Departing from its convention and following a notification from the University Grants Commission (UGC), M S University (MSU) has decided to grant recognition to open and distance learning education programmes for admission to all courses, including the undergraduate, postgraduate as well as PhD programmes. So far, students, who had passed out of open universities or through distance learning mode, were not considered eligible for admission at MSU. However, in order to enhance gross enrollment ratio in the country and increase employability of youth, Government of India has envisaged greater role for open and distance learning institutions and entrusted UGC with the responsibility of regulating them. This decision will increase mobility between open and traditional universities, grant level playing field to students from regular as well as distance learning streams and increase intake at various faculties and colleges. A large number of students enrolled at open universities like the Indira Gandhi Open University (IGNOU) and Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Open University (BAOU) have long desired admission in regular programmes offered at MSU. Such students will be benefited directly. Besides, it will open doors for credit transfer between the two streams in future and nurture the spirit of choice-based credit system (CBCS). BAOU’s certificate programmes are already included in CBCS at a few universities in Gujarat as foundation courses or interdisciplinary elective courses. Source: Education News