Online Degree Programmes: The University Grants Commission (UGC) has approved online degree programmes in 38 universities across India. The universities will be allowed to offer these programmes as long as they comply with the NAAC or NIRF ranking requirements as per UGC regulations. Earlier, In the Union budget 2020, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman had announced that India will allow the top 100 universities to offer full-fledged online degrees. The commission had invited applicants from higher education institutions willing to offer online for the academic year 2020-21.
As per the statement of UGC, “Each HEI was required to submit an affidavit for ensuring compliance to all the provisions of the University Grants Commission (Open and Distance Learning Programmes and Online Programmes) Regulations, 2020.”
UGC approved online degree courses
The higher education regulator has approved a wide variety of courses ranging from business administration to journalism and mass communication, data science to liberal arts. Of the total universities allowed to offer online degree courses, 15 are deemed to be universities, 13 state universities and three central universities. Three private universities including OP Jindal Global University, Chandigarh University and Manipal University. State institutions like Kuvempu University and the University of Mysore, both in Karnataka, and Alagappa University in Tamil Nadu will offer as many as 12 online degree courses each, the highest number on the list.
Among other universities, central universities like Jamia Millia Islamia will offer MA in education and MA in public administration while Jawaharlal Nehru University will offer MA in Sanskrit in online mode. Mizoram University, another central institution, will offer four online degree programmes.
Due to the pandemic COVID-19, UGC has already allowed up to 40 percent of a normal course to be offered online. This was decided to help students catch up on their studies and recently drafted a set of guidelines for blended learning that have been opposed by multiple teachers and student organisations.