UGC directive to varsities on affiliation to open learning

UGC today asked universities not to grant any further affiliation to any open and distance learning programme till it comes up with a set of regulations for maintaining standards of this mode of education.
The advice to the universities comes in wake of the IGNOU repealing the Distance Education Council (DEC) and the HRD Ministry entrusting UGC with the regulatory responsibility of open distance learning programme.
UGC is already working on the regulations for maintaining standards in the distance learning programmes.
Sources, though, said IGNOU's decision to dissolve the DEC has met with opposition from a section of the teaching fraternity especially from within the varsity.

They stated meetings held earlier in this regard which felt that shifting of DEC from IGNOU to UGC would not be in the interest of the open distance learning programme in the country and status quo be maintained.