International Credentials
How to Verify an Indian Degree: A Guide for US Employers
Step-by-step guide to verifying degrees from India. Covers UGC recognition checks, NAD digital verification, WES evaluation requirements, and how to spot marksheet fraud and fake IGNOU credentials.
Coverage note, updated 3 October 2026: VerifyED holds imported records from official registers and supplementary sources. Coverage and source dates vary by jurisdiction. Inclusion alone does not establish recognition, current operation, attendance, or an award. Inspect the source authority and date for the matched institution.
Key takeaway
Indian degree verification requires two checks: confirm the university is UGC-recognized (not on the fake university list), then verify the credential itself through the National Academic Depository (NAD), the candidate's university registrar, or a NACES-member credential evaluator. For STEM and MBA degrees, also confirm AICTE program approval. VerifyED's database cross-references known diploma mills and unrecognized institutions automatically.
The Indian higher education landscape
India has one of the world's largest higher education systems — over 1,000 universities and 45,000 colleges. Most colleges are not independent: they are affiliated with a parent university, which grants the actual degree. This structure matters for verification because the credential must come from the university, not the college.
Degree-granting authority is regulated at the national level. A university can only award degrees if it is recognized by the University Grants Commission (UGC). Technical programs (engineering, MBA, MCA, pharmacy) have an additional layer: AICTE approval at the program level. Both checks are required for technical credentials.
The two most common fraud risks in Indian credentials are (1) degrees from UGC-listed fake universities and (2) forged marksheets from legitimate universities. Both require different verification approaches.
Step 1: Confirm UGC recognition
Before examining the credential itself, verify that the institution has legal degree-granting authority. This takes two minutes and eliminates the most obvious fraud.
Check the UGC recognized universities list
The UGC maintains an official list of all recognized central, state, deemed, and private universities at ugc.gov.in. If the institution does not appear on this list, it has no legal authority to award degrees in India.
Cross-reference the fake university list
UGC publishes a list of institutions operating without recognition. As of early 2026, there are 32 fake universities on the list — over a third of them in Delhi. The list is updated regularly as new cases are identified. Always check both the positive recognition list and the fake list.
For technical degrees: check AICTE approval
Engineering, MBA, MCA, and pharmacy programs require AICTE approval at the program level, separate from university recognition. A UGC-recognized university can still run unapproved technical programs. Check the AICTE Approved Institutions portal at aicte-india.org for the specific program and campus.
Step 2: Verify the credential itself
Once the institution is confirmed legitimate, verify that the specific credential is authentic. Three methods, in order of speed:
National Academic Depository (NAD)
NAD is India's government-run digital credential repository. Universities upload degree records; employers can verify with the candidate's consent. Access via nad.digilocker.gov.in. Digital verification takes 1–2 days and is the fastest option when available. Coverage is strongest for degrees awarded after 2010 — historical records may not be digitized.
The candidate must initiate the NAD share. If a candidate refuses or claims their university is not on NAD, proceed to direct registrar contact.
DigiLocker verification
Many universities now issue degrees directly to DigiLocker (India's government digital document wallet). A document shared from DigiLocker is treated as an original. Employers can verify the document's authenticity and issuer via the DigiLocker platform without contacting the university directly.
University registrar (direct contact)
For universities not covered by NAD, contact the registrar's office or controller of examinations directly. Provide the candidate's enrollment number, name, program, and year of graduation. Most major Indian universities have a process for this. Response times vary from days to weeks. An MEA-apostilled copy is useful as a supporting document but does not replace direct institutional verification.
Step 3: Use a NACES-member evaluator (when needed)
Credential evaluation by a NACES member is required for many licensed professions (nursing, engineering, accounting) and strongly recommended when you need a US degree-equivalency assessment. The most common evaluator for Indian credentials is WES (World Education Services).
What WES requires for an Indian bachelor's degree
- · All semester or annual mark sheets (not just a consolidated transcript — each year's sheet is required)
- · Provisional or final degree certificate (issued by the university, not the affiliated college)
- · Documents must come from the degree-granting university, not the affiliated college the student attended
- · Since August 2021, WES accepts sealed envelopes sent by the applicant for most Indian institutions
WES contacts the issuing institution for secondary verification. Processing time is typically 1–7 weeks depending on evaluation type. For M.Tech, M.Eng., M.Ed., and M.Phil. degrees, WES treats them as standalone — no bachelor's-level documents needed.
How Indian degree fraud works
Understanding the fraud patterns helps you know what to look for during document review.
Marksheet fraud (most common)
Grade percentages, subject scores, or attendance records are altered digitally. Modern forgeries are visually convincing. Red flags: percentages that end in suspiciously round numbers, grades inconsistent across years, subjects that don't match the degree program's curriculum, or a single consolidated document replacing what should be individual annual mark sheets.
Fake IGNOU credentials
IGNOU (Indira Gandhi National Open University) is India's largest open university and the most-impersonated institution. Rackets sell fake IGNOU certificates wholesale — one UP case linked 300 government employees to forged credentials. Key fact: IGNOU does not offer residential on-campus programs. Any claim of residential IGNOU attendance is false. Verify all IGNOU credentials through the university directly or via NAD.
UGC-listed fake universities
32 fake universities are currently listed by UGC, concentrated in Delhi. Common patterns in their names: variations of "Indian Institute of Science," "Commercial University," "Vocational University," or combinations of Indian geographic names with generic educational terminology. Cross-reference any unfamiliar institution name against the UGC fake list before proceeding.
Affiliated college vs. university confusion
Most Indian students attend an affiliated college, not the degree-granting university. Fraudulent candidates sometimes list only the prestigious parent university (Mumbai University, Delhi University) and omit the affiliated college name. The degree certificate should be issued by the university; the mark sheets will show the affiliated college. Both must be consistent.
What a legitimate Indian degree includes
| Document | Must include | Red flags |
|---|---|---|
| Degree certificate | University name (not college), registrar signature, university seal, enrollment number, year of award | College named as degree grantor; no enrollment number; no registrar seal |
| Mark sheets | One per semester or year; university seal and controller of examinations signature on each; consistent roll number | Single consolidated document only; round-number percentages; subject list doesn't match program |
| Apostille (for international use) | State authentication + MEA apostille sticker; eSanad reference number for digital apostilles | Apostille without eSanad number; apostille issued by an unexpected state authority |
| Digital verification | NAD verification code or DigiLocker share link from the candidate | Candidate refuses to share NAD link and university is not "too old" to be on NAD |
Verifying Indian degrees with VerifyED
VerifyED's database cross-references over 1.3 million+ imported school records worldwide, including Indian institutions, against known diploma mill lists and unrecognized institution registries. Searching an institution name in VerifyED returns its recognition status and flags any known diploma mill associations automatically.
For teams running high-volume education verification, VerifyED's API integrates with background check workflows and applicant tracking systems — returning institution status as part of a broader credential screening process.
Key resources for Indian credential verification
UGC — Recognized Universities
ugc.gov.in — official recognition list
Search any Indian university name to confirm UGC recognition status.
UGC — Fake Universities List
ugc.gov.in — updated quarterly
32 institutions listed as fake or unrecognized as of early 2026.
National Academic Depository (NAD)
nad.digilocker.gov.in
Digital degree verification with candidate consent. Covers most post-2010 degrees.
AICTE Approved Institutions
aicte-india.org
Required for verifying engineering, MBA, MCA, and pharmacy program approvals.