Yogi Cabinet Shuts JS University Over Fake Degrees, Approves New IIMT Campus

The cabinet has ordered the liquidation of JS University in Shikohabad, Firozabad district, while granting permission for IIMT University, Meerut, to establish an off-campus centre in Greater Noida.

Higher Education Minister Yogendra Upadhyay explained that the decision to liquidate JS University follows a detailed investigation that uncovered serious irregularities. The university was found to have issued fake and backdated mark sheets and degrees for the B.P.Ed. (Bachelor of Physical Education) course, which were later used by candidates selected in the Rajasthan Physical Education Teacher Recruitment Examination-2022. The Rajasthan Police investigation led to the arrest of the university's Chancellor and Registrar.

Government-level inquiry committees also confirmed multiple violations, including misuse of authority to grant degrees, distribution of counterfeit certificates amounting to organised crime, failure to meet prescribed land norms, and non-compliance with mandatory reporting requirements to the Uttar Pradesh State Higher Education Council, he said.

In view of these grave findings, the government has decided to wind up JS University. Following liquidation, all records of the institution will be transferred to and preserved by Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Agra.

Mark sheets and degrees previously issued by JS University will be verified and authenticated based on these records.

To manage the university during the liquidation process, a three-member interim committee has been constituted under Section 55(6) of the relevant Act.

In a separate decision, the cabinet approved the issuance of a Letter of Permission to IIMT University, Meerut, for the operation of an off-campus centre in Greater Noida.

The sponsoring body, Association of Management Studies, Meerut, had already secured 4.796 acres of land in the Greater Noida Industrial Development Authority area, for which a Letter of Intent was issued on February 25, 2025.

The establishment of this off-campus centre is expected to create new opportunities for quality higher education in Western Uttar Pradesh and the National Capital Region, allowing students to pursue academic programmes closer to home.

The decision aligns with the provisions of the Uttar Pradesh Private Universities Act, 2019, and its Second Amendment Act, 2021, which permit private universities to set up off-campus centres. These twin decisions reflect the government's dual approach of taking strict action against malpractices in higher education while simultaneously expanding access to quality institutions in underserved regions.

- IANS