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.
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.
The table below highlights the list of unaccredited institutes offering online degrees in India as per the latest UGC guidelines:
Unaccredited Institutions | State | Details |
---|---|---|
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.” | |
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.
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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:
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.
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.
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.
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.
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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.
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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)
The minimum duration of an online MBA programme is two years as per UGC guidelines.
Students must verify the UGC-DEB approval, NAAC or NIRF status, programme transparency, faculty qualifications, and infrastructure such as LMS on official websites.
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.
UGC banned certain institutions due to lack of approvals, poor infrastructure, no adherence to UGC guidelines, and failure to meet quality benchmarks.
Only UGC-DEB-approved institutions with NAAC accreditation or NIRF ranking are eligible to offer online MBA programmes in India.
On Question asked by student community
Hey! If you are looking for a fully online MBA with minimum fees while staying in Gadchiroli, you can consider a few good options. The most budget-friendly is IGNOU Online/Distance MBA, which comes around 60,000–70,000 for the whole program and is recognized by UGC-DEB. Apart from that, universities like Bharati Vidyapeeth Online (approx 1.6 lakh) and DY Patil Vidyapeeth Online (approx 1.7 lakh) also provide online MBAs with flexible learning and multiple specialisations.
If cost is your main concern, IGNOU is the best choice. But if you want better exposure and placement assistance, then Bharati Vidyapeeth or DY Patil could be good options. Just make sure the course you choose is UGC-approved so that your degree is valid everywhere.
Hello
Since you took admission through the General category, the fees were charged accordingly.
Now that your caste validity certificate is accepted on the CET portal, you may be eligible for fee benefits.
You need to inform your college administration and request fee revision or refund (if applicable).
The benefit will depend on state norms and whether the admission round allows category update.
Contact your college and submit a written request with proof for any applicable fee concession.
Hello dear student,
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Hello, the MBA in Finance at Andhra Mahila School of Informatics is a 2 year program where you’ll study subjects like accounting, financial management, and strategy along with projects and internships. The total fee is around 90,000. Placements are decent, with an average package of about 3.5 to 4 LPA, and companies like Deloitte, Infosys, and ICICI visit the campus. If you stay focused and build skills, you can get good opportunities through the placement cell.
Yes, you can pursue an MBA at Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University (BBAU), Lucknow, through the CAT exam.
Eligibility Criteria:
Educational Qualification: A bachelor's degree with at least 50% marks (45% for SC/ST/PwD candidates) from a recognized university.
Entrance Exam: A valid CAT score is required for admission.
Admission Process:
Application: Register online through the BBAU admission portal.
Entrance Exam: Appear for the CAT exam and obtain a valid score.
Counseling: Shortlisted candidates will be called for counseling based on their CAT scores.
Document Verification: Submit necessary documents for verification.
Fee Payment: Complete the fee payment to confirm admission.
Course Details:
Duration: 2 years (full-time).
Specializations: Finance, Marketing, Human Resource Management, among others.
Placement Opportunities:
BBAU has a strong placement record, with top companies recruiting MBA graduates.
For more details and to apply, visit the official BBAU MBA admission page
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