Distance Education Centres of HP University Outside State to be Closed

The distance learning centres of Himachal Pradesh University (HPU) operating outside the state now will have to be closed following the directions from the nodal body for the higher education- University Grants Commission (UGC).

State and private universities that have established centres outside their territorial jurisdiction have been prohibited by UGC. The move on the part of UGC will have an impact at different levels. First, it means the loss of enrollment for various courses offered by the International Centre for Distance Education and Open Learning (ICDEOL). Secondly, it will also create problems for students and leave them harried.

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HPU has learning centres primarily in Delhi, Noida and Chandigarh. And every year more than 1,000 students from outside Himachal Pradesh seek education through the ICDEOL. For the Personal Contact Programme (PCP) classes and exams, now those students will have to come to Shimla as its centres outside HP will not be able to conduct any academic activities.

The move will also have impacts on the monetary front and cause financial loss, as HP University had constructed a building for a Learning Resource Centre, ICDEOL, at Noida in 2008 at an estimated cost of Rs 8 crore and also hired staff.

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While the Director of ICDEOL said that they are bound by the directions of the UGC, there is no binding on admissions to ICDEOL courses from any part of the country. But students will have to take their exams and PCP classes at the study centres within Himachal Pradesh.