The University Grants Commission has declared 24 educational institutes unauthorised, the Centre informed the Parliament on Monday.

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan was responding to written questions in the Lok Sabha about state-wise details of non-recognised universities and what action was taken against them.

Pradhan said that the state-wise details were available on the University Grants Commission’s website. According to the website, Uttar Pradesh has the highest number of unauthorised universities (eight), followed by Delhi (seven) and West Bengal and Odisha (two each).

Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Puducherry and Andhra Pradesh have one unauthorised university each.

The Union minister said that two more universities – Bhartiya Shiksha Parishad in Lucknow and the Indian Institute of Planning and Management in Delhi – were found violating University Grants Commission’s regulations. The matter is under judicial consideration.

Elaborating on the action taken in the matter, Pradhan added that the University Grants Commission issued show cause and warning notices to institutes awarding invalid degrees in violation of the UGC Act, 1956.

“The UGC writes letters to state chief secretaries, education secretaries and principal secretaries to take action against fake universities/institutes of located in their jurisdiction,” the minister added.