Former Karnataka law minister Suresh Kumar raises issue of fake PhD offer with Prakash Javadekar
BENGALURU: Former law minister and senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA in Karnataka S Suresh Kumar has been offered an honorary doctorate by ‘The Victoria Global University’ against a payment of Rs. 1.75 lakh as university fee, donation, registration and consultation charges.
Kumar, who received the invite a few days ago through post, has promptly dashed off a letter to Union human resources development minister Prakash Javadekar seeking action against the university.
“This kind of racket has reduced the impact and importance of PhDs. People can also use these fake degrees and get jobs, it has to be stopped,” Kumar told ET. The university letterhead, which claims that it is “internationally accredited,” gives its location as Turks & Calcos island (UK overseas territory), that is near Bahamas and is a luxury cruise centre.
While the pamphlet that Kumar received has the website as www.vguniversity. us. the website that opens is www.vguniversity.org. It states that it is an internationally accredited university for Ph.D & D.Sc “available in every specialisation of Medical Science/ Dental Science”. Kumar brought the matter to the notice of the Bengaluru city police as well as Karnataka’s director general of police RK Dutta.
“Mr Dutta is himself mentioned as the chief guest for this event on April 29, where the honorary doctorate will be conferred to all those who choose to apply and pay for it! The university has very kindly said 40 ‘seats’ are available and will be given on a first-cumfirst-served basis,” Kumar said. The DGP has taken serious note of the matter.
Bengaluru commissioner of police Praveen Sood told ET: “We are registering a case suo moto and acting on it.” Former IT minister SR Patil told ET: “They had contacted me about a year or so ago and said they would give me a doctorate for social service. I refused to pay them or go to their event, they came here and gave it to me. I have not bothered about it at all.”
Kumar, who received the invite a few days ago through post, has promptly dashed off a letter to Union human resources development minister Prakash Javadekar seeking action against the university.
“This kind of racket has reduced the impact and importance of PhDs. People can also use these fake degrees and get jobs, it has to be stopped,” Kumar told ET. The university letterhead, which claims that it is “internationally accredited,” gives its location as Turks & Calcos island (UK overseas territory), that is near Bahamas and is a luxury cruise centre.
While the pamphlet that Kumar received has the website as www.vguniversity. us. the website that opens is www.vguniversity.org. It states that it is an internationally accredited university for Ph.D & D.Sc “available in every specialisation of Medical Science/ Dental Science”. Kumar brought the matter to the notice of the Bengaluru city police as well as Karnataka’s director general of police RK Dutta.
“Mr Dutta is himself mentioned as the chief guest for this event on April 29, where the honorary doctorate will be conferred to all those who choose to apply and pay for it! The university has very kindly said 40 ‘seats’ are available and will be given on a first-cumfirst-served basis,” Kumar said. The DGP has taken serious note of the matter.
Bengaluru commissioner of police Praveen Sood told ET: “We are registering a case suo moto and acting on it.” Former IT minister SR Patil told ET: “They had contacted me about a year or so ago and said they would give me a doctorate for social service. I refused to pay them or go to their event, they came here and gave it to me. I have not bothered about it at all.”
