The University Grants Commission (UGC) has issued a directive to all higher education institutions in India, prohibiting the admission of foreign nationals into open and distance learning (ODL) programmes. This directive underscores the eligibility criteria defined in Annexure III of UGC’s regulations, which stipulate that only students residing in India are eligible to enrol in ODL programs.
In accordance with regulation 23 of UGC’s ODL Programmes and Online Programmes Regulations, 2020, “A learner residing in any part of the country may enrol in any programme being offered by a higher educational institution recognised by the Commission for offering programme under open and distance learning mode provided that the higher educational institution shall conduct all activities such as admissions, contact programmes, examinations etc. for learner strictly within the territorial jurisdiction of the higher educational institution as specified in these regulations.”
The UGC has also taken into account a notification from the Ministry of Home Affairs, which states that student visas will not be issued to foreign nationals sponsored by unaccredited educational institutions offering off-campus, study centres of open universities providing distance learning programmes, or educational institutes conducting “outreach” programmes without the requisite statutory sanction from regulatory authorities.
In light of the aforementioned regulations, the UGC has directed higher education institutions offering ODL programmes to refrain from enrolling any foreign nationals. Accordingly, only learners residing in India are permitted to enrol in ODL programmes, in compliance with the territorial jurisdiction specified in Annexure-III of UGC’s ODL Programmes and Online Programmes Regulations, 2020.
