University Grants Commission, UGC has issued precautionary guidelines for students who want to enroll for courses offered under open and distance learning, ODL and online learning mode.
The Commission in the list of precautions issued for candidates willing to take admission in ODL and online learning mode have shared 9 points that should be looked into before enrolling oneself.
- The first guideline is that student should ensure status of higher educational institutions, HEIs. They should check the recognition status, entitlement status. Students should check which HEIs are debarred for offering ODL or online programmes and have been put under ‘no admission category’.
- Students will have check the details on the HEIs website. All documents submitted by the HEIs such as application, affidavit etc on UGC website. Incase students find any deviation in details available on the official website of HEIs and UGC website, they should communicate it to UGC.
- Adherence to duration of academic session. The last date to apply for July- August 2022 academic session is till October 31, 2022.
- Students 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 list of programmes available in the official notice are prohibited to be offered under ODL and online mode. M.Phil and Ph.D programmes are also prohibited.
- Students before enrolling should ensure that all the activities of HEIs including admission, counselling, examinations are within territorial jurisdiction for ODL programmes.
- Prohibition of franchising arrangement for offering ODL and OL programmes. No university can offer its programmes through franchising arrangement for admitting learners and conducting courses through ODL and online mode.
- Equivalence of qualification acquired through conventional or open and distance learning and online modes.
- Important learner centre provisions of the regulations include learner’s mobility, admission taken through recognition period and learner’s enrolment.