No technical education through correspondence, says Supreme Court

New Delhi, November 3
Getting a technical degree via distance education mode would not be possible now as the Supreme Court on Friday ruled that technical education could not be provided through correspondence courses.
In an important ruling, a Bench headed by Justice AK Goel restrained educational institutes from providing courses in subjects such as engineering and computer science in the distance education mode.
The verdict–likely to affect hundreds of distance education centres which have been offering technical courses through correspondence and distance learning–settles the legal position and gives clarity to thousands of students who often opt for such courses for a variety of reasons.
Earlier, the Punjab and Haryana and Odisha high courts had expressed divergent views on the contentious issue.
The Bench, which also included Justice UU Lalit, affirmed the verdict of the Punjab and Haryana High Court and set aside a verdict by the Odisha High Court, which had allowed technical education via correspondence.
The Punjab and Haryana High Court had in 2015 ruled that a degree in computer science obtained through distance education could not be considered on par with a regular degree awarded by a university to students attending campus classes.
Earlier, the Madras High Court had said that a degree awarded in the distance education mode without a candidate passing the Plus Two examination was valid, if it had been obtained after passing the entrance test for admission to the graduation course.