Sambalpur: Odisha State Open University has received recognition of the University Grants Commission (UGC) for the first time to open undergraduate and postgraduate courses from the next academic session (2018-19).

The UGC has granted permission to the first ever open university of the state to offer 26 courses through the open and distance learning mode from 2018-2019 to 2022-2023.

Expressing happiness, vice-chancellor Srikanta Mohapatra said: "We have received approval for almost all the courses we had applied for. The students from any part of the state can now complete bachelors or master degrees at their convenience through our technology-enabled distance learning programme."

The university will run the approved programmes through its study centres located on the university campus and its various colleges all over the state. Students will be allowed to write in either English or Odia in the examinations.

Under the graduate programmes approved are Bachelor of Arts (BA) courses in English, Hindi, history, journalism, political science, sociology, economics and Sanskrit, Bachelor of Commerce (Hons), BBA and BSc in livelihoods. The university has been granted permission to start Master's degree programmes in economics, English, Hindi, history, journalism, Sanskrit, Odia, political science, public administration, public policy, rural development, sociology, commerce and cyber security, the university sources said.

According to the UGC guidelines, all admission processes shall be completed before October 1, 2018. Accordingly, the university will start its selection and admission process by publishing advertisement notification shortly, said the vice-chancellor.