UGC issues guidelines for candidates seeking admission to distance education courses

Ensuring recognition status of Higher Education Institution (HEI) and course, equivalence of qualification with conventional mode, and non-inclusion in list of prohibited courses are among the UGC guidelines for students seeking admission in open and distance learning programmes. "Students should ensure the status of higher educational institutions (HEIs) which includes recognition status and entitlement status. Students must check which HEIs are debarred for offering ODL or online programmes and have been put under ‘no admission category’," the guidelines by University Grants Commission (UGC) said.

"Students should thoroughly check the details of the HEIs, its documents, application, affidavit on the Commission's website. If a student finds any deviation in the details available on the official website of HEIs, he or she should communicate it to UGC," it said. The Commission has also notified a list of 17 programmes that are prohibited to be offered under ODL and online mode. These programmes include engineering, medical, physiotherapy, pharmacy, hotel management, horticulture, nursing, law, agriculture, catering technology, aircraft maintenance, visual arts and sports among others.

"A student should ensure that the minimum duration, nomenclature and entry-level qualification for ODL and online courses under which enrolment is being made should be strictly as per UGC notification. The minimum qualification for enrolling into the UG programme is class 12 pass and for the PG programme is a bachelor's degree. "UGC has strictly prohibited universities whether central, state, private or deemed universities to offer its programmes through franchising arrangements for admitting learners and conducting courses through ODL and online mode," the guidelines said.