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Student's Pre-Enrollment Guidelines for Open & Distance Learning (ODL) & Online Programs.

UGC issued a public notice on August 23, 2022, with reference number F.NO- 1-14/2022 DEB. In this notice, they have explained the precautions that students should take before enrolling in programs offered under Open and Distance Learning (ODL) and Online Learning Mode.

1. Verifying the status of Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs).

  • Recognition Status of HEIs: You can check the recognition status of Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) offering programs through Open and Distance Mode and Online Mode on the UGC website at https://deb.ugc.ac.in/ . This information is available for different academic sessions.

  • Entitlement Status of HEIs: The list of HEIs entitled to offer online programs, along with the names of these programs, can be found on the UGC website at  https://deb.ugc.in/pdf/consolidated-list-2022-2023.pdf  and https://deb.ugc.ac.in/ .

  • HEIs Debarred or Placed Under No Admission Category: Details of HEIs prohibited from offering ODL and/or online programs, and placed under a no admission category for specific online programs for the July-August 2022 academic session (revised to September 2022), can be found on the website [https://deb.ugc.in/]. Students are advised to check this information before admission and regularly thereafter.

2. Reviewing information on the HEIs' website.

3. Follow the UGC rules about degree specifications from 2014 and any changes made to them later.

Make sure that the time it takes to complete, the name, and the qualifications needed for ODL and online programs match the rules in the UGC notification on degree specifications from 2014 and any changes made later. You can find these rules at https://ugc.ac.in/ugc-notices.aspx . Usually, to join an undergraduate or postgraduate program, you should have the following qualifications

  Leval of Degree programme

  Minimum Eligibility /Entry Qualification

  Under-Graduate Programme

  10+2

  Post- Graduate Programme

  Bachelor’s

 

 

 

 

4. Be careful not to enrol in programs that are not allowed.

Programs in the following fields (and related areas) are not allowed to be offered through distance or online learning.

  1. Engineering

  2. Medical

  3. Physiotherapy

  4. Occupational therapy and other Para medical disciplines

  5. Pharmacy

  6. Nursing

  7. Dental

  8. Architecture

  9. Law

  10. Agriculture

  11. Horticulture

  12. Hotel management

  13. Catering technology

  14. Culinary science

  15. Aircraft maintenance

  16. Vishal arts and sports

No programs that are not allowed by any relevant statutory or regulatory body or council can be offered through open and distance learning mode or online. This includes aviation programs and tourism and hospitality management programs at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels, which are not permitted in either mode.

Additionally, M.Phil. and Ph.D. programs in all fields through open and distance learning and online mode are also not allowed.

5.Restrictions on Using Franchising for Providing ODL and OL Programs

  • Prohibition on Universities, Whether Central, State, Private, or Deemed, from Offering Programs via Franchising for Enrollment and Conducting ODL and Online Courses: Ensure Transparent Centralized Admission Process through HEI Headquarters.

  • Learner Support Centers (LSC) to be Established and Managed Directly by the HEI, Without Involvement of Franchises or Outsourced Arrangements.

  • Ownership of ODL and Online Programs, Including All Necessary Components like the Learning Platform (in the Case of Online Programs), Shall Rest Solely with Higher Educational Institutions. Franchise Arrangements with Private Service Providers for Offering ODL and OL Programs Are Not Allowed, as Per the University Grants Commission Open and Distance Learning Programs and Online Programs Regulations 2020.

6. Equivalency of Qualifications Obtained via Conventional, Open and Distance Learning, and Online Modes.

Degrees at both the undergraduate and postgraduate levels, which adhere to the UGC notification or the specifications of the Degree 2014, as well as postgraduate diplomas granted through ODL or online modes by higher educational institutions recognized by the Commission under these regulations, shall be deemed equivalent by the Commission to the corresponding degrees and postgraduate diplomas offered through conventional mode.

7. Key Provisions Regarding Learner Centers in the Regulations.

  • A learner who has enrolled in a program under open and distance learning mode and/or online mode in a higher educational institution recognized by the Commission under these regulations is eligible for transferring between different modes of learning within the same higher educational institution, in accordance with the provisions specified in its governing act and with the approval of the institution's statutory authorities. However, if a program falls under the purview of a regulatory authority or statutory council, the higher educational institution must obtain permission from the relevant regulatory authority or statutory council for the mobility of learners under such programs.

  • Admissions secured within the period of recognition - Admissions made in a recognized program under open and distance learning mode and online mode during the recognition period will remain valid until the completion of the program, even if the higher educational institution does not receive recognition for subsequent years. This is provided that the program is offered in accordance with UGC norms of territorial jurisdiction and complies with the existing guidelines and UGC regulations, as well as the regulations of respective regulatory bodies.

  • A learner residing in any part of the country is eligible to enroll in any program offered by a higher educational institution recognized by the Commission for providing programs under the open and distance learning mode. However, it is essential that the higher educational institution conducts all activities, including admissions, program delivery, and examinations, strictly within the territorial jurisdiction specified in these regulations.

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