UGC restores nod for Calicut varsity’s distance education courses

Students who sought admission in July to benefit

A view of University Grants Commission (UGC), in New Delhi. File

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has restored the recognition for open and distance learning (ODL) programmes offered by Calicut University’s School of Distance Education (SDE).

Students who sought admission this July will benefit from the UGC decision. Vice Chancellor M.K. Jayaraj said on Thursday that the first semester admissions for undergraduate and postgraduate courses would be completed by December 15. The approved courses are B.A. in History, Economics, Sociology, Political Science, Philosophy, English, Malayalam, Hindi, Arabic, Sanskrit, and Afzal-ul-Ulema, BBA and B.Com and M.A. in Economics, Sociology, Politics, Philosophy, English, Malayalam, Hindi, History, Sanskrit, and Arabic and M.Com.

The ODL programmes did not have UGC approval for the past two years. The university is among the largest in the State in terms of enrolment of students for distance learning programmes with around 1.5 lakh seeking admissions every year. Private registration facility was offered to students last year on condition that once the recognition was restored, they would migrate to the ODL programmes. They, however, too did not have UGC approval and students were concerned.

Mr. Jayaraj said approval had been granted for all except two of the 26 courses as sought by the university. The UGC raised doubts if M.Sc. Mathematics and B.Sc. Mathematics courses were being run for the past seven years and kept their approval pending. He said courses were more than seven years old, and that the university would file an appeal with the UGC in 30 days.

Last year, the university could not get the recognition restored mainly for two reasons. The SDE did not have a full-time director and its faculty members were temporary staff. Now, a full-time director has been appointed and faculty members recruited on a three-year contract.

Mr. Jayaraj also allayed fears over the validity of private registration courses. He said Kannur University and Mahatma Gandhi University too offered them, and that students would not face any hurdles for higher education and jobs.