SC Seeks Information on Distance Learning Courses Following UGC Plea

The Supreme Court (SC) has requested information on courses offered under distance learning after a petition was filed by the University Grants Commission (UGC) questioning the validity of degrees obtained by students enrolled in such courses after 2015. The Madras high court had previously upheld the UGC circular issued in 2015 that prohibited Annamalai University and other private universities in Tamil Nadu from enrolling students beyond the territorial limits of the state. Although the high court protected the admissions of students who had already enrolled in distance learning courses under interim orders, the UGC argued that these admissions could not be considered valid as they were subject to the final outcome of the petitions. The SC has now issued notices to Annamalai University, Indira Gandhi National Open University, the Tamil Nadu government, and other private universities offering open distance learning across the country. The UGC’s 2015 circular was based on a Supreme Court judgment from 2005, which stated that state universities have limited territorial jurisdiction. The UGC claimed that the high court incorrectly upheld the enrollments and degrees of students who had completed their courses without the universities having proper recognition for their distance learning programs.