BU extends helping hand to distance education students

COIMBATORE: The

Bharathiar University

has helped at least 3,000 of the 50,000-odd students, who were enrolled with its private study centres for various distance

education programmes

since 2009-10, to clear their dues or get readmission for their pending degree programmes in the past two months.

The university had terminated the private study centres in the country and abroad in 2018 following a direction from the University Grants Commission that the

distance education

programmes should be offered only through the learner’s support centres with the affiliated colleges.

Students were subsequently clueless about getting their degrees. In the absence of direct correspondence with them, the university had issued a

public notice

in June, asking the students to approach it directly to clear the dues or get readmission for their pending degree programmes.

P E Thomas, director in-charge, school of distance education, said, “Many marksheets have been pending with the controller of examination department because of pending fees with the controller section or the study centres. Hence, we decided to issue the public notice, asking the students to contact the university directly.”

He said they had cleared no due certificates of 3,000-odd students in the past two months and they were now eligible for their provisional certificates. “In addition, many students have received their mid-course marksheets to continue their studies. We are expecting more students to approach us in the coming weeks.”