Unlikely. That explains why, when you type Sikkim International University in the Google Search Folder, one of the first prompts is 'fake or real'?

The Sikkim Education Department on December 1 issued a press release claiming SIU has not carried out a single academic activity since The Sikkim International University Act, 2021 (Act No. 13 of 2021) was passed in the State Legislative Assembly, received the Governor's assent on June 18 and was published in the official Gazette on June 29.

The State Education Department states that the promoters, Research and Gyan for Noble Upliftment Trust, never built a campus, never hired faculty, never formed statutory bodies and never conducted admissions or classes.

It also states that the website operated in the university's name contains "fraudulent and misleading" information and may have been used to misguide students.

It raises questions: how did a private university with no campus, no faculty and no regulatory compliance not only secure legislative approval in 2021 but also manage to appear on the University Grants Commission (UGC) list long enough to lend itself an air of credibility?

The case of SIU, promoted by the Research and Gyan for Noble Upliftment Trust, appears to follow an established pattern: a state Act enables the university, a UGC listing lends legitimacy, and the promoters fail to set up even the basic infrastructure required for functioning, with a website carrying misleading claims.

According to the Education Department, it has been unable to contact the promoters despite "multiple attempts," an acknowledgment that raises questions about the due diligence applied before granting statutory approval to the Research and Gyan for Noble Upliftment Trust in 2021.

Education Minister Raju Basnet did not respond substantively to questions, saying he would comment only after a formal public notice is served to the promoters.

OSD Sonam Paljor Bhutia, who issued the press release, also said he would not elaborate further until the notice is made public. Both officials indicated that further action will depend on the promoters' response to the notice.

The trail of the Research and Gyan for Noble Upliftment Trust leads directly to Manipur, where it established Sangai International University in Churachandpur.

Records show that Sangai International University followed a similar trajectory: it was created through a state Act in 2015 and appeared on the UGC list of recognised private universities, but repeatedly failed to submit mandatory information required for inspection.

On December 19, 2023, UGC issued a show-cause notice to Sangai International University for persistent non-compliance. With no response received, UGC delisted Sangai from its recognised universities list on May 30-31, 2024, barring it from offering undergraduate, postgraduate or doctoral degrees.

Subsequent inquiries by Manipur authorities noted that the university had issued certificates without infrastructure or approved faculty.

The parallels between SIU in Sikkim and Sangai International University in Manipur - both established through state legislation, both promoted by the Research and Gyan for Noble Upliftment Trust, both non-functional on the ground, and both at one point listed by UGC - have reinforced concerns over the level of scrutiny applied before granting statutory permissions.

The Education Department in Sikkim has now indicated that it will begin the process to repeal the 2021 Act, which would formally dissolve SIU's legal existence.

However, repeal will not address how the university remained unexamined for four years, or why the promoters faced no action despite non-compliance.

Citizen Action Party (CAP) was the first to raise the issue publicly. At a press conference on November 13, the party alleged that SIU had issued certificates in courses such as B.Sc Radiology despite having no campus, laboratories or authorised faculty.

"The Education Department's press release confirms what we have been saying all along," CAP spokesperson Albert Gurung said. "The government allowed a university with no teachers, no classrooms and no physical existence to function on paper. Now it admits the website is fraudulent and misleading. This is a systematic failure."

CAP has demanded cancellation of all certificates issued under SIU, action against officials who processed the 2021 Act, and a detailed review of private university approvals granted in recent Assembly sessions.

CAP has also stated that Sikkim has seen a rise in "paper universities" - institutions legally approved through Acts but lacking physical infrastructure or academic activity. It attributes this to insufficient scrutiny and procedural gaps in the approval framework.

The SIU case is the first in which the Sikkim government has publicly acknowledged that a university established under a state Act has never existed in reality. Officials say that a detailed public notice will be issued shortly, after which procedural action will be taken depending on the promoters' compliance or lack thereof.

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