UGC allows higher education institutions to source up to 40% course content externally

New Delhi: The University Grants Commission has drafted new guidelines to permit higher education institutions offering online degree courses to source course content externally.

According to the new guidelines, externally sourced course content can be up to 40 per cent and remaining 60 per cent of course content can be developed internally with the help of ed-tech companies.

As per the amended draft UGC (Open and Distance Learning Programmes and Online Programmes) Regulations 2020, the ed-tech companies will be treated as technology service providers and could not advertise the content developed with their help as their own.

All the rights and ownership of the content developed internally shall be with the higher education institutions under the Intellectual Property Rights. The UGC has also uploaded the draft regulation on its website, seeking suggestions and feedback by March 15.

The draft of the regulations has been in tune with the National Education Policy 2020, whereby it has been envisaged that the accredited institutions for running online and distance learning programmes should be encouraged to develop high-quality online courses, said the UGC chairperson M Jagadesh Kumar.

However, there is no compulsion on educational institutions to source course content from external sources, and they are free to develop 100 per cent course content internally if they wish.

Currently, only universities and their constituent colleges that fulfil these criteria are allowed to offer online degrees.