The University Grants Commission (UGC) has extended the admission deadline for the July–August 2025 academic session of Open and Distance Learning (ODL) and Online programmes. As per the revised schedule, students can now apply until October 15, 2025, instead of the earlier deadline of September 15.
The decision comes after several Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) requested more time to complete the admission process. UGC has instructed all recognised HEIs to strictly follow the revised timeline and maintain compliance with existing regulations and quality standards.
UGC has strongly advised aspirants to verify the recognition and entitlement status of both the programme and the institution before seeking admission. Students can check these details on the official UGC-DEB portal, ensuring they do not fall victim to unrecognised institutions or invalid courses.
In addition, UGC has banned the offering of certain healthcare and allied discipline programmes under the National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions (NCAHP) Act, 2021, through ODL or Online modes from the 2025–26 academic session. Courses affected by the restriction include Psychology, Microbiology, Food and Nutrition Science, Biotechnology, Clinical Nutrition, and Dietetics. Recognition for these programmes will be withdrawn even if it was previously granted. For multidisciplinary programmes such as a Bachelor of Arts with multiple majors, only healthcare-related specialisations will be discontinued, while other subjects will continue as usual.