UGC restores nod for Calicut varsity’s distance education courses

Students who sought admission in July to benefit

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has restored the recognition for open and distance learning (ODL) programmes offered by Calicut University’s School of Distance Education (SDE).

Students who sought admission this July will benefit from the UGC decision. Vice Chancellor M.K. Jayaraj said on Thursday that the first semester admissions for undergraduate and postgraduate courses would be completed by December 15. The approved courses are B.A. in History, Economics, Sociology, Political Science, Philosophy, English, Malayalam, Hindi, Arabic, Sanskrit, and Afzal-ul-Ulema, BBA and B.Com and M.A. in Economics, Sociology, Politics, Philosophy, English, Malayalam, Hindi, History, Sanskrit, and Arabic and M.Com.

The ODL programmes did not have UGC approval for the past two years. The university is among the largest in the State in terms of enrolment of students for distance learning programmes with around 1.5 lakh seeking admissions every year. Private registration facility was offered to students last year on condition that once the recognition was restored, they would migrate to the ODL programmes. They, however, too did not have UGC approval and students were concerned.