Mahatma Gandhi University ‘distance education courses’ below par

Kochi: In a bizarre turn, the Mahatma Gandhi University has submitted before Kerala High Court that the degree awarded by it under the distance education programme is not recognised by it and that the degree holders cannot obtain admission to a regular post- graduate course conducted by the university.

With this, the prospects of higher studies for thousands pursuing distance education under the MG University will be bleak. On an average 10,000 students join distance education programme under the MG University every year.

Justice K. Surendra Mohan recorded the submission and denied admission to Navya Joy Mampilly of Kochi to an MBA course conducted by the Cochin University of Science and Technology. The court dismissed her plea challenging her exclusion from the rank list for MBA. The admission was denied pointing that the course was not recognised by CUSAT.

She argued that the prospectus stipulates only that a person should have 50 percent marks in aggregate in a bachelor’s degree in any subject as the eligibility criterion for obtaining admission to the MBA course.

The prospectus says that only distance education courses of the Indira Gandhi National Open University alone would be considered for admission.