New Delhi: A 170 per cent increase has been recorded in the number of students joining online courses, indicates the data with the UGC.
While 25,905 students enrolled for online courses in the 2020- 2021 academic year, it is 72,400 students in the year 2021- 2022. There has been a 41.7 per cent increase in the number of students under Open and Distance Learning (ODL).
As many as 14,38,101 students joined for courses under distance education in 2020-2021. In the last academic year, it has become 20,37,676. Meanwhile, the number of institutions offering distance education programmes has reduced from 93 to 86.
At present, 371 online courses are being offered across 66 higher education institutions in the country. This includes 136 undergraduate courses and 235 postgraduate courses. There are 21 courses under 4 Central institutions. Hundred and sixty-six courses are listed under the 30 deemed universities while 112 are under the 20 State Universities. As many as 1,149 distance education programmes are offered across the 95 institutions in the country.
Of the total, 72,400 students enrolled for online courses, 2,377 are foreign nationals.
Must recognise online, distance education courses: UGC chairman
All institutions have been directed to recognise online, and distance education courses as regular courses, said M Jagadesh Kumar, UGC chairman. He was responding to complaints that many States, including Kerala, do not recognise such courses.