UGC relief for 5-yr-old universities in distance learning programmes

Speaking to DT Next on Saturday, University Grants Commission Vice-Chairman Prof H Devaraj said that the Prof Madhava Menon committee report for streamlining distance education was tabled in the Commission’s meeting a month ago, which UGC accepted. 

“As per the committee’s report we have done away with the clause which stated that a regular university can offer a course on distance education only if it was started five years ago and a new university started within five years cannot offer any programme on distance education,” Prof  Devaraj said, adding that this would help universities provide specialised courses to thousands of students who want to study those programmes through distance education. 

The vice-chairman also said that the UGC had accorded permission to Chinmaya Mission to start deemed university on de novo basis in Kerala and Pune. 

“This could be the first institution to get de novo deemed university status after close to a decade. We have sent our recommendation to the HRD ministry, which will notify it,” he added. 

Speaking about Massive Open Online Course (MOOC), Prof. Devaraj said that a committee headed by UGC member VS Chauhan would convene a meeting on March 16 to discuss how to disseminate information about UGC’s MOOC programme across the country.