The University Grants Commission (UGC) has announced an extension for admissions to Open and Distance Learning (ODL) and online programmes for the July–August 2025 academic session, moving the deadline from September 15 to October 15, 2025. The decision follows multiple requests from higher educational institutions (HEIs) and was formalized in an official UGC statement.UGC has instructed all HEIs offering programmes through ODL or online modes to strictly adhere to the revised timeline. The regulator emphasized that institutions must ensure compliance with existing UGC regulations and guidelines while admitting learners. Stakeholders have been advised to verify the recognition status of programmes and institutions on the UGC-DEB portal before enrollment.
Ban on healthcare and allied programmes
In a separate directive, the UGC has banned the offering of certain healthcare and allied discipline programmes under the National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions (NCAHP) Act, 2021, through ODL or online modes from the 2025–26 academic session.Specialisations affected by the ban include Psychology, Microbiology, Food and Nutrition Science, Biotechnology, Clinical Nutrition, and Dietetics. Institutions that have already received recognition to run these programmes will have it withdrawn. For multidisciplinary courses like a Bachelor of Arts with multiple majors, only the healthcare-related specialisations will be discontinued.
Regulatory backdrop
The UGC decision emerged from the 592nd UGC meeting held on July 23, 2025, following recommendations from the 24th Distance Education Bureau Working Group meeting on April 22, 2025. The move is aimed at safeguarding academic standards and ensuring that healthcare and allied courses are offered only through appropriate, in-person academic channels.
Warnings against unrecognised foreign collaborations
The UGC has also issued advisories cautioning students and HEIs against enrolling in programmes in collaboration with foreign providers that lack UGC recognition. Degrees or diplomas obtained through such arrangements will not be valid in India and will be deemed unrecognised by the regulator.Students seeking admission to ODL and online programmes are urged to carefully verify programme recognition and the credentials of institutions through the official UGC-DEB portal. The extension provides institutions with additional time to streamline processes and ensure that admissions comply with regulatory requirements, while the ban reinforces quality control for healthcare-related education.Candidates can check the official notice as provided here.
