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Over 100 universities allowed by UGC to offer open and distance learning (ODL) programmes
Economic Times | By PTI | 1 Jun, 2015 |
NEW DELHI: University Grants Commission (UGC) has allowed over hundred universities in the country to continue offering academic programmes through open and distance learning (ODL) mode for the next academic year 2015-16. The UGC had accorded recognition to the universities and institutions for offering programmes through ODL mode upto the current academic session 2014-15. The Commission in its 505th meeting in December last year, decided to “maintain status quo” and allow continuation of recognition for the academic session 2015-16, said a UGC letter to vice chancellors of the concerned universities.
A total of 128 universities and institutions offering academic programmes under ODL mode will benefit by the UGC recognition. The UGC has also pointed that some of the universities and institutions are still violating the norms and guidelines prescribed for offering programmes through ODL mode. All the universities and institutes offering programmes through ODL mode have been directed by the UGC to submit affidavits assuring strict adherence to all its terms and conditions as a pre-condition for continuation of recognition for the academic session 2015-16. The UGC will consider conveying approval for recognition for 2015-16 after receipt of the affidavit, UGC letter added.- Courtesy UGC Link
Research fellows continue to protest across India against central government’s indifference
India TV News Desk | Updated 20 Feb 2015 |
Bengaluru: Dissatisfied with the Centre for not fulfilling their demand for a hike in scholarship and fellowship stipends; the research students across India continue to carry out protests and hunger strikes across the country. Another government announcement on Tuesday from Ministry of Human Resources added to their woes as the MHRD which disburses grants to nearly 50,000 scholars doing research in the fields of engineering, pharmacy, architecture etc, announced a 55% hike but it also said that it will be effective from February 1, 2015. On the other hand, Department of Science and Technology (DST) had finalized an increase in stipends much earlier in October last year which ranged from 55% for Junior Research Fellows from Rs 16,000 to Rs 25,000 to 66% for research associates from Rs 24,000 to Rs 40,000.
Little later, in December, University Grants Commission (UGC) also announced a 55% hike in stipends of 15 fellowship schemes. The research students, however, still continue to protest as the three main agencies that grant fellowship to scholars across the country are showing disparity in implementation of the hikes. While DST and UGC have implemented the hikes from October and December respectively, the MHRD said it would give an increase starting February, this year. The students expected DST and UGC to implement the hike from the starting of the financial year – April 2014 and MHRD to cover up where it lagged. Reportedly, the notification issued by the HRD ministry announced the enhanced scholarship of 55% on Wednesday. As per the notification, scholarships for all scholars who are drawing fellowships from MHRD-affiliated bodies like AICTE, IIT’s, NIT’s, IIIT’s, ISc, IISER, NITIE, Mumbai, ISM, Dhanbad, NIFFT, Ranchi, NERIST Arunachal Pradesh, SLIET, Longowal, SPA’s and NITTR’s have been revised from February 1, 2015. Courtesy
Scholarship / Fellowship/Assistantship in AICTE approved and Centrally Funded Technical Institution under the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Ph.D.Programmes Junior Research Fellow (JRF) / Senior Research Fellow (SRF)
Smriti Irani, 200 vice-chancellors to talk teacher education
The Times of India |
NEW DELHI: After spending two days in retreat with vice-chancellors of central university, HRD minister Smriti Irani will discuss the roadmap for bringing changes in teacher education on Monday. Nearly 200 VCs of central, state and private universities will be in attendance. Top on the agenda will be bringing the entire teacher education under the university system. Currently, pre-service education of teachers for the secondary or higher secondary level is carried out at post-graduate level while for elementary teachers, it is only post-secondary certificate course outside the university system. This happened despite the Education Commission of 1966 having said that teacher training programme should be part of the university system. Diverse system, UGC believes, is a “vestige of the colonial times” and therefore needs to be addressed. In this context, VCs will discuss if offering affiliation to teacher education institutions can be a solution. They will also look into the prospect of university departments opening such courses on campus as well as academic prerequisite for entry and level of certification, should it be diploma or post-graduate diploma.
