Sonam Rana updated Content Curator updated
Content Curator updated
New Delhi: Universities and all the higher education institutes that offer online or conventional degree programmes are ordered to sever ties with the EduTech companies by UGC and AICTE. In a notice issued on January 16, 2022, UGC has also warned the universities of derecognition in case they fail to follow the order.
In the notice both the UGC and AICTE asked the Higher Education Institutes (HEI) to annul all the agreements with EdTech companies. Taking note of several advertisements across several public platforms such as social and print media by the EdTech companies offering multiple degree courses, UGC has further urged the students to validate the official recognition status of the offered programme through the UGC website.
UGC recognized the HEIs or declared them entitled for offering Open and Distance Learning (ODL) and Online programmes as per the UGC Open and Distance Learning Regulations, 2020.
As per the recently issued Notice, the HEIs are not to offer any ODL or Online programmes under any franchise arrangement with the EdTech Companies and the HEIs will be solely responsible for the offered programmes.
Misleading Advertisements Issued by EdTech Companies:
Referring to a series of advertisements by the EdTech companies in newspapers and social media, UGC confirmed that the claim by these companies to offer Open Distance courses in online mode in partnership with certain UGC recognized universities are completely false. This is not permissible as per the UGC.
According to a senior official from AICTE, some universities and education institutes are running many programmes through the EdTech companies.
“Using a particular platform or a learning management system is different but many higher education institutes in India are outsourcing the running of their online courses to edtech firms. That kind of outsourcing or franchising is definitely not permitted”, the official further explained.
This is not the first time such a stern notice against the EdTech companies has been issued. Three weeks ago, an advisory was issued against the companies by India’s Education Ministry regarding online fund transfer. As per the issue, some firms were targeting families by getting the Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT) Mandate signed or auto debit feature. The notice cautioned the people to deactivate the automatic debit option for the payment of subscription fee in “freemium” models.
Experts are apprehending this notice to be a red flag for the EdTech companies, considering how their authenticity resides in their partnership with renowned universities.
Referring to the notice, a retired UGC Chairman further stated, “with that kind of arrangement being questioned, will students still sign up at dotcom universities?”
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