The University Grants Commission’s (UGC) Distance Education Bureau has issued a circular on the number of online courses that universities, including deemed-to-be ones, can offer this academic year.
The University of Madras has been allowed to offer 30 programmes and Anna University three. These include undergraduate and postgraduate courses.
Madurai Kamaraj University has been permitted to offer 25 programmes whereas the Physical Education and Sports University will offer two programmes — B.Sc and M.Sc in Yoga.
The permission comes in the backdrop of the Tamil Nadu Government College Teachers Association’s rejection of the UGC’s proposal to adopt blended learning. Association president T. Veeramani said teachers were against online education. The proposal to offer 40% of courses online could render teachers without jobs in the long run, he said, and added that, “Teachers can be anywhere. We do not know who will get the job of teaching students online.”
2.5 lakh applicants
As of Tuesday, as many as 2.5 lakh candidates had registered for undergraduate programmes offered in the 143 government arts and science colleges. A total of 1.84 lakh aspirants had paid fees. The deadline for applying to colleges is August 10.
For the past two years, owing to the pandemic, admission process to colleges have been taken online. While SC/ST candidates need not pay the application fee, others are charged ₹50.
