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NEW DELHI: The National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) has issued a show-cause notice to Al-Falah University for displaying “false and misleading” accreditation claims on its official website, even as the institution remains under scrutiny in connection with this week’s high-intensity blast near Red Fort that killed 13 people.In the notice issued on Thursday, NAAC said it had verified that Al-Falah University “is neither accredited nor has ever applied for accreditation,” yet the university’s website prominently states that three colleges under the Al-Falah Charitable Trust — including the Al-Falah School of Engineering and Technology (since 1997) and the Al-Falah School of Education & Training (since 2006) — had been “Graded A by NAAC.”Calling the claims “absolutely wrong and misleading the public, especially parents, students, and stakeholders,” NAAC has sought an immediate explanation from the university. It has directed Al-Falah to remove all references to NAAC accreditation from its website and any brochures, public communications or admissions material.NAAC accreditation is a critical quality benchmark in Indian higher education, influencing student admissions, staff recruitment, research grants, and regulatory approvals. Falsely claiming top-grade accreditation is a serious violation under UGC norms, as it can mislead students and give an institution an unfair competitive advantage.The notice also comes at a sensitive moment. On Monday, Delhi was rocked by a high-intensity car blast near Red Fort, killing 13 people and injuring several others. Hours earlier, central agencies had announced the busting of what they described as a “white-collar terror module.” Among those arrested were three doctors linked to Al-Falah University, drawing investigators’ attention to the institution’s networks and prompting deeper scrutiny across regulatory bodies.Officials said Thursday’s NAAC action is independent of the ongoing terror probe but added that “regulatory compliance and institutional transparency come under sharper focus when an institution is already in the public eye for unrelated but serious matters.”The university has been asked to respond within a stipulated timeframe. Failure to do so could lead to further regulatory action, including formal censure or referral to the UGC.As investigations into the Red Fort blast continue, the fake accreditation claim has intensified questions over governance and oversight at the institution — and whether deeper checks across private universities may now follow.