UGC warns against online PhD programmes, issues notice

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has issued an advisory against online PhD programmes being offered by ed-tech companies in collaboration with foreign educational institutions. According to the notice, these PhD courses are not recognised as per UGC and AICTE guidelines. In a notice about the same, All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and University Grants Commission (UGC) mentioned that it was mandatory for all Indian Higher Educational Institutions (HEls) to follow UGC Regulations and its amendments for awarding any PhD degrees. Aspiring students and the public were requested to verify the authenticity of PhD courses as per UGC Regulations, 2016 before taking admission into the programme, the notice mentions.

It is to be noted that the advisory was tweeted by the commission on its official Twitter handle:

UGC advises Students and public, at large, not to be misled by advertisements for online Ph.D programmes offered by EduTech Companies in collaboration with Foreign Educational Institutes.
For more details please see the attached public notice. @PMOIndia pic.twitter.com/RlP33Ziv7B

— UGC INDIA (@ugc_india) October 28, 2022

In March 2022, the commission proposed amendments to the UGC regulations 2016 and suggested that 60 per cent of the PhD will be filled up by students who have passed the UGC NET Exam or the UGC NET JRF exam and the remaining 40 per cent should be filled through the entrance exams of the respective universities.

This is the second time the UGC has issued such a warning to the students. Earlier, they had warned recognised universities and institutions against offering courses through distance learning and online mode in collaboration with EdTech companies, saying that no “franchise” agreement was permitted according to norms.

As per the UGC’s dual-degree guidelines released in April, students are allowed to pursue two full-time academic courses simultaneously either at the same university or from different universities. However, the guidelines were applicable only to students pursuing academic programmes like undergraduate, postgraduate, certificate and diploma courses. However, no such guidelines were issued for students pursuing PhD programmes.

Earlier in the day, Vice Chancellor Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar, however, had mentioned that online education was very advantageous, especially for those who are unable to go to college. And such opportunities were likely to pick up further.

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