Annamalai Univ distance edu to go on

CHENNAI: The Madras high court has stayed an UGC order directing Annamalai University not to admit students in its distance education programme for the academic year 2015-2016. The university was told to suspend admissions for not adhering to the rule that it cannot open distance learning centres outside Tamil Nadu. The university challenged the rule saying when foreign universities can enroll students in India, how can it be stopped from admitting students in the other states. Granting an interim stay, Justice MM Sundresh on Monday posted the petition after eight weeks for further proceedings.

In the petition, registrar of Annamalai University said it decided to introduce 162 new courses in 2007. The Distance Education Council, in a letter dated August 21, 2012, accorded permission for offering the courses subject to certain conditions. One of the stipulations said the territorial jurisdiction of a university (for opening distance education centres) would not be beyond the state where it is located.

The university then moved the high court, which in its order in August 2012 allowed it to offer distance education courses without any territorial limit. When it applied for recognition for the next year, the UGC said grant of recognition would be according to the policy on territorial jurisdiction.

As the matter had already been decided by the HC, the university admitted students for the academic year 2013-14. The UGC asked the university to submit an affidavit saying it will abide by all stipulations. The university submitted an affidavit saying it will abide by the conditions except that of territorial jurisdiction.

Meanwhile, the UGC filed an appeal in the HC against its earlier order. The court in its interim order said the issue of territorial jurisdiction would be subject to the outcome of the appeal. Even as the matter was pending, the UGC in its order dated August 14, 2015, directed the university not to admit any student for open distance learning courses for the academic year 2015-2016.

The order was "illegal, unlawful, arbitrary and unjustifiable," said the university. While foreign universities are enrolling students in India, it is unfair to disallow an Indian university from enrolling students in other states and countries, it said.