UGC Warns to Punjab Technical University

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has warned to IK Gujral Punjab Technical University, better known as PTU if it starts distance education through franchise mode.

After a wait of about two years, the UGC on August 5 had accorded permission to the PTU --- located at Kapurthala -to run open and distance learning courses.

In a letter to the Chief Secretary and chairman, Board of Governors of the university, Sarvesh Kaushal, the Secretary, UGC, has written that state’s premier technical university cannot run its distance education programme through franchisee mode.
The university has been allowed to start distance education within its territorial jurisdiction in 11 courses: MSc (IT), MCA, PGDCA, BSc (IT), BCA, MBA, BBA, MCom, BCom, BA in journalism and mass communication and MA in journalism and mass communication.

Cautioning the Punjab government against violating the guidelines, the UGC said: "The two cardinal policy decisions of the UGC should not be violated by the IK Gujral Punjab Technical University, failing which the UGC will have no choice but to rescind the letter of recognition given to the university."

The university’s distance education programme has remained closed since 2012 due to some pending clearances from the UGC. PTU which earlier ran these courses through franchisee mode, has over 2,000 distance education centres across the country, which was being run in public-private partnership mode.