UGC, AICTE warn students against seeking online Ph.D admission in courses run by EdTech platforms

way2barak, Oct.30: In a recent development, the University Grants Commission (UGC) and the All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) on Friday issued a joint advisory against online PhD programmes offered by educational technology (EdTech) companies in collaboration with foreign educational institutions.

The UGC said that such online PhD programmes were not recognised by it and asked aspiring students to verify the authenticity of PhD programmes as per UGC regulations 2016. “In order to maintain the standards for awarding PhD degrees, the UGC has notified the UGC (Minimum Standards and Procedure for Award of MPhil, PhD degrees) Regulation 2016. It is mandatory for all higher educational institutions (HEIs) to follow UGC Regulations and its amendments for awarding PhD degrees,” stated UGC & AICTE in a public notice.

They further stated, “Such online PhD programmes are not recognised by the UGC. Aspiring students and the public at large, are requested to verify the authenticity of PhD programmes as per UGC Regulations 2016 before taking admission.”