With effect from academic year 2024-25, for which academic sessions begin from October 2024, UGC has introduced a new procedure for the students enrolling in Open and Distance Learning (ODL) or Online Learning programs, to ensure enrolment only in the Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) approved by the Distance Education Bureau (DEB) of University Grants Commission, with an aim to enhance transparency in admissions.
It may be recalled that the ODL or Online Learning Programs may be offered by a HEI in India, only after the due recognition (approval) from the DEB. The list of HEIs permitted to offer ODL and Online Learning programs are announced every year by DEB on its website. Despite this, and other notifications and advisories released by DEB from time to time, UGC states that a few HEIs have admitted students in unrecognized ODL / Online Learning programs in the recent past, putting the future of admitted students at risk.
In order to address the issue of students' admission to unrecognized ODI and Online Learning programs, UGC has now implemented a mechanism for transparent admission process wherein any student who intends to enroll in ODL / Online Learning Programs shall register on UGC-DEB web portal with his / her Academic Bank of Credit (ABC)-ID for generating a unique DEB-ID. UGC has made the creation of unique DEB-ID mandatory for every student, except foreign learners, seeking admission to ODL / Online Learning programs in recognized HEIs from academic year 2024-25. The DEB-ID once generated on UGC-DEB web portal will remain valid for lifelong ODL / Online learning, thus tracking every student throughout his / her life.
UGC has asked all HEIs offering ODL / Online Learning programs to expedite the smooth implementation of this new mechanism for admission process by integrating the requisite APIs to ensure its successful implementation.
