| Student problem 2: |
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Sir, I would be thankful if I get an appropriate reply for my queries. Recently Bhartiar University came up with an MBA course in collaboration with IBMR, Gurgaon. I tried in vain to gather information regarding the validity of this course. Please let me know up to what extent the course is valid and how far it can be utilised to pursue PhD later. Also let me know whether this degree can be used in teaching field as well.
- Careers360 reader Saif, New Delhi |
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Core players and where they stand
Supreme Court: In its famous Prof. Yashpal Versus GOI & others, the court very clearly banned off-shore centres, study centres and off-campus centres by universities, which are governed by State Acts.
UGC: Citing the above judgment UGC has been issuing circulars periodically which very clearly deny permission for such centres by State-level universities as well as Deemed Universities.
DEC: After a series of flip–flops, DEC now says there can be no territorial limits for distance learning, but distinctly bans franchising and subcontracting of these centres.
Status quo
The issue here is one of genuine distance learning institutes vis-à-vis some ‘authorised’ study centres that begin to offer their own full-time/regular programmes without regulatory oversight. In a normal study centre, a student gets library and laboratory support, administrative help and at times it may even offer academic inputs.
The programme, however, remains distinctly self-learning driven and accordingly cost effective. In the ‘hybrid’ model, the education institutes are given fancy names like ‘on-site partner’ or ‘approved institute,’ which help them masquerade as regular institutes. So the students are fooled into believing that they are studying under a regular, full-time programme and are charged for the course accordingly.
The issue here is not a debate over territorial jurisdiction. The concern is the effortless mixing of different modes of education by the institutions. While study centres are for distance education, off-campus and off-shore centres are meant for full- time programmes. They serve different needs and hence should not be clubbed together. As in the case of Saif, students are led to believe that they are doing a full- time programme, which they are not. They do get a degree finally, which is legal and valid, but again, it will only be a DL degree.
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