MHRD Relaxes norms to Allow Open Universities PhD Degrees in Non-Technical Subjects

In a bid to encourage more and more students to pursue PhD courses, Ministry of Human Resource Development, government of India has relaxed the UGC norms to enable open universities including IGNOU to offer distance PhD courses now on.

This decision was taken in a meeting chaired by the HRD ministry Prakesh Javadekar and attended by vice chancellor IGNOU together with representatives from 14 open universities. The meeting ended up in a decision to allow distance courses for PhD in non-technical subjects. The relaxation has been given to students of non-technical courses since these subjects do not necessarily require laboratories and practical exams.

Now the candidates will be allowed to pursue PhD degree in subjects like social sciences, humanities etc. However, UGC 2022 regulations concerning to PhD courses will be applicable in this regard. Students would need to undertake six months of work course in the same way as the regular PhD course candidates. This move is particularly helpful for office goers who want to pursue PhD degree.

Recently, IGNOU New Delhi has invited applications for admission to distance post basic B.Sc nursing programme for the academic session 2022. The interested and eligible candidates can apply for the same on or before September 9, 1980.