Draft guidelines proposed by the University Grants Commission (UGC) outline that higher education institutions offering online degrees can incorporate up to 40 percent of their course content from external sources. The remaining 60 percent can be developed in-house with the collaboration of educational technology (ed-tech) companies. However, these companies, referred to as technology service providers in the amended draft UGC (Open and Distance Learning Programmes and Online Programmes) Regulations 2020, are explicitly prohibited from claiming ownership or advertising the content as their own.

The draft regulations, available on the UGC’s website for feedback until March 15, underscore that higher education institutes will retain complete ownership of Intellectual Property Rights related to in-house content development. UGC Chairperson M Jagadesh Kumar emphasized that these guidelines align with the National Education Policy 2020, which encourages top institutions accredited for online and distance learning programs to create high-quality online courses.

As per the guidelines, institutions have the flexibility to choose whether to source content externally or develop 100 percent of the content in-house. The provision for external content is designed to simplify the process for students, sparing them the effort of searching for suitable online programs. Instead, the institutions will conduct the research and present viable options to students.

It’s important to note that, at present, only universities and their constituent colleges meeting specific criteria are authorized to offer online degrees.