UGC Bans Online and Distance Learning for Psychology and Healthcare Courses from 2025
The University Grants Commission (UGC) has directed all higher education institutions in India to stop offering psychology, nutrition, and other healthcare-related courses through online or distance learning (ODL) modes starting from the 2025 academic session.
This decision is in compliance with the National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions (NCAHP) Act, 2021. According to UGC Secretary Manish Joshi, any institution offering these courses after July-August 2025 will have its recognition withdrawn.
Courses Affected by the Ban
The following courses will not be allowed via online or distance education:
- Psychology
- Microbiology
- Food and Nutrition
- Biotechnology
- Clinical Nutrition
- Dietetics
Clarification for Multi-Disciplinary Programs
For multi-disciplinary programs like B.A. (in subjects like English, Hindi, History, Political Science, Sociology, Philosophy, and Psychology), only the healthcare components falling under the NCAHP Act, 2021 will be disallowed in the online or ODL mode.
Instructions to Institutions
UGC has strictly instructed institutions not to admit any students into such healthcare-related programs via online or distance education from the 2025 session onwards. The commission cited concerns over quality in professional education as the primary reason behind this move.
The decision follows recommendations from the 24th meeting of the Distance Education Bureau Working Group held in April 2025 and was formally approved in a recent UGC meeting.
Other Courses Already Restricted from ODL
The higher education regulator has already prohibited the following professional and practical programs from being offered in distance or online mode:
- Engineering
- Medicine
- Dentistry
- Pharmacy
- Nursing
- Architecture
- Physiotherapy
- Paramedical Sciences
- Agriculture and Horticulture
- Hotel Management and Catering Technology
- Visual Arts
- Law