The UGC has directed higher education institutions to ban distance education or online studies of healthcare subjects such as psychology and nutrition from 2025. This ban will be implemented under the National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions Act 2021. UGC Secretary Manish Joshi said that the recognition of institutions offering these courses after July-August 2025 will be withdrawn.
UGC New Notification: The University Grants Commission (UGC) has directed all higher educational institutions not to offer distance education or online mode of health care related subjects including psychology and nutrition from the academic session of 2025. This ban will be applicable under the National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions (NCAHP) Act, 2021.
These courses include Psychology, Microbiology, Food and Nutrition, Biotechnology, Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics.
Higher Educational Institutions
UGC Secretary Manish Joshi said- ‘No Higher Educational Institution (HEI) will be allowed to teach any allied and health care course included in the NCAHP Act, 2021, including psychology, through open and distance learning and online medium from the academic session July-August, 2025 and thereafter. Any recognition already granted to HEIs to offer such programmes for the academic session July-August 2025 and beyond will be withdrawn by the UGC.’
He said, ‘In the case of multi-specialty programs like Bachelor of Arts (English, Hindi, Punjabi, Economics, History, Mathematics, Public Administration, Philosophy, Political Science, Statistics, Human Rights and Duties, Sanskrit, Psychology, Geography, Sociology, Women’s Studies), only the specializations included in the NCAHP Act, 2021 will be withdrawn.’
Higher Education Regulator Distance Education
Educational institutions have been directed not to admit any student in such courses from the upcoming academic session. This decision has been taken amid concerns over quality standards in vocational training. Joshi said, ‘This decision has been taken after the recommendations of the 24th Distance Education Bureau Working Group meeting held in April 2025 and it was formalized in the recent meeting of the Commission.’
The Higher Education Regulator prohibits the conduct of vocational and practical courses through distance education and online means. These include engineering, medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, nursing, architecture, physiotherapy, paramedical subjects, agriculture, horticulture, hotel management, catering technology, visual arts, law etc.
