UGC bars NMIMS from offering distance learning, online courses for violating norms

Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies (NMIMS) has been barred from offering distance learning and online courses due to violation of norms, the news agency PTI reported on Tuesday. The agency said that the university regulator - University Grants Commission or UGC - has cautioned potential students against taking admission to any course offered by the institute.

Established in 1981, the institute was accorded university status in 2003. UGC secretary Manish Joshi said that NMIMS had not adhered to the UGC regulations and was in gross violations with regard to the functioning of the Centre for Internal Quality Assurance (CIQA), quality of Self Learning Material and e-Learning Material (e-LM), nomenclature of Centre for Distance and Online Learning. 

''The institute was not following the fee refund policy promulgated by UGC and numerous continuous complaints being received against the HEI (higher education institution) from various stakeholders in offering Open and Distance Learning (ODL) and online programmes,'' he said.

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Joshi explained that so far the commission has decided to debar the institute from offering ODL and online programme for January-February 2023, July-August 2023 and January-February 2024 academic sessions.

''It may be allowed to offer ODL and online programmes for academic session beginning in July-August 2024 only pursuant to inspection or on-site visit by UGC and after obtaining necessary approvals from UGC,'' he said.

(With inputs from PTI)