New Delhi
Higher education institutes offering online degrees can source up to 40 per cent of their course content externally and develop the remaining 60 per cent in-house with the assistance of ed-tech companies. This has been stated in the draft guidelines drawn up by the University Grants Commission (UGC).
But the ed-tech companies, described as technology service providers in the amended draft UGC (Open and Distance Learning Programmes and Online Programmes) Regulations 2020, shall have no right to advertise the content developed with their help as their own.
According to the draft guidelines uploaded by UGC on its website, the higher education institutes concerned “shall have complete ownership of Intellectual Property Rights” relating to the contents developed in-house. UGC has seeked suggestions and feedback till March 15.
UGC chairperson M Jagadesh Kumar said the guidelines are in tune with the National Education Policy 2020, which proposes that the top institutions, accredited for running online and distance learning programmes, will be encouraged to develop high-quality online courses.
Currently, only universities and their constituent colleges that fulfill these criteria are allowed to offer online degrees.
