Thousands of fake, false, irregular and illegitimately obtained degree holders claiming to be certified by unrecognized institutions are active in Madhya Pradesh.
The University Grants Commission (UGC) has listed 21 fake universities in India, operating in various states and union territories, including Madhya Pradesh.
Some of these so-called fake universities in India include All India Institute of Public & Physical Health Sciences (AIIPHS), Varanseya Sanskrit Vishwavidyalaya, Commercial University, United Nations University, Vocational University, and ADR-Central Juridical University in Delhi, Christ New Testament Deemed University, and Bible Open University of India in Andhra Pradesh, besides nine fake universities in Uttar Pradesh.
Just last year the Madhya Pradesh high court took cognisance of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) and directed the CBI to investigate around 200 fake colleges affiliated with the Jiwaji University. These colleges exist only on paper, without any physical premises or facilities.
According to the petition filed by Dr Arun Kumar Sharma a resident of Gwalior, these colleges operate only on paper, and mint money issuing fake degrees to students in return for hefty fees.
In 2013 the University Grants Commission (UGC) released a list of fake universities in India and wrote to the principal secretaries and departments of higher education of the state governments urging them to take the necessary measures against the fraudulent educational institutions.
“I would like to inform you that your institution figures in the list of fake Universities, as the institution is not a “University” within the meaning of Section 2(f) or Section 3 of the UGC Act, 1956, but engaged in the business of conferring degrees or using the word “University” with its name to defraud and cheat innocent students by awarding fake degrees. It has become a matter of concern as many students are becoming victims of the fraudulent act of your institution,” Manish Joshi, the then UGC secretary wrote to the VCs of these institutes.
Like this, the state health department and concerned medical officers had on many occasions been informed through investigative news reports published in the media about quacks working in the state on the basis of irregular and fake degrees over the past several years. But they were just not bothered. They kept sleeping like Kumbhakarna and dismissed the complaints after cosmetic formalities which were just an eyewash. However, the local administration officials felt that they had fulfilled their responsibility and this was the end of their duty.
Our investigations reveal that fake degree are a widespread scams in India with over 43,000 fake degrees issued by OPJS University in Rajasthan alone. This not only damages the credibility of the education system but also reflects the quality of services provided by individuals with fake qualifications.
Also Read: Fake universities and illegitimate medical practitioners: a prescription for disaster
In one such case, Shubham Awasthi, a person with a fake degree became a government doctor in Jabalpur. Shubham allegedly used a fake degree from RDVV University to work as a government doctor in Jabalpur’s Victoria Hospital. Shubham worked for almost a year at the Victoria Hospital with the help of a fake degree during the Corona period, before the fake BAMS degree scam at the RDVV University came to light.
The Shubham Awasthi episode came to light when and a complaint was made to the police but no action was taken. The matter was then taken to Jabalpur High Court and an FIR was registered against the accused in Civil Lines Police Station, Jabalpur on 07.04.2025 on the orders of the Hon’ble High Court. The accused Dr. Shubham got himself admitted to the district hospital after the fake degree scandal was exposed.
However Shubham resigned from the job at the Health Department, once the investigation started to dig deeper into the complaint against Shubham’s fake degree. Surprisingly Shubham’s pictures with CM Mohan Yadav, and former CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan started surfacing in the soid media. It is being said that Shubham Awasthi is associated with RSS and the BJP’s Doctor Cell.
Shubham is absconding at present, and the police are searching for him. The whole matter has started getting politicized after the FIR ordered by the court.
Almost parallel an even more sensitive and bigger case has come to light from the Mission Hospital in Damoh district, where a so-called cardiologist called Dr Narendra Yadav was allegedly accused of medical negligence which claimed the lives of seven people. The and the case is being investigated and the Damoh CJ.M Court has sent the so-called doctor on a 5-day police remand.
Doctor Narendra Vikramaditya Yadav was allegedly arrested by the police from Prayagraj and presented before the CJM Damoh Court on April 8, 2025. He’s accused of performing heart surgeries posing as a British doctor at a Christian missionary hospital.
