UGC bars Periyar University from offering online programmes for two academic years

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has banned Periyar University from offering online programmes for two academic years.

In a letter dated July 10, UGC Secretary Manish R. Joshi said the UGC has banned Salem Periyar University from offering online programmes for the academic years 2024-25 and 2025-26. “It is for the benefit of the public and all concerned stakeholders that based on the recommendations of the Complaints Redressal Committee, the Commission, in its 578th meeting held on March 13, 2024, has decided to ban (the university) from offering online programmes for two academic years. The public is advised not to apply for any programme in online mode at Periyar University between July-August 2024 and January-February 2026,” Joshi added.

Professors said that after the establishment of Periyar University in 1997, in 2001-02, it launched Periyar Institute of Distance Education (PRIDE) and offered various courses. A total of 145 courses were offered through distance learning. Following various issues and allegations raised against PRIDE, the UGC cancelled the approval in 2015. The university worked on the issues and in 2020, PRIDE again got approval from the UGC, but to offer only 13 courses, including four postgraduate courses. Later, the name was changed to Centre for Distance and Online Education.

Meanwhile, the university launched the online degree programmes in January 2021 in collaboration with private companies and offered seven courses: BA English, B.Com., MA History, MA English, MBA, M.Sc. Mathematics and M.Com. Through this collaboration, the university and the private companies shared the profits. The course fees of the online programmes were equal to those of private colleges. The fees ranged from ₹41,000 to ₹74,500 for three years for Indian students and ₹76,000 to ₹1.11 lakh for international students.

But allegations were also levelled against these online programmes and various complaints were made to the UGC. Based on these complaints, the UGC banned the university from offering online programmes for two academic years. This decision by the UGC would seriously affect the reputation of the university among the public, the faculty members added.

Periyar University officials said students admitted in the past would not be affected by this move. Steps have been taken to resolve the issues and get permission from the UGC again, they added.