THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: "No university in the state fulfils the UGC's criteria for offering Open and Distance Learning (ODL) programmes".
This was the LDF Government's main argument to justify the creation of an 'Open University'. The government had even planned to enrol students in the yet-to-be set up varsity in the current academic year itself. But a recent development may prompt the government to go in for a rethink.
The UGC, in its latest regulations on ODL programmes, has revised the criteria for universities to be eligible to offer such courses. Due to the COVID pandemic, the UGC has now allowed universities to offer ODL programmes if it has a minimum NAAC score of 3.01 or figures among the top 100 ranks in the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF). This means the Universities of Kerala and Calicut, with NAAC scores of 3.03 and 3.13 respectively, are now eligible to offer ODL courses this academic year. These two varsities also figure among the top 100 universities in the country and get close to one lakh fresh ODL admissions every year.
However, Kannur University, which was offering ODL courses to around 12,000 students, would be ineligible to offer such courses as it does not fulfil the eligibility criteria. MG University, which does not offer ODL courses, remains unaffected by the revised UGC regulations.
The recent development has put the state government in a fix as it was planning to bar state universities from offering ODL courses so as to shift all the fresh admissions this year to the proposed Open University. Besides one lakh ODL students, the proposed Open University is also poised to get around 40,000 private students from Kerala and MG universities as well.
"The state government needs to take a decision at the earliest on whether universities will be allowed to offer distance learning programmes this year or not. The UGC's extended deadline for ODL admissions is September 30 and the universities have to complete the admission process within that time-frame," said a senior official of the University of Kerala.
Meanwhile, a section of students is worried about their academic prospects this year. "What if the government forcibly shuts down distance learning courses in universities but is unable to fully operationalise the Open University? A full academic year of ours will hang in the balance," said Arun SG, who plans to enrol for a BCom course through distance learning this year.
Academics have advised a phased shifting of courses from the state varsities to the Open University, taking into account the future of close to 1.5 lakh students who enrol for distance and private registration programmes of universities every year.