The University Grants Commission (UGC) has issued a set of precautionary guidelines for students who wish to enroll for open and distance learning (ODL) and online learning programmes.
In a public notice, the higher education regulator has advised students to follow these precautions before enrolling for programmes offered under Open and Distance Learning and online learning mode.
1. Ensuring Status of Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs):
4. Adherence to UGC notification on specification of degree, 2014 and its subsequent amendment
5. Ensuring all activities within territorial jurisdiction for ODL programmes
6. Prohibition of franchising arrangement for offering ODL and OL programmes
7. Equivalence of qualification acquired through conventional or open distance learning and online mode
Here is a list of prohibited programmes
The programmes in the following disciplines (including their allied domains) are prohibited to be offered under ODL and Online mode:
(i) Engineering (ii) Medical (iii) Physiotherapy (iv) Occupational Therapy and other Para-Medical disciplines (v) Pharmacy (vi) Nursing (vii) Dental (viii) Architecture (ix) Law (x) Agriculture (xi) Horticulture (xii) Hotel Management (xiii) Catering Technology (xiv) Culinary Sciences (xv) Aircraft Maintenance (xvi) Visual Arts and Sports (xvii) any other programme not permitted to be offered through Open and Distance Learning mode and/or Online mode by any concerned statutory or regulatory body or council. Accordingly, Aviation programmes and Tourism & Hospitality Management programmes (in Online mode) at UG and PG level are not permitted in ODL mode and/or Online mode.
Apart from the above, M.Phil and Ph.D. programmes in all disciplines through Open and Distance Learning and Online mode are also prohibited.