A big news related to the world of higher education has come out. The University Grants Commission (UGC) has taken a big decision that from the coming academic session July-August 2025, psychology, nutrition and other health related subjects will no longer be in online or distance education (ODL) mode.

The UGC has issued clear instructions to all universities and higher educational institutions that they will now be able to teach these subjects only in regular i.e. offline mode. The Commission says that teaching subjects which are directly related to healthcare and practical training can be harmful for both students and society.

This restriction has been implemented under the National Associate and Health Carestone Commission (NCAHP) Act, 2021. The subjects included in this Act such as psychology, microbiology, food and nutritional science, biotechnology, clinical nutrition and dietary will no longer be allowed to read through remote or online.

What did UGC secretary say?

UGC Secretary Manish Joshi has said that from July-August 2025 and since then these courses will be completely banned from presenting them in online or distance education. Even if an institution is already recognized by these subjects, then it will also be withdrawn. Also, no university will be allowed to admit new students in these courses.

The biggest reason behind this decision is being said to be the quality of education. The Commission believes that subjects like psychology and nutrition cannot be learned only from books. Practical knowledge, laboratory work and field training are necessary in these.

However, this decision will apply only to those subjects which come under the NCAHP Act, 2021. It is worth noting that UGC has already banned many practical and commercial courses online and distance education. These include engineering, medical, dental, pharmacy, nursing, architecture, physiotherapy, paramedical, agriculture, horticulture, hotel management, catering technology, visual art and law. Now psychology and nutrition have also been added to this list.

Decision taken in the meeting

This decision was formally approved in the recently held UGC meeting. In fact, it was recommended in the meeting of the 24th Distance Education Bureau of Education Group held in April 2025. It was expressed in that meeting that online studies of practical and health related subjects can drop students’ skills and training levels. The Commission has accepted this recommendation and implemented it.

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