The UGC will not consider an open university eligible to accept funding from the central government, the commission, or any other organisation receiving funds from the center unless it is satisfied with the infrastructure standards, according to the rules.
The University Grants Commission (UGC) has eased the requirements for establishing an open university by lowering the developed land requirement from 40-60 acres to 5 acres.
According to a gazette announcement, the University Grants Commission (Fitness of Open Universities for Grants) Rules, 1989, shall now be known as the University Grants Commission (Fitness of Open Universities for Grants) (Amendment) Rules, 2022.
“The idea behind this reform is to promote more institutions in distance and online education without being limited by the availability of developed land for the institution. Earlier, the minimum land required for such institutions was 40–60 acres, which would be very difficult to procure in cities and hilly areas. This has now been reduced to 5 acres of developed land, “UGC Chairman Jagadesh Kumar told PTI (Press Trust of India).
He also stated, “Since the students are not going to be on campus full time, the commission felt that the infrastructural requirements can be relaxed for more universities to start functioning and offer education to more students.”
According to the rules, the UGC cannot designate an open university eligible for grants from the central government, the commission, or any other organization receiving funds from the center unless the UGC is satisfied with the infrastructure standards.
Source – ODISHA TV
