UGC bans psychology, nutrition, healthcare courses in online and distance mode

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has barred higher educational institutions from offering psychology, healthcare and related courses through Open and Distance Learning (ODL) or online mode. The new directive will come into effect from the July-August 2025 academic session.

According to officials, the move is designed to maintain quality in professional and practice-based education. Programmes in psychology, nutrition, microbiology, biotechnology, clinical nutrition, dietetics and food science fall under the ban, as they are covered by the National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions (NCAHP) Act, 2021.

The commission has made it clear that any recognition already granted to higher education institutions for offering these programmes through ODL or online mode for the 2025 session and onwards will be withdrawn.

UGC Secretary Manish Joshi explained the scope of the decision. "No higher educational institutions (HEIs) shall be



permitted to offer any allied and healthcare programmes covered in NCAHP Act, 2021, including psychology as specialisation under Open and Distance Learning and online mode, from the academic session July-August, 2025 and onwards. Any recognition already granted to HEIs for offering such programmes for the academic session July-August 2025 and onwards shall be withdrawn by the UGC," he said.

In cases where degree programmes involve multiple specialisations, such as a Bachelor of Arts degree offering combinations of subjects, only those specialisations listed under the NCAHP Act will be removed.

Joshi clarified, "In the case of programmes with multiple specialisations such as Bachelor of Arts (English, Hindi, Punjabi, Economics, History, Mathematics, Public Administration, Philosophy, Political Science, Statistics, Human Rights and Duties, Sanskrit, Psychology, Geography, Sociology, Women Studies), then only those specialisations covered in NCAHP Act, 2021 shall be withdrawn."