Putting the focus on quality of teacher education, the meeting will evaluate the implementation of National Curriculum Framework for Teacher Education (2009). Of 239 universities where teacher education programmes are being offered, only 73 universities have revised their teacher education curriculum. The meeting will focus on speedy implementation of the NCFTE curriculum framework in all universities and ensure that teacher education institutions go through accreditation process for quality control. Also on the agenda will be enhancing the duration of BEd and MEd programmes. This again has been lingering for a long time despite Education Commission having recommended that duration of BEd should be more than one year and Varma Commission specifically saying that both BEd and MEd should be of two years each. In order to strengthen research in teacher education, an ignored area so far, VCs will discuss how best it can be brought at par with research in other subjects. Various options will be on the table. This includes allocating more funds for research in education, creation of research promotion body and supporting joint research across universities.
Consensus among VCs for 2-year BEd / MEd course – The Times of India – Read More …
Kerala Universities defy University Grants Comission (UGC), off- campus centres,Distance education, IDE
DC CORRESPONDENT | Sabloo Thomas | August 02, 2014.
Thiruvananthapuram: If the recent action of the University Grants Commission (UGC) is any indication, universities in the state may have to do a rethink on their off- campus centres, which offer liberalised academic programmes making it easier for students to get degrees.
Besides ordering the Mahatma Gandhi University (MGU) to shut down its seven international and six national off-campus centres, the UGC recently asked universities to close down all their study centres offering distance mode of education as they were being run in violation of its policies. The MGU’s seven international off-campus centres are located in Sharjah, Doha, Bahrain, Dubai, Kuwait, Abu Dhabi and Oman and the national centres, in Gujarat, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Karnataka and New Delhi.
In fact, in 2013 the then Governor Nikhil Kumar had issued a show cause notice to MGU Vice-Chancellor, A.V. George, who was sacked earlier for sanctioning 77 below par off-campus centres.
The UGC also issued a warning to Calicut University for operating off- campus centres outside its jurisdiction. In a letter to the university, it pointed out that it could only operate in the area allotted to it.
Former MGU Vice Chancellor, Rajan Gurukkal, admits there have been complaints about faculty lacking in qualification and absence of infrastructure like libraries and laboratories at the off-campus centres.
“During my tenure as Vice Chancellor I had to issue an order against conducting examinations in the off- campus centres owing to complaints of malpractice. The examinations were instead held in colleges that were approved for holding them,” he recalls, adding, “It was also during my tenure that we decided to issue separate certificates for students in off- campus centres and doing distance education. This was because treating these students on par with regular students was an injustice to the latter. Off- campus students and distance education students are studying a highly liberalized syllabus.”
Kerala University, which did not have any off campus centres for a long time, changed its policy in 2012 and started Learners Support Centres (LSCs), a modified version of the off -campus units of other universities.
Around 62 LSCs were proposed for all districts, except Wayanad and Kasargod, with the support of the KU Institute of Distance Education (IDE). The concept of LSCs was first mooted by the Syndicate in 2005, but was met with opposition by many who felt it could encourage malpractice.
When contacted, former Pro -Vice Chancellor of Kerala University, S Kevin , refused to comment, saying he was in responsible positions in the university at the time.
But its an open secret that most universities opt for off- campus centres because they are big revenue earners. For instance, the MGU which had a deficit of about three crore every month, was able to generate an additional five crore through these centres.
And Calicut University , which ran off- campus centres in the name of counselling units, generated `12.4 crore through them. It all began in 2001 -02 when the MGU started off- campus centres as part of its internal resource mobilisation.
The AKPCTA approached the High Court and Supreme Court against it, but both courts ruled in its favour. Off-campus centres were later sanctioned in 2002, 2003 and 2004. Now that they are mushrooming everywhere, director of Kerala University Computer Centre, V Ajayakumar, says its high time quality control measures were introduced for these centres in the interest of students.
