Sir: Through your prestigious newspaper, I want to draw the attention of the general public to the issue of degrees awarded by those universities that are not recognised by the Higher Education Commission (HEC) or respective professional councils. Playing with the future of students has become a norm for many universities in the country. Students are fooled by such universities because most of the students are utterly at sea while opting for HEC accredited degrees. These universities intentionally keep the students unaware of recognition of their degrees by the HEC, to achieve their heinous goals. Unfortunately, the government is also paying no heed to this serious matter. Have you ever noticed how attractive advertisements are used to entice students? Do not believe in advertisements blindly — all that glitters is not gold. Many universities are offering courses that are not recognised by the HEC. It has been noticed that a university is recognised by HEC, but it starts some other courses without obtaining proper accreditation from its respective professional councils. It must be ensured by students before enrolling in a university whether its degree is recognised by the HEC or not otherwise it will lead their future to the darkness of hopelessness. So, they must contact the HEC website and help-lines for verification. The names of many fake programmes, in specific universities, have been disclosed by the HEC. You can see the list on the HEC’s official website. It is time to spread awareness so that students can be saved from getting entrapped by such fake universities. M AAMIR MURSLEEN Lahore Cantt