1. Ensuring Status of Higher Educational Institutions(HEIs}:
- Recognition status of HEIs: The year-wise, academic session wise status of HEIs recognized to offer Programmes through Open and Distance mode and/or Online mode is available or UGC website at https: / /ugc.ac.in/.
- Entitlement Status of HEI’s: The List of Entitled HEI’s with the names of Online Praogrammes is available on UGC Website at https://deb.ugc.ac.in/
- HEIs debarred/put under ‘no admission category*. The details of HEI’s debarred for offering ODL and/or Online programmes and put under ‘no admission category’ in specific Online programmes for July — August 2022 academic session (revised to September 2022) are also available on the website at https://deb.ugc.ac.in/ .The students are advised to see prior to admission and or regular
2.Checking the details on the HEIs’website:
- All documents submitted by the HEIs such as application, Affidavit, Regulatory Authority Approval and additional information have been uploaded on UGC website at:https://deb.ugc.ac.in/
- All HEIs that are recognized/entitled to offer ODL and/or Online programmes are requiredto upload all the details or their website also. The learners are advised to verify all details as claimed by the HEI on its official website. In case any deviation has been noticed, please communicate the same to UGC for taking necessary actions against the HEI as per the punitive provisions defined under UGC
- Please ensure reading the notifications at Notice Board before taking admission. The notifications can be accessed on UGC website at the following link: https://www.ugc.ac.in/ugc_notices.aspx or https://deb.ugc.ac.in/notices/NewNotices
3.Adherence to duration of academicsession:
As decided by the Commission, the academic session beginning July-August 2022 has been revised to September 2022. Last date of admission for ODL and Online Programmes for the academic session September 2022 (revised from
July — August 2022) shall be 31st October, 2022.
4.Adherence to UGC notification on Specification of Degrees, 2014 and its subsequentamendment:
Please ensure that the minimum duration, nomenclature and entry level qualification for ODL Programmes and Online Programmes under which enrolment 1s being made should be strictly as per UGC notification on Specification of Degrees, 2014 and its amendments (available at https://www.ugc.ac.in/ugc_notices.aspx
In general, the minimum eligibility/entry qualification for enrolling into UG/ PG programme is as given below:
| Level of degree programme | Minimum eligibility/ entry qualification |
| Under-Graduate programme | 10+2 |
| Post-Graduate programme | Bachelor’s |
5.Caution against admission in prohibitedprogrammes:
Programmes in the following disciplines (including their allied domains) are prohibited to be offered under ODL and Online mode:
- Engineering
- Medical
- Physiotherapy
- Occupational Therapy arid other Para-Medicaldisciplines
- Pharmacy
- Nursing
- Dental
- Architecture
- ix) Law
- Agriculture
- Horticulture
- HotelManagement
- CateringTechnology
- CulinarySciences
- AircraftMaintenance
- Visual Arts andSports
- 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 8s Hospitality Management programmes (in Online mode) at UG and PG level are not permitted in ODL mode and/ or Online
Apart from the above, M.Phil and Ph.D. programmes in all disciplines through Open and Distance Learning and Online mode are also prohibited.
6. Ensuring all activities within Territorial Jurisdiction for ODL Programmes: Please ensure that all activities of the HEI including admission, counselling sessions, contact programmes, programme delivery, examinatlons are strictly conducted by the HEI within the Territorial jurisdiction of the HEI as given below:
- A university established or incorporated by or under a Central Act shall operateonly within the territorial jurisdiction as per the provisions of the
- A university established or incorporated by or under a State Act shall operate only within the territorial jurisdiction allotted to it under its Act and in no case beyond the territory of the state of its location. In case; State Government has limited its area of operation within the state, the limited area will be the Territorial Jurisdiction of the
- A Deemed to be University shall operate only within its HQ or from those off campuses or off-shore campuses which are approved by the Govt. of India through notification published in the official gazette. Deemed to be Universities cannot offer any courses on its own in distance education mode unless and until it is permissible to conduct such courses indistance education mode by UGC and specific permissions are granted by the concerned statutory/regulatory authorities in respect of each of those courses and after the off-campus Centres/ Study Centres are individually inspected and found adequate by the concerned Statutory Authorities.
- The territorial jurisdiction of Institutions Deemed to be Universities is the city/ town /vi11age where the Institution is located and the city where the off- campus is approved by the Ministry of
- Private University established under the State Act shall be eligible to offer programmes under ODL mode through its Head Quarters only and duly recognized off-campus centres. A Private University shall not offer programmes under ODL mode through any Learner Support.
7.Prohibition offranchising arrangement for offering ODL and OL Programmes:
- No Universlty, whether Central, State, Private or Deemed to be University, can offer its programmes through franchising arrangement for admitting learners and conducting courses through ODL and Online mode.Please ensure that the complete admission process is carried out through the headquarters of the HEI in a transparent
- The Learner Support Centers (LSCs) will also be established and managed directly by the HEI and not through any franchises oroutsourced arrangement.
- The ownership of offering ODL and Online programmes including all required components and learning platform (in case of Online programmes) shall be that of Higher Educational Institutions only. Franchises arrangement with a private service provider for offering ODL and OL Programmes is not permissible as per University Grants Commission (Open and Distance Learning Programmes and Online Programmes) Regulations,
8.Equivalence of qualification acquired through Conventional or Open and Distance Learning and Onlinemodes:
Degrees at undergraduate and postgraduate level in conformity with UGC notification on Specification of Degrees, 2014 and post graduate diplomas awarded through ODL mode and/ Or Onllne mode by Hlgher Educational Institutions, recognised by the Commission under these regulations, shall be treated as equivalent to the corresponding awards of the Degrees at undergraduate and postgraduate level and post graduate diplomas offered through conventional mode
9.Important Learner Centre provisions of theRegulations
- Learner’s mobility: A learner enrolled for a programme under Open and Distance Learning mode and/or Online mode in a Higher Educational Institution recognised by the Commission under these regulations shall be eligible for mobility from one mode of learning to another mode of learning within the Higher Educational Institution as per the provisions stipulated under its Act and with the approval of statutory authorities of the Higher EducationalInstitution.
- Provided that in case a programme is under the domain of regulatory authority/ statutory council, Higher Educational Institution shall take permission from the concerned regulatory authority/ statutory council for mobility of learners under such programmes.
- Admission taken during recognition period: Admission taken in a recognized programme under Open and Distance Learning mode and/or Online mode during the recognition period stands recognised till the completion of programme, even if the Higher Educational Institution does not have recognition for further years, provided the programme is offered as per the UGC norms of territorial jurisdiction and in conformity with the extant guidelines and /or UGC regulations and regulations of respective regulatory bodies.
- Learner’s enrolment {for Open and Distance Learning mode}: A Learner residing in any part of the Country may enrol in any programme being offered by a HigherEducational Institution recognised by the Commission for offering programme under Open and Distance Learning mode provided that the Higher Educational Institution shall conduct all activities such as admissions, contact programmes, examinations etc. for learner strictly within the territorial jurisdiction of the Higher Educational Institution as specified in these.
- Learner’s enrolment (for Online mode}: A Learner residing within or outside India may enrol in any programme being offered by a Higher Educational Institution recognized by the Commission for offering programme under Online.