Calicut varsity seeks amendment to SNGOU Act to run distance learning programmes

The University of Calicut has officially requested the Higher Education department to amend provisions of the Sreenarayanaguru Open University Act, 2021, to allow it to resume open and distance learning (ODL) courses.

According to official sources, university Registrar C.D. Sebastian recently wrote to the Principal Secretary, Higher Education, highlighting this demand. This follows a resolution passed by the Syndicate on July 9, 2026, “to request the Government of Kerala to permit the University of Calicut to conduct Distance Education Programmes.”

In the letter, Mr. Sebastian points out that the university’s ODL programmes had the approval of the Distance Education Bureau (DEB) of the University Grants Commission (UGC). However, after the Sreenarayanaguru Open University (SNGOU) was set up by the State government in 2021, an order was issued in later years restricting other universities from conducting distance education and private registration courses under sections 47(2) and 72 of the above-mentioned Act. Because of this, the University of Calicut had not been able to admit students into its UGC-approved ODL programmes, Mr. Sebastian says.

This has affected the academic prospects of a large number of students from Kozhikode, Malappuram, Palakkad, Thrissur and Wayanad districts that are under the university’s jurisdiction. Mr. Sebastian claims in the letter that even after the university gradually reduced the number of its ODL programmes in recent years before completely stopping it, thousands of students had taken admissions to them.

He points out that many students are now denied an opportunity to pursue higher education in a university that is close to their native places. Many organisations, people’s representatives, and students have been demanding that the university resume its ODL programmes. Though the university’s Syndicate had earlier passed a resolution to this effect on August 26, 2023, and representations were sent to the government on September 16, 2023, and April 30, 2026, they did not elicit any positive response. Mr. Sebastian says that the State government shall suitably amend sections 47(2) and 72 and allow the university to conduct ODL programmes subject to the approval of the UGC’s DEB. Official sources say that the department has responded positively to the demand.

Student admissions

University sources say that the ODL programmes are quite popular among students if the admissions statistics in recent years are any indication. In the 2016-17 academic year, when 15 undergraduate (UG) and 12 postgraduate (PG) programmes were offered, 47,681 students had taken admissions. The next year, there were 44,331 students. In 2018-19, when 14 UG and 12 PG programmes were offered, 50,476 students took admissions. Next year, when the number of PG courses were increased to 13, a total of 53,531 students took admissions.

In 2020-21, when 15 UG programmes and 13 PG programmes were offered, there were 33,570 students. The next year, the number of UG and PG courses were cut to 13 each and the number of students were 32,524. In 2022-23, only eight UG courses and 11 PG courses were offered and 28,479 students took admissions. When the number of UG and PG programmes was cut to four and nine, respectively, a total of 22,867 students took admissions in 2023-24.

Syndicate members’ demand

Meanwhile, a section of pro-United Democratic Front Syndicate members too have urged Higher Education Minister Roji M. John to consider the demand. T.K. Martin, Madhu Ramanattukara, Jaison Joseph, Lekshmi R. Chandran, and T.M. Vasudevan recently met Mr. John on the sidelines of an official meeting in the State capital. The university has set aside ₹10 crore in its budget for the expansion of the distance learning programmes. Though the university has launched many online courses under its Centre for Distance and Online Education, the admissions are reportedly not on expected lines.