- By Ritesh Kumar
- Wed, 14 Aug 2024 04:13 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
The University Grants Commission has announced a revised enrollment procedure for Open and Distance Learning (ODL) and Online Programmes for the 2024-25 academic year. Starting in September 2024, the new procedure will require students to enroll only in approved Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) offering these programmes. UGC Chairman Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar emphasised that the change aims to improve transparency and ensure that students are admitted to accredited institutions.
"The UGC (ODL Programmes and Online Programmes) Regulations, 2020 set the minimum standards for such programmes, and a list of recognised institutions is available on the UGC Distance Education Bureau website. Recent issues with unrecognised institutions admitting students highlighted the need for this standardised procedure. To safeguard student interests, the UGC has developed a mechanism requiring students to register on the UGC-DEB web portal and create a unique DEB-ID using their Academic Bank of Credit (ABC)-ID. This DEB-ID will be mandatory for all students enrolling in recognized ODL/Online programmes, except for foreign learners, and will remain valid for their lifetime. HEIs are urged to implement this new admission process efficiently and promote it to new learners to ensure successful adoption and operation," said the UGC Chairman, as reported by news agency ANI.
The UGC (ODL Programmes and Online Programmes) Regulations, 2020 set the minimum standards for higher educational institutions offering programs in open and distance learning and online modes. The UGC has published a year-wise list of universities recognised and authorised to offer these programs on the UGC Distance Education Bureau website at https://deb.ugc.ac.in/.
The Commission recently observed that some Higher Educational Institutions admitted students to unrecognised ODL/Online programs, risking their academic and career prospects. To address this issue and enhance transparency in the admission process, the Commission decided in its 581st meeting on June 25, 2024, to standardise the admission procedure for ODL and online programs. This measure aims to protect students' academic futures and career opportunities.
To ensure a transparent admission process, the UGC has introduced a new mechanism. Students wishing to enroll in ODL/Online Programmes must register on the UGC-DEB web portal (https://deb.ugc.ac.in/ and https://deb.ugc.ac.in/StudentDebId) using their Academic Bank of Credit (ABC) ID to generate a unique DEB-ID, according to the UGC.
Also Read: CBSE Issues New Guidelines For Use Of NCERT Textbooks In Schools | Details
All stakeholders are informed that, starting from the academic year 2024-25, which begins in September 2024 (revised from July-August 2024), the creation of a DEB-ID will be mandatory for all students (excluding foreign learners) who wish to enroll in ODL/Online programs at recognised or entitled HEIs. Once generated on the UGC-DEB web portal, the DEB-ID will remain valid for lifelong participation in ODL/Online learning, according to the UGC.
The UGC requests all Higher Educational Institutions to implement the new mechanism for ODL and Online mode admissions by completing the necessary API integration and promoting this initiative to new learners to ensure its success. For further inquiries or concerns, learners can reach out to the Helpdesk available on the website at https://deb.ugc.ac.in/.
