Page 487 - Compendium of UGC Regulations 1957-2023

Regulations pertaining to Credits, Academic Programmes and Award of Degrees:

Thus, taking into account the number of hours indicated in Choice Based Credit System for
conventional mode and the percentage of hours required for face-to-face Contact Programmes
for learners in Open and Distance Learning mode, the following table is provided for norms for
counseling sessions in theory and practical courses with Open and Distance Learning credit value
for Open and Distance Learning mode programme delivery.

Table 2: Contact Theory and Practical Sessions
Four Courses with a total of 16 Credits per semester

Number of 10-12 credits for theory and 6-4 Credits for counseling for theory only
Assignments practical courses Courses:
contact sessions-practical** Contact sessions Four courses of 4 credits each
theory*
Four per 60 hours of guided experiments 40-48 hours 16 hours per course
semester with support of internal
supervisor per 2 credits

Note:
*Contact session up to the extent of twenty percent could be arranged by providing Massive
Open Online Courses and other online programme delivery systems.

** Practical sessions to the extent of twenty percent could be provided through virtual lab mode
Comparative value of credits mentioned in the University Grants Commission Guidelines for
Choice Based Credit System in conventional mode and that in practice in Open and Distance
Learning mode Institutions, it is observed that for a total of six semester undergraduate
programme each of nearly 5-6 months duration, 16 credits per semester are uniformly assigned
in the Open and Distance Learning mode, whereas, in the University Grants Commission
guidelines for conventional mode on an average 24 credits per semester have been assigned.
Thus, the ratio of a credit in Open and Distance Learning mode to that of the conventional mode
is 2:3. In line with the pattern of credits for Under Graduate programmes, for Post Graduate
programmes in Open and Distance Learning mode, 16 credits per semester are assigned for a
total of four semesters. The foregoing comparative value could be used to facilitate both vertical
and horizontal mobility of learners from Open and Distance Learning mode to Conventional
mode and vice versa through mutual transfer of credits.

6. Deployment of manpower and other support at study or Learner Support Centres

The Study Centres or Learner Support Centres shall be headed by a Coordinator, not below the
rank of an Assistant Professor and shall be augmented with academic and non-academic staff
depending on the number of learners assigned for adequate support to the learners. Capacity of
intake per programme should be commensurate with the available qualified faculty in relevant
area, well equipped laboratory, library, online connectivity and Information and Communication
Technology facilities, and appropriate infrastructure. Normally it would be expected to restrict
total intake capacity for Open and Distance Learning programme to the capacity specified for
a similar programme being conducted in the conventional mode by the Higher Educational
Institution where the Study Centres or Learner Support Centres is located but in no case it
should exceed two times of that.

(i) Number of qualified counsellors per theory course of 4 credits: 2 to 4.
(ii) Number of qualified supervisors per practical course of 2 credits: 1 or more.

486
UGC Regulations