UGC bans psychology and healthcare courses in online and distance learning from 2025

The University Grants Commission has announced that psychology, healthcare, and several related subjects will no longer be allowed in open and distance learning or online formats starting with the July-August 2025 session.

The decision, according to officials, aims to ensure the quality of practice-based education. Courses in psychology, nutrition, microbiology, biotechnology, clinical nutrition, dietetics, and food science have been restricted, as they are covered under the National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions Act, 2021.

UGC Secretary Manish Joshi explained, "No higher educational institutions (HEIs) shall be permitted to offer any allied and healthcare programs covered in the NCAHP Act, 2021, including psychology as a specialization under open and distance learning and online mode, from the academic session July-August, 2025, and onwards."

“Any recognition already granted to HEIs for offering such programs for the academic session July-August 2025 and onwards shall be withdrawn by the UGC,” Joshi added.

In degree programs offering multiple subject combinations, such as Bachelor of Arts, only the specializations listed under the NCAHP Act will be withdrawn.

Joshi clarified, "In the case of programs with multiple specializations, such as Bachelor of Arts (English, Hindi, Punjabi, Economics, History, Mathematics, Public Administration, Philosophy, Political Science, Statistics, Human Rights and Duties, Sanskrit, Psychology, Geography, Sociology, Women Studies), then only those specializations covered in the NCAHP Act, 2021, shall be withdrawn."

The move follows recommendations made during the 24th Distance Education Bureau Working Group meeting in April 2025, which were later approved in a UGC commission meeting.

Officials highlighted that professional training requiring practical exposure cannot be effectively delivered through distance or online modes.

UGC has already prohibited professional courses such as engineering, medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, nursing, physiotherapy, architecture, applied arts, paramedical sciences, agriculture, horticulture, hotel management, catering technology, visual arts, and law from being taught in ODL or online formats.

By expanding the restriction to psychology, healthcare, and nutrition-related subjects, the regulator said it is reinforcing the need for academic rigor and hands-on training.

The decision is expected to affect thousands of students who were planning to enroll in such courses online or through distance learning, and institutions will now need to adjust their offerings to comply with the new rules.