The University Grants Commission (UGC) has taken note of some incidents where some individuals/ organisations are offering fake online programmes with misleading abbreviations.
In a latest notice, the UGC stated that some individuals/ organisations are offering online programmes with acronyms/ abbreviated forms which are similar to the higher education system’s recognised degree programmes. One such programme to which the attention of the UGC has been drawn is ’10 days MBA’.
UGC has cleared that the nomenclature of a degree, including its acronyms/ abbreviated form, duration, and entry qualification, is specified by the Commission. This has been done with the previous approval of the Central government through the publication of a notification in the official Gazette.
“Further, only a university, established or incorporated by or under Central Act, Provincial Act, or a State Act, or an institution deemed to be a university or institution specifically empowered by an Act of Parliament, has the right to confer a degree,” said UGC in its latest public notice.
Apart from this, the Higher Educational Institutions are required to obtain approval from the UGC to offer any online degree in terms of the UGC Regulations.
“Stakeholders are advised to ascertain the validity of an online programme before applying or taking admission to any online programme,” the UGC added in its notice.