Exposed: Bogus PhD Trade.

Unmesh Gujarathi
Sprouts Exclusive

Bustling with fraudulent activities, the business of selling bogus honorary doctorate degrees has become a lucrative vocation in India. This special report by the Sprouts’ Special Investigation Team (SIT) exposes how the University Grants Commission and the police administration have been turning a blind eye to complaints against this clandestine enterprise.

Any institute is formed to impart quality education to its students. But now some institutes are using its campus to confer Honorary Doctorates. The most shocking part is that the so-called university through which this event is organized is completely fake. It’s not registered in any country. It calls itself International Internship University. However, it does not impart any regular course rather only awards and Honorary Doctorate.

Honorary Doctorate is conferred by registered and authorized universities who impart regular education. These Honorary Doctorates are conferred to those having exemplary achievements and contributions. However today many fake, bogus and unregistered website universities have come up only conferring Honorary Doctorate and awards. They just make lucrative websites to attract the crowd, invite some high profile candidates and are able to easily cheat others at large.

Piyush Pandit is a fraud. He is a founder of International Internship University (IIU), a bogus university. This university is not only registered in India but also in any country of the world. This fraud person who runs a totally bogus university has so far sold bogus PhDs to hundreds of people from all over the country.

Swarna Bharat Parivar Trust is an NGO, founded by Peeyush Pandit. Even under the name of this institution, it hosts programs of award function, and from there it sells bogus degrees of honorary doctorates. But as per rules, no trust or organization has the right to award honorary doctorates.

On April 9, the scammer organized a bogus PhD award program at Ghaziabad, Delhi. But since Pandit has already maintained ‘financial’ relations with the UGC and the police administration, The scammer Pandit is taking the program openly.

‘Shri. Dadasaheb Phalke International Award Film Foundation’ is one such NGO. The organization organizes award functions, fashion shows, but internally the organization conducts bogus honorary PhD awarding programs. Kalyanji Jana is the scammer and director of the NGO. This scammer sometimes even takes programs in Dubai and conducts bogus PhD awarding programs.

NGOs or bogus universities are created in the name of great men like Dadasaheb Phalke, father of Indian cinema, Bharat Ratna Dr. Abdul Kalam, Mother Teresa and ‘paid’ awards are given through them. A certain amount is charged for this award. After receiving that amount, even the rickshaw puller is given an award in the name of Dadasaheb Phalke. Not only this, an honorary doctorate is also given. ‘Sprouts’ protested against this, so it is found that these institutions upload photos of their award functions on social media, but are afraid to post photos of bogus PhD awards on social media.

Madhu Krishan is the master of all these scammers. So far it has sold bogus PhDs to hundreds of people. Maharashtra Governor’s secretary Ulhas Mungekar, who is illegally appointed at Raj Bhavan, has a special ‘friendship’ with Madhu Krishan. So he often comes to the Raj Bhavan and has breakfast with the Governor. All these scammers have collected crores of rupees of black money from this clandestine business, there must be a thorough investigation.

The bogus honorary PhD holder is misleading the society by placing a doctorate in his name. The dignitaries include Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s younger brother Prahlad Damodardas Modi, alleged spiritual guru Shri. Shri. Ravi Shankar, Motivational Speaker Vivek Bindra, Lokesh (Acharya Lokesh Muni), Director of ‘Bright Outdoor Media’ Yogesh Lakhani, Bu Abdullah, Director of Marwah Studio Sandeep Marwah and others.

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde is also in trouble

. Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde received an honorary doctorate for cheap publicity. But this doctorate is illegal and violates government rules (Code of conduct). That is why senior social activist Dilip Malvankar is going to file a petition against D. Y. Patil University on Monday.

· D.Y. Patil University in Vashi is already controversial and infamous. This university has a college called ‘School of Ayurveda’. A scammer named Mahesh Kumar has been working on the major post of ‘Dean’ of this college for many years. His “Doctor” degree is totally bogus, forget about Doctor degree but he has not completed even 10th and 12th standard legally.

· A petition will be filed in Bombay High Court against Chief Minister Shinde’s illegal doctorate. Renowned and senior lawyer of Maharashtra Satish Talekar will present the legal side of this matter in the court. Therefore, in this case Chief Minister Shinde and this D. Y. Patil University is likely to be getting into trouble.