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The Fake Degree Factories
The Objective of this paper is to discuss the menace of fake degrees, a billion dollar industry. How serious is the issue of fake degree? More than half of all new PHDs in the U.S each year are faked. This is a major crisis in the higher education system. What is worrying is the number of fake universities and fake degrees is growing each year.
24 universities have been declared as fake universities by UGC in India. 129 Indian students have been arrested in United States recently for getting admitted in fake universities and engaging in pay-to-stay scheme. These universities operate out of online websites, phone calls and offer fast track super advanced degree programmes. There are scientists, doctors, engineers and PHDs who are product of these fake degrees. They function fearlessly endangering the entire system.
A fake PHD scam has rocked Tamil Nadu colleges recently and at least 11 professors have been suspended. These professors have submitted fake certificates from non-existent universities. There is no official mechanism to verify certificates being produced. These rackets operate call centres to answer verification calls.
Research is the first step towards establishing an economic super power and the fate of the country is now dangling in the substandard higher education system in the country. Most of the times, even the officially awarded degrees are banking on plagiarized reports with no quality. These people in turn get appointed in colleges and universities and guide new students. So, there is an urgent need to establish a mechanism in order to save the country from impending danger which not only affects the education sector but also the economy of the country in the long run. Already, there is a strong need to connect our higher education system and industrial sector. If these scams are not dealt upon seriously, this connect would be a grave failure.
In 2015, Axact, a Pakistani based company sold 215,000 fake qualifications globally with names of 315 fictitious high schools and universities making $51 million. With the availability of technology, the degrees are being mimicked very easily and being sold to people across the world as the verification for another country is almost none.
Some very dangerous effects of this menace could be:
- Fake scientists, doctors and PhDs operating a legitimate and endangering lives of people
- Professors guiding new PhD students without proper knowledge
- Endangering future of the country in education, industrial and economic sector
- Increase in black money and black market
- Also, students who are caught at later stages of career have their future ruined
- Value of the degree reduces and highly educated graduates work in less competent jobs and roles.
What could governments do in order to control this menace?
There are lot of technological advances in recent times which could be put to use in this space. Government has to heavily regulate the higher education sector and take stringent actions against fake colleges and universities. Mere fines and arrest will only encourage people to operate new company after releasing from custody. Higher education certificates have to be digitised and a central database has to be created where every student’s credentials can be verified. This is not a very difficult thing to do. Every thesis submitted by PHDs has to be reviewed by external government set up agencies in order to ensure quality and legitimacy. This database of thesis papers not only eliminates fake PHD menace but also helps in companies to fund smart ideas and works. This works as a connection between education and industrial sectors. Summary of the steps need to be taken by government:
- Very stringent supervision and action against fake colleges and universities
- Database of Colleges, students and thesis has to be maintained in order to verify the credentials
- Latest technological advances have to be implemented for degree certificates and universities
- An authentic mechanism to back verify the degrees has to be established
References:
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-42579634
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/your-md-may-have-a-phony-degree/
https://www.moneylife.in/article/doing-phd-in-india-think-thrice/52923.html
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-42579634
https://blog.feedspot.com/indian_education_blogs/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_unaccredited_institutions_of_higher_education
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-47106199
https://redbus2us.com/list-of-blacklisted-universities-in-usa-how-to-identify-such-schools/
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