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Unaccredited Universities Offering Online Degree in India – UGC Guidelines 2025

Unaccredited Universities Offering Online Degree in India – UGC Guidelines 2025

Edited By Arushi Pandita | Updated on Jun 19, 2025 02:56 PM IST | #MBA

Online education has witnessed a significant growth in recent years, with over 95 UGC-approved colleges offering online degree programmes. These degrees provide flexible and accessible learning options to students and working professionals. However, this rapid growth has led to a rise in unaccredited institutions, raising concerns about academic quality and the credibility of online degree courses.

Unaccredited Universities Offering Online Degree in India – UGC Guidelines 2025
Unaccredited Universities Offering Online Degree in India – UGC Guidelines 2025

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has laid down guidelines for higher educational institutions (HEIs) in India for offering programmes under online mode. These guidelines ensure that only accredited institutions are allowed to offer online programmes. The UGC has also prohibited HEIs from offering online programmes.

Unaccredited Universities For Online Programmes

The table below highlights the list of unaccredited institutes offering online degrees in India as per the latest UGC guidelines:

Unaccredited InstitutionsStateDetails

Suresh Gyan Vihar University

Rajasthan

Banned from offering online programmes for five academic sessions beginning from July–August 2024.

No applications for the academic year 2024-25 and 2025-26 shall be considered to offer online programmes, even under the “Entitled Category.”

Periyar University

Tamil Nadu

Banned from offering online programmes for two academic years, 2024-

25 and 2025-26, starting from academic

session beginning July-August 2024, even under "Entitled Category".


The institutions listed above are prohibited by the UGC from offering online degree programmes. Therefore, students are strongly advised to verify the recognition status of higher education institutions for their academic session on the official UGC DEB website. They should also review details on the respective HEI’s websites and take note of any banned online programmes or restrictions on the official website.

Also Read: Online MBA Enrolment vs. Passing Percentage vs. Placements: Trends Revealed

UGC Guidelines 2025: Why Institutions Are Prohibited From Offering Online Degrees?

According to the UGC guidelines, some higher educational institutions have been restricted from offering online degree programmes. The reasons outlined below explain why certain institutes are barred from offering online courses in India:

No Approval from UGC-DEB

The UGC Distance Education Bureau (UGC DEB) is the regulatory body that grants approval to institutions for offering online and distance education programmes in India. Institutes without this specific approval cannot legally offer online courses in India. The approval process involves meeting various criteria related to infrastructure, faculty qualifications, content quality, and assessment mechanisms.

Failure to Maintain LMS

Learning Management Systems (LMS) are digital platforms essential for delivering online education. The UGC guidelines mandate that institutes maintain robust, user-friendly LMS platforms with specific features for content delivery, student tracking, and assessment. Institutions that fail to maintain adequate LMS infrastructure are disqualified from offering online degree programmes.

No Clarity in Programme Details

UGC guidelines encourage universities to have complete transparency in programme structure, curriculum, learning outcomes, and assessment methods. Institutions must provide detailed information about these aspects on their official websites. Institutes that offer incomplete programme details are regarded as not adhering to UGC regulatory standards.

No Track Record of Academic Delivery

The UGC requires institutions to demonstrate proven experience in delivering quality education. Institutes with established track records of at least 3-5 years in online or blended teaching can offer online courses. This ensures that only experienced educational providers offer quality online education to students. However, institutes with no prior experience in delivering online education are not eligible.

Also Read: Does IIM BLACKI Offer Online MBA?

List of Prohibited Programmes in Online Mode

The programmes mentioned below are prohibited from being offered under ODL and online modes:

Engineering

Medical

Physiotherapy

Occupational Therapy and other Para-Medical disciplines

Pharmacy

Nursing

Dental

Architecture

Law

Agriculture

Horticulture

Hotel Management

CateringTechnology

Culinary Sciences

Aircraft Maintenance

Visual Arts

Sports

Aviation

Yoga

Tourism and Hospitality Management


Apart from the above programmes, M.Phil and Ph.D. programmes in all disciplines are also prohibited under Open and Distance learning and online mode.

Also Read: Think Twice! These Online Programs Could Be a Waste of Your Time and Money

The UGC guidelines aim to protect students from unaccredited institutions offering unrecognised online degrees, ensuring academic integrity in online education. Students must verify an institute’s recognition status on the official UGC-DEB portal before enrolling, thus protecting their future and valuing their education.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Can unaccredited universities offer online MBA in India?

