How to Check if Your Degree Certificate is Original or Fake?

Thousands of students in India fall prey to fake universities every year. Check if your degree certificate is genuine through UGC approval, NAD records, and key security details to protect your career.

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How to Check if Your Degree Certificate is Original or …

In India, thousands of students fall victim to fake degree certificates and unrecognized universities every year. With an increase in fraudulent institutions, it is very important to check the authenticity of your degree before using it for jobs or any higher education. Knowing how to check for a genuine degree certificate protects your career interests and ensures that you do not waste years on a worthless qualification.

How to Check if Your Degree Certificate is Original or Fake?

Check here some important points you need to check to understand if your degree certificate is original or fake:

1. Check Your University's UGC Recognition Status

The first and foremost step is verifying if your university is approved by the University Grants Commission (UGC). In India, only UGC-approved universities can confer valid degrees.

Log on to the official UGC site and check their list of recognized universities. If your university does not show up on the list, then your degree may not be valid. This database is regularly updated by the UGC; therefore, do cross-check before taking admission or applying for jobs.

2. Verify Through the National Academic Depository (NAD)

The National Academic Depository is a digital warehouse where universities upload original degree certificates. The government mechanism assists students in instant verification of their credentials.You may request that your university upload your degree to NAD. Employers and institutions can then verify your certificate directly through the NAD portal using your unique credentials. This is the most reliable way for degree verification in India today.

3. Look for Security Features on Your Certificate

There are various security features on the original degree certificate that the fake one lacks. Be careful, check your certificate for:

Watermarks visible when held against light
Embossed university seal that you can feel with your fingers
Security threads embedded in the paper
Hologram stickers with the university logo
Unique registration number that can be verified

Contrary to the embossed seals, fake certifications have printed seals and lack proper watermarks. If your certificate bears few, unembellished designs or looks poorly printed, that is already a red flag.

4. Contact the University Directly

The simplest way would be to call the registrar's office or the examination department of your university. Every legitimate university keeps a record of all issued degrees. Share your roll number, year of passing, and other details with them. They can confirm from their records if your certificate was actually awarded by them. Most universities today usually have dedicated e-mail addresses or hotlines for degree verification inquiries.

5. Use the AICTE or Other Regulatory Body Portals

For all technical degrees, the students can refer to the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) for information; for medical degrees, one may check the National Medical Commission (NMC). Each professional field has its regulatory body, indeed.The portals above have a list of approved colleges, and you can check whether your institution has received permission to run your course when you studied there. Keep in mind that recognition for the university does not necessarily mean that all courses are recognized.

6. Check Your Degree Against UGC's Blacklist

The UGC keeps a list of fake universities in India that function illegally. These institutions provide worthless certificates that are neither recognized by employers nor universities.The university name should be verified against UGC's blacklist before believing in any degree. If the name of your institution appears there, your certificate is definitely bogus and cannot stand any ground for valid use. For a comprehensive list, refer to the List of 21 Blacklisted Fake Universities in India 2025 by UGC.

7. Verify the Course Duration and Format

Check that your course length matches to UGC standards. Three years is the normal duration for a regular bachelor's course (four in the case of engineering), and two years for a master's course. Be on the lookout for institutions that offer degrees in a very short period.Also, check whether your university had the authority to offer distance learning or online degrees while you were enrolled. Many bogus universities take advantage of distance education to issue certificates on flimsy grounds for all the wrong reasons.

8. Get Your Degree Attested

Get your degree attested by authorized agencies for work or further studies abroad. The attestation process comprises verification from your university, state education department, and the Ministry of External Affairs.If any of these authorities refuse to attest to your degree, it means that there are authenticity issues. This step is essential for foreign opportunities as well as an added layer of verification.

Verifying your degree certificate's authenticity protects your career from fraudulent institutions. Always check UGC recognition, use NAD verification, and examine security features before trusting any degree.