Section 2 in University Grants Commission (Open and Distance Learning) Regulations, 2017
2. Definitions.
- In these regulations, unless the context otherwise requires -(a)"Academic session" means duration of twelve months beginning either in January or in the month of July of every year;(b)"Act", means the University Grants Commission Act, 1956 (3 of 1956);(c)"Centre for Internal Quality Assurance" (CIQA) means a Centre as specified in Annexure I established by a Higher Educational Institution offering programmes in Open and Distance Learning mode for ensuring the quality of programmes offered by it through internal quality monitoring mechanism in accordance with the guidelines as specified in Annexure II;(d)"Commission" means the University Grants Commission established under the University Grants Commission Act, 1956 (3 of 1956);(e)"Credit" means the Unit award gained by a learner by study efforts of a minimum of thirty hours required to acquire the prescribed level of learning in respect of that Unit;(f)"Degree" means a degree specified under sub-section (3) of section 22 of the Act;(g)"Examination Centre" means a place where examinations are conducted for the Open and Distance Learning mode learners and is having the requisite infrastructure and adequate manpower for smooth conduct of examinations, and adhering to such minimum standards as specified in Annexure III.(h)"Franchising" for the purpose of these regulations, means and includes the practice of allowing, formally or informally, any person or institution or organisation, other than the Higher Educational Institution recognised under these regulations for offering Open and Distance Learning programmes, to offer such programmes of study on behalf of or in the name of the recognised Higher Educational Institution, and the terms `franchise' and `franchisee' shall be construed accordingly;(i)"Higher Education" means such education, imparted by means of conducting regular classes or through distance education systems, beyond twelve years of schooling leading to the award of a Degree or Certificate or Diploma or Postgraduate Diploma;(j)"Higher Educational Institution" means a university covered under clause (f) of section 2 and an institution deemed to be a university covered under section 3 of the University Grants Commission Act, 1956, which is imparting by means of conducting regular classes or through Open and Distance Learning systems, higher education or research therein;(k)"Learner Support Centre" means a centre established, maintained or recognised by the Higher Educational Institution for advising, counselling, providing interface between the teachers and the learners, and rendering any academic and any other related service and assistance required by the learners;(l)"Learner Support Services" means and includes such services as are provided by a Higher Educational Institution in order to facilitate the acquisition of teaching-learning experiences by the learner to the level prescribed by or on behalf of the Commission in respect of a programme of study;(m)"Open and Distance Learning" mode means a mode of providing flexible learning opportunities by overcoming separation of teacher and learner using a variety of media, including print, electronic, online and occasional interactive face-to-face meetings with the presence of an Higher Educational Institution or Learner Support Services to deliver teaching-learning experiences, including practical or work experiences.(n)"Open University" means a University which imparts education through distance education or Open and Distance Learning mode using variety of Information and Communication Technology educational aids i.e. online education in the form of Open Educational Resources (OERs) or Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) etc.;(o)"Programme" means a course or programme of study leading to the award of a Degree at graduate and postgraduate levels in a higher educational institution including Certificate or Diploma or Post Graduate Diploma;(p)"Professional programmes" means a programme other than programmes in engineering, medicine, dental, pharmacy, nursing, architecture, physiotherapy and programmes not permitted to be offered in distance mode by any Statutory Councils or Regulatory Authorities to be conducted by the Higher Educational Institutions under Open and Distance Learning mode or Distance Education mode for the purpose of these regulations, if any, should be considered only if the same are approved by the respective Statutory Councils or Regulatory Authorities.(q)"Prospectus" includes any publication, whether in print or otherwise, issued for providing fair and transparent information, relating to a higher educational institution and programmes, to the general public (including to those seeking admission in such Higher Educational Institutions) by the management of such Higher Educational Institutions or any authority or person authorised by such Higher Educational Institutions to do so;(r)"Self Learning Material" means and includes contents in the form of course material, whether print or non-print, which is inter-alia self-explanatory, self-contained, self-directed at the learner, and amenable to self-evaluation, and enables the learner to acquire the prescribed level of learning in a course of study, but does not include textbooks or guide-books;(s)"Standalone Institutions" means those institutions which are not affiliated to any of the Universities under the provisions of the Act.Part - II Recognition of Higher Educational Institution for Open and Distance Learning Programmes
