These universities will offer undergraduate, postgraduate, and professional programmes using virtual laboratories, digital assessments.

Punjab Unveils Digital-First Model for Flexible Higher Education

The Punjab government has notified a new policy allowing private players to establish digital open universities in the state as a major move to modernise higher education. According to a report, the rules were notified on January 15 by Administrative Secretary of Higher Education Anindita Mitra, aiming to provide advanced degrees and research through fully online and technology-enabled systems.

Punjab joins Kerala as one of the few states in India permitting private participation in the digital education field. These universities will offer undergraduate, postgraduate, and professional programmes using virtual laboratories, digital assessments, and online classes. 

While the institutions will be required to maintain physical "headquarters" for administrative functions, the policy explicitly states that no traditional on-campus classes will be held.

The policy sets strict standards for entry, requiring private applicants to have at least five years of credible experience in online learning and a minimum corpus fund of INR 20 crore. 

Additionally, a processing fee of Rs 5 lakh is required with the application, followed by an additional INR 20 lakh upon approval. 

To safeguard the interest of local students, 15% of seats must be reserved for Punjab domicile learners. The state also retains the power to impose penalties of up to INR 25 lakh for any violations of UGC norms. 

This initiative is focused on bridging the gap between formal education and the growing global reliance on digital learning platforms.

Source: The Tribune