Parliament Question: One Year M.A. Course for FYUP

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2398 ANSWERED ON- 03.08.2026 One Year M.A. Course for FYUP †2398. Shri Sanjay Haribhau Jadhav: Shri Arvind Ganpat Sawant: Shri Sanjay Uttamrao Deshmukh: Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state: (a) whether the Government is aware that the School of Open Learning (SOL), University of Delhi has not yet started the one year M.A. course for graduates of the Four Year Undergraduate Programme (FYUP) despite the regular department executing the same, if so, the reasons therefor; (b) whether the said situation is undermining the provisions of academic equity, flexibility and credit mobility under the NEP, 2020 and adversely affecting its effective implementation, if so, the details thereof; (c) whether the Government is aware that due to this said problem students of regular professional courses like L.L.B. are being deprived of the benefit of pursuing a one-year postgraduate course through the Open and Distance Learning (ODL) mode; (d) if so, the concrete and timebound remedial steps being taken by the Government, University Grants Commission (UGC) and Distance Education Bureau (DEB) to implement the one year M.A. programme at SOL for graduates of the FYUP during the current academic session; (e) whether the UGC and the DEB have issued or propose to issue any directions for commencing the one year M.A. programme in SOL during the current academic year or to make the necessary amendments to the entrance rules, if so, the details thereof; and (f) whether this anomaly is likely to discourage students from taking admission into the fourth year of the FYUP? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION (DR. SUKANTA MAJUMDAR) (a) to (f): University of Delhi is a statutory autonomous organization established under an Act of Parliament and governed by the Delhi University Act, 1922 and the Statutes and the Ordinances made thereunder. It provides quality and affordable education to the students from all over the country with its colleges including School of Open Learning (SOL) spreadout all across the Delhi NCR region. The University has taken sincere steps to implement the National Education Policy 2020. The University has informed that School of Open Learning has started the admission process for one year Master’s Degree Program under Open and Distance Learning (ODL) mode from Academic Session 2026-27. The University Grants Commission (UGC) has also issued circular regarding offering One-year Postgraduate Programmes under Open and Distance Learning (ODL) in accordance with the National Education Policy, 2020. The UGC has further informed that as per regulation 2(z) of University Grants Commission (Open and Distance Learning Programmes and Online Programmes) Regulations, 2020, some programs including Law and their allied domains are excluded from the purview of Open and Distance Learning Mode and Online Mode in Higher Education. *****