Dharamsala: The future of many students from the district is under threat as the Andhra Pradesh High Court has issued a holding that degrees issued through distance education mode by many deemed universities are invalid.

The students in the region have received their degrees from several centres operating in the area that claim to offer distance learning courses by many universities that are out of the state.

The state Education Department and the respective district administrations have failed to take any action against the entire illegal operations, as a result of which many students have been duped.

The judgment by the Andhra High Court says that only those universities can run courses through distance education mode that have the joint approval of the University Grants Commission (UGC), the distance education council and the All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE).

Also, only those courses can be taught through distance learning mode which are approved by a letter signed jointly by the UGC Director, member secretary, AICTE and director of the distance education council. This was decided when a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the three agencies in May 2007.

Some state universities, say sources, are offering courses through distance learning and are claiming falsely that they have been approved by the distance education council.

The Andhra High Court has clarified that the UGC is an agency to recognize and confer the status of university on an educational institution and Open University is a university by itself. They further said that an Open University or distance education council do not have the authority to recognize any other university or institute.

According to sources, no out-of-state university that is offering courses through distance learning via off-campus centres in the area have the approval letter signed by all the agencies.

The UGC had sent notices to all state governments to inform them that state universities cannot function outside their areas of jurisdiction, as per an order by the Supreme Court.