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Are you confused because of a lot of legal terms like UGC approved or AICTE approval and wondering why these approvals matter so much? The education system in India is so vast and numerous universities are providing higher education from both regular and distance or online modes.
Hence, it is important for universities to get approval from statutory bodies like UGC and AICTE to prove their credibility.
About Online And Distance Education
Online and distance education is a form of education that provides education from the comfort of home and students can get several benefits from online education. The concept of online and distance education emerged decades ago and it is still improving and bringing further changes.
In 1982 first open university in India was established and it was Dr. B.R. Ambedkar University then IGNOU came later in the year 1985. At the time of its inception, online and distance education was not the same as distance universities used to teach students via mail.
But the emergence of online education changed the scenario and the market size of distance education expanded by leaps and bounds. Now, online education and distance education are the same and this system of online education has brought up several modern technologies to teach.
However, not every university can provide distance or online education as universities need to get approval from government bodies like the University Grants Commission (UGC), Distance Education Bureau (DEB), and AICTE.
What Are UGC, Deb, And AICT Approvals?
University Grants Commission is a statutory body of the government of India established under the UGC act 1956 to maintain the standard of higher education in India. UGC has been established under the ministry of education for the maintenance of standards of education by higher education institutes.
It is mandatory for every university to get approved or recognized by the University Grants Commission to provide valuable and valid degree courses in India.
Distance Education Bureau (DEB): Distance Education Bureau is a body under the University Grants Commission (UGC) and it has been established to maintain the standards of open and distance education in India. DEB was established in the year 2012 and replaced the Distance Education Council (DEC). Every university needs the approval of DEB to provide online and distance education to students.
Universities that have gained recognition from UGC-DEB are allowed to provide courses from the distance learning mode, otherwise, distance degrees from universities will not have any value.
All India Council For Technical Education (Aicte): AICTE is a national-level council for technical education in India and it has been established under the department of higher education. This body has been established as an advisory council for the proper management and development of technical education and management education in India.
In the beginning, it was established as an advisory body but later it gained the status of a statutory body under an act of parliament. This council is responsible to provide guidance and recommendations to colleges affiliated with universities.
The government of India has established certain statutory bodies to regulate and maintain higher education in India so that the standard can be maintained. There are different councils under these bodies, for instance, the distance education council. Statutory bodies like UGC and AICTE have the authority to regulate all the higher education institutes.
Why Are Approvals Important In Online Education?
The growth of distance education has increased tremendously in recent decades and plenty of new universities are coming up to provide distance courses. Hence, it is important that these universities must have gained recognition from UGC and AICTE before providing higher education to students.
It is the responsibility of universities to maintain the standards of higher education even in online and distance education. The University Grants Commission has a proper procedure to provide recognition to universities and the universities have to go through a rigorous procedure of inspection. Read Best Distance Learning Courses In India!
Universities need to satisfy the panel that their management, faculty, infrastructure, and curriculum everything is up to the standards. This inspection is important because that’s how only those universities will get the approval that is capable to cater to the needs of students in terms of education.
UGC has also set up a bureau to verify those universities that are interested in providing higher education in distance mode. In order to provide distance and online education, universities need to have a well-established infrastructure with online platforms so that they can make education accessible to every student.
Hence, a bureau is significant to coordinate and monitor the management and online infrastructure of these universities. The process is quite intense and includes several levels of inspection but it is important to verify all the information of universities as students cannot check every single detail about the university before taking admission.
There are a plethora of universities in the higher education domain but only a few get approval from UGC and only approved universities can provide valid degrees to students. The selection of a recognized university is important for a student’s career and it helps in segregating fake and verified universities. Read: IGNOU MA Admission 2022 Last Date!
Conclusion Of Importance Of Online Education
The government of India has set up bodies to monitor and regulate all the higher education in India. Regulatory bodies are vital to providing qualitative education to students who are willing to pursue higher studies either from regular or distance mode.
Hence, it is mandatory that universities need to have approval from UGC to provide educational services. Students are required to check the UGC approval prior to taking admission to any university, otherwise, their degree will not be valid.
