The University Grants Commission (UGC) has advised parents and students to be aware of unapproved distance education programmes offered by various institutions and to check the official website of UGC for such information.

In a public notice dated 25.01.2016, Jaspal S. Sandhu, the Secretary of UGC, has said that the UGC has come across many flashy advertisements made by various institutions stating that they were offering various courses via distance education and inviting applicants for the same.

However, Sandhu has requested both the parents and the students to review the same on the UGC website.

“A list of universities, colleges and institutions that are approved by the UGC have been provided on the websitewww.ugc.ac.in/db along with the details of the programmes offered and the distance education details,” he has said.

Further, Sandhu has said that no institution, college or university should offer distance education in engineering and technology courses. “UGC has not accorded recognition to any university or institutions to offer online programmes,” Sandhu informed.

Clarifying that the policy of UGC with regard to territorial jurisdiction and off-campus study centres had previously been articulated in a public notice dated June 27, 2013, based on the Supreme Court Judgment in 2005 in the Prof. Yashpal vs the State of Chhattisgarh case.

Sandhu has advised the students not to apply to universities that did not have recognition as certificates provided by such institutions would not be credited by the UGC nor can be used for higher education purposes.