Brief Information
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Distance Education Bureau (DEB) is the implementing bureau of the UGC for regulating distance and online education programmes of Higher Education in the Country.
UGC has notified the University Grants Commission (Open and Distance Learning Programmes and Online Programmes) Regulations, 2020 on 4th September, 2020, These Regulations superseded the UGC (Open and Distance Learning) Regulations, 2017 and UGC (Online Courses or Programmes) Regulations, 2018. UGC (ODL Programmes and Online Programmes) Regulations, 2020 lay down the minimum standards of instruction for the grant of degrees at the undergraduate, post graduate and post graduate diploma levels through Open and Distance Learning mode and Online mode.
To maintain quality in online education, only quality centric HEIs are permitted to offer online programmes based on NAAC and NIRF eligibility and also, quality of programmes offered is maintained at par with standards as defined for the conventional mode of teaching. Regulations mandate that HEIs can offer ODL and/or Online programmes only if same programme is offered in conventional/ODL mode, as applicable and one batch has passed out from that.
Further, various quality centric provisions are also mentioned under UGC (Open and Distance Learning Programmes and Online Programmes) Regulations, 2020 which cover domains like prohibited programmes, programme delivery, learner support centres (for ODL only), active learner engagement, proctored examination, SLM/E-LM, End semester examination, non-SWAYAM learning platform assessment, mobility of learners, equivalence of qualification and complaint handling mechanism. Monitoring of HEIs is done through self-regulation through disclosures, declarations, reports, Centre for internal Quality Assurance (CIQA) assessment and third party audit.
Bureau Head
Officers
