The resumption of postgraduate and undergraduate courses under the distance education programme of Calicut University is getting delayed, as the University Grants Commission (UGC) is yet to give its permission.
Sources in the varsity said that the university’s application could be considered at the commission’s meeting expected to be held in December first week. There are 14 UG courses and 12 PG courses under the distance education mode. The university sent an application for permission after the newly launched Sree Narayana Guru Open University failed to get recognition. It was reported that the State government had given an unofficial direction to the authorities to send the application. Though October 15 was the earlier deadline, it was extended to October 31.
Meanwhile, the Syndicate on Wednesday decided to resume private registration in view of the delay. Students will be shifted to the distance education programme as soon as the UGC gives its permission to resume the courses.
The government was earlier going ahead with its plans to stop all distance education programmes under the University of Kerala, Mahatma Gandhi University, Calicut University, and Kannur University, and bring them all under the open university. However, the Kerala High Court intervened in the issue on a petition filed by parallel colleges and students.
It was pointed out that the new university was yet to get recognition from the UGC, and that the future of around a lakh students was at stake. Subsequently, the court asked the government to produce the approval under UGC regulations.
Parallel college owners and students had also pointed out that the government barred other universities from running distance education programmes, because it was not sure about students joining the open university. It was pointed out that though the project report on the university had mentioned that its functioning would be subject to UGC approval, it had been ignored.
