UGC Updates Distance Learning Guidelines to Increase Enrollment of Foreign Students

New Delhi: UGC has updated and amended the Open and Distance Learning Programmes and Online Programmes. This will pave the way for foreign students to get enrolled in Indian universities easily.

As per the amendment, international students whose passports have expired can also enroll at Indian universities through the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). Previously, international students had to compulsorily produce their passports while enrolling in Indian universities. The international applications were rejected either due to the expiry of the passport or for not submitting passports.

Furthermore, candidates can enroll themselves on the e-VidyaBharti portal for taking admission through MEA. Also, the Ministry of External Affairs is offering scholarships to African students under the e-VidyaBharati.

The e-VidyaBharati program is a tele education service provided to African countries which is an initiative of MEA. the services are offered free of cost. It also aims to offer at least 15,000 scholarships to African students over a period of 5 years.

Talking about the amendment, UGC Chairman Prof. M Jagadesh Kumar said, “The Second Amendment Regulations, 2022 changes the compulsory identifier ‘Passport’ for International students to ‘any national Identity with photograph of the country of residence for the admissions through MEA in UGC recognized/entitled Online Programmes.”

“This Amendment is expected to improve the number of enrolments of the international learners in online programmes through projects of the Ministry of External Affair,” he further added.

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