Jiwaji University in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, will not admit any students to its Distance Education Centre for the 2026-27 academic session, after the University Grants Commission (UGC) did not recognise any of its distance education programmes for the year, ETV Bharat reported on 1 November 2026.
Vice-Chancellor Prof. Diwakar Singh Rajput said the university is working to resolve what he called “technical issues” and plans to restore the centre with new courses. Until then, learners who planned to study through Jiwaji’s open and distance learning (ODL) mode will have to wait for a later session or apply elsewhere.
Why Jiwaji University distance education lost recognition
According to sources quoted in the report, the university did not complete the documentation, arrangements and self-learning material that UGC norms require in time. The missing printed study material was a key gap, since distance learners rely on it to prepare for examinations from home.
Every year, institutions must apply to UGC’s Distance Education Bureau (DEB) for each ODL and online programme they want to run. The regulator opened that window for 2026-27 in September, as covered in our report on how UGC opened applications for ODL and online programmes for 2026–27. A programme that is not on the approved list cannot admit students for that year.
A shrinking programme over eight years
Jiwaji’s Distance Education Centre was set up in 1994 for people who could not attend regular classes. It grew to as many as 29 undergraduate and postgraduate courses, and more than 2.5 lakh students earned degrees through it between 1994 and 2023, according to official records cited in the report.
- 2018: UGC withdrew recognition for a period, and several programmes were discontinued.
- 2025-26: seven courses were still on offer.
- 2026-27: no recognised courses, so no admissions.
The model suited working adults and women in Gwalior and nearby districts of Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. Students attended contact classes for about 10 to 15 days a year and studied the rest of the time from printed material, reaching teachers by phone or WhatsApp.
What it means for distance learners
The case is a reminder that a university’s name alone does not make a distance or online degree valid. UGC has repeatedly told students to check that both the institution and the specific programme are approved for the current year, a rule that has tripped up other universities before, as when UGC declared Periyar University’s online distance education programmes invalid.
Recognised ODL degrees carry the same standing as regular ones, a position UGC set out when it ruled that distance and online learning degrees are on par with conventional degrees. Flexible formats keep expanding too, including the one-year online PG option UGC introduced this year, which makes compliance by state universities all the more important.
Key takeaways
- Jiwaji University will admit no distance learners in 2026-27 because UGC did not recognise its ODL programmes.
- Delays in documentation and study material were the main reasons, sources told ETV Bharat.
- The VC says the university is fixing the issues and plans to relaunch with new courses.
FAQ
Are existing Jiwaji University distance students affected?
The report concerns fresh admissions for 2026-27. Students already enrolled should confirm their status with the university’s Distance Education Centre.
How can students check if a distance programme is recognised?
Look up the institution and the exact programme on the UGC Distance Education Bureau portal for the current academic year before paying any fee.
Featured image: Administrative building of Jiwaji University, Gwalior. Photo: Gyanendra Singh Chauhan / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0)
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