Page 525 - Compendium of UGC Regulations 1957-2023

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

PART II

RECOGNITION PROCESS FOR OFFERING PROGRAMMES UNDER OPEN AND
DISTANCE LEARNING (ODL) MODE AND ONLINE MODE
3. Institutional Level Eligibility Criteria.─
(A) Open and Distance Learning Mode: Any Higher Educational Institution, may apply
for offering programmes through the Open and Distance Learning mode, which fulfils
the following conditions, namely:-
i. shall be accredited by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council with
minimum score of 3.01 on a 4-point scale;
or

having rank in top-100 in University category of National Institutional Ranking
Framework, at least once in two preceding cycles (at the time of application):
Provided that the NAAC and NIRF Ranking requirements shall be valid for
academic session 2020-2021 (session beginning July, 2020 and January, 2021)
only and shall be reviewed subsequently by the Commission for the academic
session 2021-2022 (session beginning July 2021) and onwards:
Provided further that in view of unprecedented circumstances due to COVID-19
pandemic, the Higher Educational Institutions recognised by the University
Grants Commission to offer programmes in Open and Distance Learning mode
till the academic session 2019- 2020 to enable them to reach the prescribed
quality National Assessment and Accreditation Council benchmark and had
submitted an undertaking to the effect that they will attain a National Assessment
and Accreditation Council score of 3.26 on a 4-point scale before the end of
academic session July 2019 - June 2020, and have also submitted an application
to the National Assessment and Accreditation Council till 29 February 2020, shall
continue to offer programmes, already recognised for the academic session 2019-
2020, in Open and Distance Learning mode for a period of one year, academic
session 2020-2021, starting from July 2020. Thereafter these Higher Educational
Institutions shall be required to attain the eligibility mentioned at sub-clause (i)
above:
Provided also that the NAAC condition mentioned above shall not be applicable
to the Open Universities already recognised by the Commission for offering Open
and Distance Learning Programmes for the academic year 2019-2020. These
Open Universities shall be required to submit an affidavit that they shall obtain
NAAC accreditation prior to the completion of the current recognition period, as
specified in the Commission order already issued, failing which the Commission
shall not accord further recognition to the programmes of such Open Universities
under Open and Distance Learning mode:
Provided also that Open Universities not recognised by the Commission under
UGC (Open and Distance Learning) Regulations, 2017 shall be required to obtain
National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) accreditation within one
year of their becoming eligible for accreditation by the National Assessment and
Accreditation Council (NAAC), failing which the Commission shall not accord
further recognition to the programmes of such Open Universities under Open and
Distance Learning mode:

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UGC Regulations