The University Grants Commission (UGC) has directed all higher education institutions (HEIs) to discontinue offering programmes in healthcare and allied disciplines through Open and Distance Learning (ODL) or online mode starting from the July–August 2025 academic session.
The decision, approved in the UGC’s 592nd meeting on July 23, is based on the recommendations of the 24th Distance Education Bureau Working Group meeting held on April 22. The ban applies to courses covered under the National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions (NCAHP) Act, 2021. These include Psychology, Microbiology, Food and Nutrition Science, Biotechnology, Clinical Nutrition, and Dietetics.
“No HEI shall be permitted to offer any allied and healthcare programmes covered in the NCАНР Act, 2021, including Psychology as specialization under ODL/Online mode, from the academic session July-August, 2025 and onwards”, the official notice informed.
As per the circular, recognition already granted to institutions to run such programmes will be withdrawn, and universities and colleges have been instructed not to admit students to these courses from the 2025-26 session.
For programmes offering multiple specialisations—such as a bachelor’s degree in arts with majors in English, Hindi, History, Political Science, Philosophy, Sociology, or Psychology—only the healthcare-related subject will be discontinued, while other non-healthcare specialisations will remain unaffected.