UGC Prevents Online Healthcare and Allied Courses from July 2025

In a landmark decision affecting thousands of students, the University Grants Commission (UGC) has instructed all Indian universities and colleges to discontinue healthcare and allied courses through distance learning and online modes from July 2025. The decision, cleared in UGC's 592nd meeting on July 23, 2025, was to preserve the quality and sanctity of medical and allied studies in India.

UGC officials have stated that medical courses require experiential learning, laboratory exposure, and patient exposure, which cannot be done in place of online learning. The controversy was initiated while an earlier April 2025 Distance Education Bureau Working Group meeting had complained about the poor standards of practice in online medical courses.

Based on education figures, more than 1.5 million students take allied health courses every year, embracing such subjects as physiotherapy, dietetics, and medical laboratory science. The experts agree that without exposure to the practical aspects, the graduates will not be best placed for employment in clinics.

All institutes operating these programs on Open and Distance Learning (ODL) or online mode are required to suspend new admissions from the July–August 2025 session. The online courses already in place shall be made invalid, effectively stopping new admissions. 

Enrolled students in intimated online courses could be permitted to finish their courses, although the universities will have to adhere strictly to UGC guidelines. Institutions have been directed by the Commission to intimate directly modifications to students and offer choices for offline or hybrid mode.

Despite the constraint of the ban on flexibility for working professionals and e-learners, officials of UGC suggest that learning on campus facilitates better employability. Industry data reveal that 85% of hospitals seek candidates who have clinical experience and classroom training.

The UGC decision is in tune with its quality-oriented, practical healthcare education. The emphasis now is on developing work-capable, competent professionals with intensive, experiential learning as India sets itself the task of developing 2.4 million more health workers by 2030.