UGC cautions students to fact-check institutes before taking admissions in ODL, online courses

NEW DELHI: The University Grants Commission (UGC) has once again cautioned students who wish to enrol in open and distance learning (ODL) and online learning mode. The statutory body has asked students to confirm the recognition status of higher educational institutions (HEI) and also note the list of programmes prohibited to be offered online.

The commission had notified University Grants Commission (Open and Distance Learning Programmes and Online Programmes) Regulations, 2020 on September 4, 2020, which was later amended on July 1, 2021, and July 18, 2022 respectively. The guidelines were framed to ensure minimum standards of instruction for the grant of degrees for undergraduate and postgraduate and two-year PG diploma in online education mode.

“Students must confirm the recognition status of HEI for offering ODL and Online education for the session opted for admission on UGC DEB website, check the details on the HEls websites, take note of prohibited programmes and prohibition of franchising arrangement and ensure that all activities are being conducted within Territorial Jurisdiction for ODL Programmes,” the public notice read.

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Recognition status of HEIs

The UGC informed students that the list of institutes granted permission to offer ODL and online education and year-wise, academic session wise status of HEis recognized to offer online programmes has been uploaded on the UGC’s distance education bureau official website, deb.ugc.ac.in/.

Additionally, it notified that the last date of admissions for all institutes for offering ODL and online programmes for academic session beginning February 2024 will be March 31, 2024.

It is mandatory for institutes that have been granted approval to offer online courses to upload details of application submitted to UGC, affidavit, approval letter, regulatory authority approval and additional information on their respective websites.

HEIs put under ‘no admission policy’

The statutory body has announced the list of institutes prohibited from offering online courses for the academic session beginning from February 2024.

Prohibited courses

The following courses have been prohibited from being offered in distance or in online learning mode.

• Engineering
• Medical
• Physiotherapy
• Occupational Therapy and other Para-Medical disciplines
• Pharmacy
• Nursing
• Dental
• Architecture
• Law
• Agriculture
• Horticulture
• Hotel Management
• Catering Technology
• Culinary Sciences
• Aircraft Maintenance
• Visual Arts and Sports
• Aviation
• Yoga
• Tourism and Hospitality Management.

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MPhil and PhD programmes in all disciplines through ODL and online mode are also prohibited. It also reiterated that no university has been given approval to offer its programmes through franchising arrangements for admitting learners and conducting courses through ODL and online mode.