Only UGC-DEB-approved institutions with NAAC accreditation or NIRF ranking are eligible to offer online MBA programmes in India.

2. Why did UGC ban institutions from offering online degree courses?

UGC banned certain institutions due to lack of approvals, poor infrastructure, no adherence to UGC guidelines, and failure to meet quality benchmarks.

3. How can I check if an institute is UGC-approved for an online MBA?

Students must check UGC guidelines for online MBA or other programmes by visiting the official UGC-DEB website and confirm the approval status of institutions offering online programmes.

4. What should students verify before enrolling in an online degree?

Students must verify the UGC-DEB approval, NAAC or NIRF status, programme transparency, faculty qualifications, and infrastructure such as LMS on official websites.

5. What is the duration of a valid online MBA in India?

The minimum duration of an online MBA programme is two years as per UGC guidelines.

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Questions related to MBA

Have a question related to MBA ?

Hello,

Yes, doing an MBA after having 4 years of work experience can definitely help you get a better job role and a good salary hike. MBA teaches you skills like business strategy, leadership, marketing, finance, and decision-making. These are useful in almost every field. If you are doing an MBA from VIY , and the course is designed well, it can add great value to your resume.

Since you already have experience in the industry, your MBA degree will help you move into higher roles like team lead, manager, or project coordinator. Many companies prefer employees with both work experience and a business degree. Also, online MBAs are good for working professionals because they are flexible. But make sure the program is UGC-approved or linked to a recognized university.

Getting a salary hike also depends on your current job role, how you use the new skills, and the company you work for. If you apply your MBA learning effectively, show leadership, and look for better job roles after the course, you can expect a good hike. Try to do internships or projects during the MBA, even if it’s online it makes a big difference.

Thank you!



To apply or download the TANCET MBA 2025 scorecard, you need to visit the official TANCET website, which is managed by Anna University. Once the results are announced, the scorecard will be available online for download.

Here’s what you should do:

1. Go to the official TANCET website.

2. Click on the link that says Download Scorecard.

3. Enter your login credentials usually, it's your email ID and password you used while applying for the exam.

4. Once logged in, you’ll see your scorecard.

5. Click on the download or print option to save it as a PDF.

Make sure all the details in the scorecard are correct like your name, marks, and rank. If you find any errors, contact Anna University quickly using the contact details available on their site. Also, download your scorecard as soon as possible because the download link stays active only for a few weeks after the result.

Thank you!



Hello Aspirant,

It seems you're referring to the TANCET MBA score card , which is used for MBA admissions in Tamil Nadu.

To get your TANCET MBA scorecard:

  1. Go to the official TANCET website.

  2. Look for the link to download the scorecard

  3. Log in using your registered email ID and password .

  4. Your scorecard will appear. Download and print it for future use in admissions.

Hello Aspirant,

West Bengal boasts top MBA institutes. IIM Calcutta is the most prestigious, offering excellent placements. Other strong options include International Management Institute (IMI) Kolkata , Indian Institute of Social Welfare and Business Management (IISWBM) , and Praxis Business School . IIT Kharagpur's Vinod Gupta School of Management (VGSoM) also offers a great MBA. These colleges provide quality education and good career opportunities.

Thanks for reaching out. A CGPA of 6.64 is decent, and you’re eligible for many MBA colleges, especially if you’ve also given an entrance test like CAT, MAT, or your state-level MBA entrance.

Here are some MBA colleges you can consider:

  • Private Colleges like KIIT School of Management, Amity University, IMS Ghaziabad.
  • State Universitie  like Osmania University (if you’re from Telangana), MAKAUT (West Bengal), or Pune University (for MH CET MBA).
  • AICTE-approved colleges: Many mid-tier colleges accept students based on graduation marks and entrance score combinations.

If your entrance test scores are low, try colleges with direct admission or management quota. Just ensure the college has good faculty, placements, and reviews. It’s better to focus on skill-building and internships during your MBA to get good placement outcomes.

To check more MBA colleges you can visit this link below;

https://bschool.careers360.com/colleges/list-of-mba-colleges-in-india

All the best for your MBA journey!

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