HPU distance education centre derecognised

Bhanu P Lohumi

Tribune News Service

Shimla, July 14

The lackadaisical approach of Himachal Pradesh University (HPU) towards the directions of the University Grants Commission (UGC) has resulted in the derecognition of the International Centre of Distance Education and Open Learning (ICDEOL), leaving 25,000 students in the lurch.

The career of the students is at stake as the team of the Distance Education Bureau, University Grants Commission, which inspected the facilities, infrastructure and faculty, gave 3.21 points to the centre against the minimum requirement of 3.26.

The UGC has directed the university not to enrol more students in any course for 2018-19, with uncertainty looming over the future of students who are already pursuing different courses. The letter was received on June 6. The university had taken up the matter with the UGC for reprieve, but there was no positive response and now it has moved the High Court for relief. “The next hearing is on July 16,” said Acting Vice-Chancellor of the HPU Prof RS Chauhan.

The HPU was given A Grade by NAAC in 2016, but now the UGC has taken a serious view of the

non-compliance of its earlier orders. Earlier, the UGC had asked the HPU to close all study and examination centres outside the jurisdiction of the state, but its response to letters dated December 15, 2016, and January 28, 2017, was lukewarm and the UGC had taken a serious note of the non-compliance.

In a letter issued on February 22, 2017, the UGC had asked the university to publicly acknowledge that it had no study centre or examination centre outside the jurisdiction of the state and file an affidavit that all centres outside the state had been closed.

It had also instructed the university to prominently put it on the website of distance education, submit the latest approval from the National Council of Teacher Education (NCTE) for conducting BEd courses and not to admit students till the approval was received.

The UGC has again asked the HPU not to conduct any distance education programme which is not approved by the UGC and refrain from admitting students without approval, failing which, the university will be responsible for any consequences.

However, the HPU authorities maintained that it was an A Grade university and the ICDEOL was the pioneer institute of distance learning, started in 1971, adding that the university had responded to the UGC that all requirements were met last year, but there was no response from the UGC.

Don’t admit more students, HPU told

• A team of the Distance Education Bureau, University Grants Commission, which inspected the facilities, infrastructure and faculty, had given 3.21 points to the the International Centre of Distance Education and Open Learning against the minimum requirement of 3.26.
• The University Grants Commission has directed the university not to enrol more students in any course for 2018-19, with uncertaintylooming over the future of students who are already pursuing different courses.

Varsity’s take

The centre is the pioneer institute of distance learning. The university had responded to the UGC that all requirements were met last year, but there was no response and now the centre has been derecognised. — HPU authorities