He too is understood to have used fake documents to secure the job. Yadav has since been arrested and charged with cheating, forgery, and use of fabricated documents under the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Initial police investigations have revealed that Yadav copied the credentials of a real doctor called Dr. N John Kem, a legitimate practitioner in the United Kingdom. It is alleged that Doctor Yadav assumed the identity of N John Kem to work as a cardiologist at the private missionary hospital in Damoh, Madhya Pradesh resulting in at least seven deaths reported so far though the actual number may be even higher.
Strangely the missionary hospital where Yadav worked never felt the need to verify his credentials, leading to the deaths of patients, including Rahisa Begum, Mangal Singh, and others.
After the hearing, when he was being taken by the police on remand, there was a protest by the local advocates who started beating the so-called doctor accused of taking the lives of seven people. This shows the public anger, which was very efficiently resolved by the Damoh Police which took appropriate actions to prevent a major mishap.
The Mission Hospital Damoh- a 131-bed healthcare facility was established in 1896 and recommissioned in 1995. The hospital is known for charitable work, providing affordable healthcare services to the local community but has allegedly been accused of conversion and other grave offences which disrupt public tranquillity.
The hospital has been accused of conversion, medical malpractice, and hiring Narendra Yadav as a cardiologist, with a fake and dubious background. The cases are pending in the courts as well as the Human Rights Commission (NHRC), which is leading the investigation.
The Mission Hospital’s management claims that Yadav was hired through a government-approved agency and there was no wrongdoing on their part.
The hospital has faced accusations of forcing patients to convert to Christianity and was also accused of human trafficking, but the charges were later dismissed.
In the present case, Dr Narendra Yadav was allegedly responsible for 7 deaths when he was posted in the hospital. Dr Yadav reportedly performed at least 15 cardiac surgeries in January and February 2025, which led to seven reported deaths. Initial investigations and available medical reports suggest that some of the fatalities may also have happened due to pre-existing conditions or other factors. But the families of patients are alleging medical negligence and have approached the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and district authorities to investigate the case.
A three member team of the Human Rights Commission is currently in Damoh to collect evidence, record statements of various stakeholders, to determine the exact cause of death of each patient and the extent of Dr Yadav’s answerability.
But, is there no rest house, guest house or hotel in Damoh where the local administration or the concerned people could ensure the stay and food arrangements for the 3 member team? What was the reason why the three-member NHRC team had to go to Narsinghgarh to have food and stay for there for some time? Was it on an invitation by someone special in Narsinghgarh? It is a new ploy to suppress the case? Is any officer of Damoh administration or someone else responsible for this? It is very important to ensure transparency in investigation of this case so that there is no doubt about impartiality of investigation conducted by the Human Rights Commission.
It is reliably learnt that Yadav allegedly had a criminal case pending in Hyderabad and used social media to pose as Professor A. John Camm, a respected cardiologist affiliated with St. George’s University of London, and tweet under the fake identity.
According to highly placed sources, Yadav allegedly has a history of questionable activities and a past criminal record. He was apparently arrested in 2019 in Telangana and was also involved in a case of wrongful confinement of a UK critical care expert.
Yadav claims to have done MBBS from Andhra Pradesh and MD from various institutions where allegedly there is apparently no record of him being a legitimate doctor. This is one of the issues being investigated by Damoh Police and many more complex and unresolved facts may roll out after the investigation. The authorities are reviewing the hospital documents to verify the authenticity of Yadav’s qualifications.
Meanwhile Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav has taken a significant step by ordering an investigation into fake degree holders and quacks in the state. This move aims to protect public interest and ensure that only qualified medical professionals provide healthcare services.
Born on March 25, 1965, in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, Dr. Yadav holds multiple degrees from Vikram University, including a BSc, LLB, MA, MBA, and PhD. Dr. Yadav is a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party and has held various positions, including Minister of Higher Education in the Madhya Pradesh government. He took office on December 13, 2023, and his priority areas include healthcare and education.
Some of his immediate priorities include promoting transparency in the healthcare sector and investigation into fake degree holders and quacks. His three fold agenda seems to be:
- To identify fake medical practitioners prescribing medicine without proper qualifications.
- To ensure that patients receive quality medical care from licensed professionals.
- To uphold the integrity of the healthcare system in Madhya Pradesh.
