BALASORE: In a major development, the Fakir Mohan University (FMU) here has received formal approval from the Distance Education Bureau of the University Grants Commission (UGC) to introduce 11 undergraduate (UG) programmes and one PG course through its Centre for Distance and Online Education (CDOE).
The programmes will commence from 2025-26 academic session and be offered in the disciplines of Odia, English, Sanskrit, Economics, History, Sociology, Political Science, Education, Commerce, Business Management and Library Science. For the Master’s in Library and Information Science course, admission and registration process will start shortly.
The 12 distance and online programmes will provide an inclusive platform for working professionals, socio-economically disadvantaged learners and students constrained by geographical distance.
Vice-Chancellor Prof Santosh Kumar Tripathy held a meeting with heads of departments and faculty members to discuss curriculum development, instructional design, digital and print learning resources and capacity-building of teaching staff for the new courses. The deliberations focused on establishing effective pedagogical strategies to align distance learning with contemporary academic standards.
Director of CDOE Prof Munesh Chandra Adhikari and deputy registrar Debadutta Das said introduction of the UG programmes will further consolidate the university’s role as a regional hub for quality distance and online education. The CDOE has already run 10 postgraduate programmes since February.