Virtual University registers 4,500 students without NoC

Lahore: Virtual University of Pakistan (VU) has registered almost 4,500 students in MPhil, MS as well as PhD programmes without fulfilling the minimum requirement of getting a No-Objection Certificate (NoC) from Higher education commission of Pakistan (HEC).

As per the details, recently Virtual University has started admissions in PhD in computer sciences, MPhil in education, MPhil in bioinformatics, MPhil in biotechnology, MPhil in genetics, MPhil in zoology, MPhil in mathematics as well as MPhil in molecular biology.

As per the policy of Higher Education Commission, a No-Objection certificate is required before launching new MS, MPhil as well as PhD programmes after which the universities can start the registration of aspirants.

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Though, in violation of the commission rules, Virtual University has already started registering students in these MA, M.Phil and PhD programmes.

The HEC policy needs the universities to get a No-Objection Certificate from the commission before the launching of any MS/MPhil/PhD or equivalent programme. The policy pertaining to any such programme began after November 7th, 2013.

The policy of higher education commission clearly avows that without preceding NOC, HEC will not recognize the programme and also the degree granted by the institute will not be attested by the commission as well.

The official website of higher education commission also contains a list of approved programmes for the ease of aspirants which enlists all the MS, MPhil and PhD programmes approved by higher education commission.

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When contacted, the representative of higher education commission Ayesha Ikram said that Virtual University had applied for NoC for its new programmesjust few months back.

She confirmed that High Education commission has yet to grant No-Objection Certificate to Virtual University.

The representative of Virtual University of Pakistan Qamar Riaz said that the university was offering all MS and PhD programmes according to its directive.

“Though, Virtual university of Pakistan has applied for NOCs of all the offered programmes, which are in process by the commission,” he added.

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He also stated that no distance learning institute had been awarded NOC for the aforementioned degree programmes. But, the list available on the official website of HEC displays several programmes of Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU), which is also a distance learning institute.

Virtual University is one of two government sector distance learning university in the country and the only institute to provide distance education via television and internet.