Among the UGC requirements for students seeking admission in open and distance learning programmes are ensuring the recognition status of higher education institutions (HEI) and courses; equivalency of qualification with conventional mode; and non-inclusion in the list of forbidden courses. According to University Grants Commission (UGC) guidelines, “students should ensure the status of higher educational institutions (HEIs), which includes recognition status and entitlement status. Students must check which HEIs are barred from offering ODL or online programmes and have been placed under the “no admission category.”
According to the statement, “Students should carefully review the details of the HEIs, its documents, application, and affidavit on the Commission’s website. If a student finds any discrepancy in the details accessible on the official website of HEIs, he or she should submit it to UGC. A list of 17 programmes that are not permitted to be offered online or through ODL has also been made public by the Commission. Engineering, medicine, physiotherapy, pharmacy, hotel management, horticulture, nursing, law, agriculture, catering technology, aviation maintenance, visual arts, and sports are just a few programmes offered in these fields.
“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 strict as per UGC notification. The minimum qualification for enrolling into the UG programme is a class 12 pass, and for the PG programme, a bachelor’s degree. “UGC has strictly prohibited universities whether central, state, private, or deemed universities to offer its programmes through franchising area.
