COIMBATORE: Nearly 100 students are in a spot as Bharathiar University has halted examinations for its Open Distance Learning (ODL) B Ed programme for the 2024-25 academic year after it failed to get mandatory approval from the University Grants Commission (UGC)'s Distance Education Bureau (DEB).
The university also stopped admissions for the course for the upcoming academic year.
Official sources say the examination department of the university refused permission to conduct the ODL B Ed exam this year, as its Center for Distance and Online Education (CDOE) did not receive approval from the UGC's DEB. Ninety-seven students who joined the ODL B Ed course in various subjects for the 2024-26 batch are baffled as the university did not hold exams which are held once a year. Concurrently, exams for the other 15 ODL programmes are being held from July 8 to 20," sources added.
However, P Chellasamy, Director, CDOE, claimed that they have the UGC-DEB and National Council for Teachers' Education (NCTE) approval to offer the B Ed programme.
When asked about the stoppage of exams and admissions, he said, "UGC-DEB requested to modify the study material of the B Ed programme to its format. So, admission was stopped. The preparation of study material work is almost complete, and admission may start next academic year."
He also said that, simultaneously, they are taking steps to conduct exams soon.
An officer from the university who did not wish to be named told TNIE, "In 2021, the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) directed the university to get UGC-DEB approval for Self-Learning Materials (SLM) to conduct the ODL programme from 2022. Although CDOE submitted its SLM for the B Ed programme, UGC-DEB allegedly rejected it, citing the preparation of poor study materials. Later, in 2022, UGC also directed the university to offer ODL programmes only if they receive approval from UGC-DEB."
"Bharathiar University received UGC-DEB approval for only 15 postgraduate programmes under ODL. But, admission for the B Ed programme was conducted until the last academic year without its approval. Exams had been conducted in violation of the norm, with only NCTE approval," he said.
"The NCTE Southern Regional Committee (SRC) issued a show cause notice to the university in February 2025, seeking to submit UGC-DEB approval for the B Ed ODL programme. The exam was not conducted as former officers in the examination department did not send a letter to the vice-chancellor (VC) committee seeking nod to conduct the exam after knowing about the lack of approval," he explained.
He pointed out that the validity of the students' degrees was uncertain, and the head of the department and director of CDOE should be inquired and punished for these violations.
"Now, some officers in the university allegedly obtained approval from the VC Committee to conduct this exam by concealing the lack of approval," he alleged.
TNIE has accessed two letters from the CDOE, dated June 30 and July 4, sent to the university's exam department urging it to conduct the exam. The TNIE also has the notice of the NCTE SRC.
Controller of Examinations K Vijayarani, who was the former Head of the Department of Education, denied these allegations and told TNIE that the B Ed programme has UGC-DEB and NCTE approval and the exam notification will be released soon.
A few spread wrong information, she stated.
When TNIE looked for recognition of the B Ed programme, it was missing on the UGC-DEB portal. A top officer from the higher education department told TNIE that he would inquire about this matter.