Madras University to Close 30 Distance Education Centres

The University of Madras has taken an important decision to close all study centres of the Institutes of Distance Education located outside the Tamil Nadu state and few centres located within the Chennai Metropolitan Area. The decision will come into effect from the coming academic session, i.e. 2017-18. A syndicate meeting took place on April 21, 2017, in which the officials decided to shut down more than 30 distance education centres that are out of Tamil Nadu jurisdiction.

The Institute of Distance Education of Madras University has 50 study centres out of which 28 centres do not come under the jurisdiction of Tamil Nadu state. The varsity also has study centres in Nepal, Srilanka and Kuwait. There are 15 study centres in Chennai, Tiruvallur and Kancheepuram.

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The varsity also clarified that the students who enrolled in various programmes need not worry as the varsity will conduct examinations for the next three years, i.e., until December 2019 or January 2020. This facility will only be available for the students who enrolled in various programmes during the academic session 2016-17. The varsity will not hold admissions from the upcoming academic session.

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The varsity took the decision to shut down study centres out of the jurisdiction of Tamil Nadu state to comply with the norms of the University Grants Commission. Earlier, an official notification from the UGC stated that varsities that offer distance education courses out of its territorial jurisdiction are considered as illegal.

Institute of Distance Education of the University of Madras was receiving a good revenue with numerous students enrolled for various programmes until 2015. However, after UGC imposed territorial restrictions, the student enrollment witnessed a drastic fall.