It is very good news for the aspirants who wish to do M.Phil or PhD in distance mode from IGNOU or Private Universities that it is possible now. Now after a big gap of 7 years, these universities are allowed to offer these two programmes to their students.
But this is the facility for the Non-technical courses. This information was shared by HRD Minister Prakash Javadkar.
This order is going to help a number of students who can’t do PhD and M.Phil in regular mode. A no of private universities had stopped offering PhD in distance mode after 2009 UGC regulation. However, IGNOU continued offering this programme in correspondence mode till 2014.
Before 2012, the Distance Education Council was under the charge of IGNOU. But later this charge came under the ambit of University Grants Commission.
The Council got its new name Distance Education Bureau. Then it was necessary for the Private universities to get approval from UGC for running the said programmes on regular basis ( every year).
PhD/ M.Phil In Correspondence Mode from Private Universities
The universities had also to submit an affidavit stating that they would not offer any such course online including the Research Programme. Owing to these new rules, IGNOU also discontinued its PhD and other research programmes in 2014. The only purpose to make such restrictions was to ensure good quality in research work.
The decision to this effect ( to continue such programmes at Private universities) has been out recently. However the concerned university will have to make sure the quality of these Research programmes. The aspirants who have 55 % marks in Post Graduation can opt for M.Phil Programmes after the entrance test.
For PhD also the candidates shall have to face the entrance test. The essential qualification or Admission Procedure shall be out very soon. But it is sure that the seats for both the programmes shall be limited. Hence a tough competition ahead for getting admission to them.