Meanwhile, The submission of the Mahatma Gandhi University before the High Court that the degree awarded by it under the Distance Education Programme was not recognised and degree holders could not obtain admission to a regular post graduate course conducted by the university had come as a shocker to many.
But university sources said the applicants were aware of the legal situation. According to sources, most of those who apply for distance programmes know the fact that they cannot pursue higher studies with the degree obtained through distance education. Most people rely on distance education for job-related promotions. Others join the courses to gain added qualifications. According to a top lawyer at the High Court, distance education programmes are fraudulent and the authorities should take serious note of it. The prospects of thousands pursuing distance education under the MG University are bleak. The High Court recorded the submissions of the university and dismissed a petition filed by a Kochi native seeking admission for MBA in a college.
UGC stipulates format for degree programmes
NEW DELHI, Prakash Kumar, July 11, 2014, DHNS |
Days after forcing Delhi University to roll back a four-year undergraduate programme, the University Grants Commission (UGC) has notified nomenclatures and duration of degree programmes, making it clear to varsities and other institutions that any deviation from the prescribed format would lead to action against them.
In a Gazette notification, the commission on Friday noted that many universities and other higher educational institutions were offering programmes which were “neither conventional nor reflective of a real innovation in knowledge”, asking them to immediately “restructure or change” them into the format prescribed by it.
The higher education regulator notified that general undergraduate honours or general degree programmes, such as BA, BSc and BCom should be of three years’ duration, MPhil of one to one-and-a-half years and doctoral two years.
Programmes like Bachelor of Technology (B Tech), Bachelor of Engineering (BE), Bachelor of Planning (B Plan), Bachelor of Design (BDes), Bachelor of Hotel Management (BHM), Bachelor of Fine Arts, and Bachelor of Science (Agriculture) should be of four years’ duration.
“Many universities and higher educational institutions are offering programmes with nomenclature like BJMC, B Litt, BL, BBS/BBM/BBE, MFM/MFC. They will have to be restructured or changed into BA (Journalism and Mass Communication), BA (literature), LLB (Bachelor of Law), BBA/B Com/ BCom Honours, MBA (financial management). These are some examples,” a UGC official said.
The guiding principle is that degrees should be specified in generic terms and the nomenclature should be such that they are generally recognised, globally acknowledged, widely accepted and indicative of their level and the broad subject, discipline, knowledge, the commission said in its notification.
On dual degree programmes, the higher education regulator made it clear that varsities should introduce them “judiciously and with caution”.
“A dual degree programme combines more than one subject, mostly in a horizontal spread, whereas an integrated programme is progressive and cumulative. The academic philosophy or rationale behind offering such integrated programmes should not be for economising on course requirements or award of double degrees in a fast track,” it said.
UGC Letter reg.: Award of Degrees within the framework of Section 22 of the UGC Act,1956
Published on 22/09/2015 : UGC Letter reg.: First Amendment to UGC Notification for Specification of Degrees 
Published on 01/06/2016 : UGC letter reg.: Second Amendment to ‘UGC Notification 2014’ on Specification of Degrees
UGC NET JRF Online Learning Programmes – McGraw Hill Education India joined hands with GreyCampus
19-MAY-2014.
A new collaboration came up when publishing house McGraw Hill Education India joined hands with GreyCampus to promote online learning programmes among University Grants Commission-National Eligibility Test aspirants.
The new online portal has a four step study, practice, test and mock test exam course which is helpful for the aspiring students to prepare for the entrance test.
The portal consists of various types of practice papers, mock test papers and so on. The content that the authors of McGraw Hill Education India have prepared has enough number of question bank and answers.
The aspirants can easily access the site on their computers, laptops, tablets or on phone till the exact date of the test. The course encircles reading comprehension, teaching aptitude, research aptitude, reasoning, data interpretation, information and communication technology, people and the environment and higher education system governance, polity and administration.
UGC-NET course
McGraw Hill GreyCampus on – YouTube
Visit Greycampus Indian Contact Phone No. (+91) 40 4445 2222 / (+91) 1800 102 5339
Engineering, Science & Technology Resources Portal 