Students across India are anxiously seeking clarity after the University Grants Commission (UGC) imposed sweeping restrictions on certain distance and online education programmes. The decision, which bans distance and online degrees in psychology and allied healthcare disciplines, has left many students feeling rejected for pursuing studies through open learning platforms, long viewed as vital bridges for those unable to attend traditional institutions.
The UGC recently unveiled a series of regulatory updates for the 2025–26 academic year, introducing both approvals and prohibitions to strengthen quality assurance in open and distance learning (ODL) and online education. According to official data, 101 universities and 20 Category-I institutions have been cleared to offer ODL programmes, while 113 universities can run online courses this year. Another 13 institutions have been granted permission to launch new online initiatives.
A major decision under the UGC’s 578th Commission meeting also removed the need for prior approval or No Objection Certificates (NOC) from the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) for select courses, including Management, Computer Applications, and Travel and Tourism, offered by central, state, or private universities through ODL or online modes. However, deemed-to-be universities must still obtain such clearance.
Risk Of Educational Isolation
For students who enrolled in distance psychology or allied health programmes, the UGC’s decision has raised urgent questions about recognition, employability, and access to further education. While regulators argue the move safeguards professional standards, critics fear it could push marginalised learners back into educational isolation.
Raj Vardhan Dixit, OSD Chairman, NIIMS, believes the decision risks “quietly derailing countless aspirations,” especially for women and working professionals who depend on flexible education formats. “For women balancing care work and professionals balancing employment, distance education is more than convenience; it’s a way back into reinvention. To restrict or derecognise these programmes might tear that bridge and force many back into dependency or stagnation. The unseen outcome is the silencing of ambition, careers on pause due to lack of access, not lack of ability,” said Dixit.
Echoing similar sentiments, Ritika Gupta, CEO and Counsellor, AAera Consultants, emphasised that distance education has evolved into a tool of empowerment. “For professionals and individuals in isolated areas, distance education isn't simply a convenience; it’s a transformative revolution in access and agency. It turns isolation into opportunity and helps learners rise above geographic and routine barriers. Beyond degrees, students build resilience, self-direction, and digital fluency, the modern workforce’s defining traits. Distance education isn’t about distance; it’s about distance closing in, one connected mind at a time,” Gupta said.
Psychology, Allied Health Courses Under the Axe
The most contentious reform, however, came when the UGC declared that psychology, microbiology, biotechnology, nutrition, and clinical dietetics could no longer be offered through distance or online modes from the 2025–26 session onward.
The decision, first reported in August 2025, aligns with the National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions (NCAHP) Act, 2021, which reclassified these fields as healthcare disciplines under NCAHP’s regulatory oversight. Consequently, universities offering these programmes in distance mode have lost recognition, and degrees already awarded or currently being pursued risk invalidation, directly impacting an estimated 1.3 lakh students across India.
Academic leaders argue that psychology can be understood through multiple lenses, not all of which fit the healthcare label. Tanya Singh, Dean (Academics), Noida International University, noted that universities could redefine psychology by distinguishing its healthcare and social science functions. “In healthcare, psychology focuses on diagnosis, intervention, and mental well-being,” Singh said.
“As a social science, it studies human behaviour in cultural and cognitive contexts. The former belongs within medical education; the latter deepens understanding of human experience. Universities may bridge both through hybrid programmes emphasising translational research where social insights inform clinical practice and vice versa," she added.
The Way Forward
As confusion mounts, universities and edtech institutions have begun setting up dedicated support systems to address student queries, complaints, and documentation concerns.
Gaurav Tyagi, Medical Counsellor, Career Xpert, said many universities are prioritising transparency and swift resolution. “Most institutions have created help desks, helplines, and online ticketing systems to manage student concerns,” Tyagi said. “Academic and administrative teams are coordinating to address issues around admissions, results, and records. Some have introduced feedback surveys to ensure accountability and responsiveness.”
While Manish Mohta, Founder, Learning Spiral, added that universities are learning to respond with empathy rather than bureaucracy. “Institutions are shifting from being bureaucratic responders to empathetic listeners,” Mohta observed. “Some are treating complaints as emotional data, signals of student trust and belonging. The most forward-thinking ones are even inviting affected students to co-design grievance policies, transforming complaints into cultural repair and real accountability.”
While the UGC’s ban stems from a legal alignment with healthcare regulation, its implementation has exposed systemic gaps in transition planning and stakeholder communication. As affected students await official clarity, education experts warn that India’s digital learning ecosystem risks losing momentum unless regulatory reforms strike a balance between rigour and inclusion. |
