Try GOLD - Free
COLLEGES @HOME
Careers 360
|March 2020
Seven universities have been permitted to launch full-fledged degr programmes online. What are their plans?
In January this year, seven Indian universities were granted permission to start full-fledged degree programmes online.
This represents a significant departure from the earlier policy which, despite being online-friendly, did not allow more than 20 percent courses in a degree programme to be taught in online mode. But the new policy is in line with the Central Government’s effort to increase enrolment in higher education through online degree courses. According to government data, just 26.3 percent youths in the age group of 18-23 are enrolled in some form of higher education. The government aims to reach 50 percent by 2035.
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said in her budget speech that the online degree programmes shall be offered only by top-ranking institutions. These are universities placed in the top 100 as per the National Institutional Ranking Framework. She had added that only a few such institutions would be allowed to offer such programmes to begin with.
The first batch includes one public and six private universities. These are Indira Gandhi National Open University; JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research in Mysuru; Manipal Academy of Higher Education; Bharati Vidyapeeth, Pune; Shanmugha Arts, Science, Technology & Research Academy, Thanjavur; Dr D.Y. Patil Vidyapeeth, Pune; and Amity University, Noida.
Many of them are ready to launch. Amity University will offer 24 online programs, including six undergraduate and four postgraduate degrees. From this year, Bharati Vidyapeeth is starting with Bachelor and Master of Business Administration – BBA and MBA programmes – to begin with.
‘Completely different experience’
This story is from the March 2020 edition of Careers 360.
Subscribe to Magzter GOLD to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 10,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
MORE STORIES FROM Careers 360
Careers 360
A Life Lived on Her Own Terms
A tribute to Armaity Desai - teacher, mentor, changemaker, and a life well lived
7 mins
November 2025
Careers 360
'Tech has automated tasks, not trust'
Management education in India is undergoing a steady transformation. Classrooms that once focused mainly on lectures and case studies are now becoming spaces for experimentation, digital learning, and skill building. Himadri Das, director general of International Management Institute (IMI), in an email interaction with Pritha Roy Choudhury, explains how business schools are preparing students for an AI-driven world, why emotional intelligence is more important than ever, and what future-ready management education truly means. Edited excerpts:
3 mins
November 2025
Careers 360
'B-schools' applied knowledge creation must get due credit in rankings'
Great Lakes Institute of Management, Chennai, has updated its one-year PGPM and the two-year programme has seen applications nearly double in four years. Chief operating officer, Gautam Lakhamraju explains how Great Lakes has “moved management education from being content-heavy to context-driven\", the latest trends in placements and what NIRF needs to change for a fairer assessment of standalone B-schools, in an email exchange with Aeshwarya Tiwari. Edited excerpts:
6 mins
November 2025
Careers 360
ICAR PhD stipend to be hiked
The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has decided to hike the institute fellowship for PhD students at its four agriculture deemed universities and make it uniform across the institutes.
1 min
November 2025
Careers 360
Incubation centres, govt schemes boost student entrepreneurship
While student startups struggle with funding, B-school incubators and government schemes are helping get ideas off the ground with both seed-funding and mentorship
4 mins
November 2025
Careers 360
Learning leadership
Management programmes are increasingly leaning toward creating leaders, rather than just managers
2 mins
November 2025
Careers 360
India's original data science institute faces crisis
ISI Kolkata community is seeking intervention of MPs, West Bengal government and academics to stop systemic 'dismantling'; 1,800 sign petition to MoSPI
6 mins
November 2025
Careers 360
New tech programmes
Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Gandhinagar has launched three different six-month fully-residential tech postgraduate diploma programmes.
1 min
November 2025
Careers 360
'AI literacy: Key differentiator for MBA graduates'
Management education must now venture into emerging areas like agriculture and agri-tech, especially in the context of climate change and sustainability, said professor Ajit Parulekar, director of the Goa Institute of Management, during an interview with Shradha Chettri. He also highlighted how proficiency in AI and related technological tools has become a universal expectation from recruiters. Edited excerpts from the conversation:
5 mins
November 2025
Careers 360
Why B-school salaries hit a standstill
After years of steady growth, India's top B-schools – including IIMs – face stagnant, falling median salaries as AI layoffs, cautious hiring, and market slowdown reshape campus recruitment
5 mins
November 2025
Translate
Change font size