknow, the matter is sub-judice before district judge in Lucknow," Jain said.

Delhi has seven fake universities - Commercial University Ltd, United Nations University, Vocational University, ADR Centric Juridicial University, Indian Institution of Science and Engineering, Vishwakarma Open University for Self Employment and Adhyatmik Vishwavidyalaya (Spiritual University).

Odisha and West Bengal have two such universities each. They are --Indian Institute of Alternative Medicine, Kolkata; Institute of Alternative Medicine and Research, Kolkata; Nababharat Shiksha Parishad, Rourkela and North Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology.

Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Puducherry and Maharashtra have one fake university each. They are - Sree Bodhi Academy of Higher Education, Puducherry; Christ New Testament Deemed University, Andhra Pradesh; Raja Arabic University, Nagpur; St John's University, Kerala and Badaganvi Sarkar World Open University Education Society, Karnataka.

"The UGC Act, 1956 provides that a degree can be awarded, only by a university established under a central, state, provincial Act or an institution especially empowered by an Act of Parliament to confer the degree," Jain said.