In a sweeping decision set to reshape higher education, the University Grants Commission (UGC) has prohibited universities and colleges from offering psychology, nutrition, healthcare and allied programmes in distance or online mode starting the July–August 2025 academic session.

The order covers all disciplines listed under the National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions (NCAHP) Act, 2021 — including psychology, microbiology, biotechnology, clinical nutrition, dietetics and food science.

“From the upcoming academic session, no higher educational institution will be allowed to offer any allied or healthcare programme, including psychology, through Open and Distance Learning or online mode,” UGC Secretary Manish Joshi said, adding that approvals already granted will be withdrawn.

Why the ban?

Officials said the move is aimed at preserving the quality and credibility of practice-based education. Courses that demand practical training, lab work and professional exposure, the UGC argued, cannot be effectively delivered in remote formats.

The directive will also affect interdisciplinary programmes. For instance, a Bachelor of Arts degree offering multiple subject combinations will have to drop only the restricted specialisations — such as psychology — while retaining others.

Broader restrictions already in place

The latest decision extends UGC’s earlier prohibitions on professional degrees through online and ODL routes. Courses in engineering, medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, nursing, physiotherapy, law, architecture, paramedical sciences, agriculture, hotel management and visual arts are already barred.

The move follows recommendations made by the 24th Distance Education Bureau Working Group in April 2025, later endorsed at a UGC commission meeting.

What it means for students

The ban is expected to disrupt academic plans for thousands of aspirants who had hoped to pursue psychology and healthcare-related studies through flexible online or distance learning. Universities will now be compelled to revamp their course offerings in compliance with the new rules.

By tightening the regulatory net, the UGC has made clear its stance: professional disciplines demand classroom rigor, lab work and real-world training — not virtual shortcuts.