Degree for Money

Continuing education once we join job will become difficult. Opting for distance education will be unavoidable and many will look for short cut or easy routes. With a view to help earning and working people, many universities have started distance education. There are also certain binding for the distance education program that the candidates who register for distance education course should attend contact classes which will be conducted by universities at its campus or through its authorized centers. Attending of such classes is mandatory and it is also a part of course. Distance education is a good initiative helping people to upgrade their knowledge and skills utilizing their free time. All good initiatives will be always surrounded by bad motives, distance education is not an exemption.

Any state university which offers distance education is authorized to have study centers in the respective states only and compulsorily conduct contact classes according to the rules and regulation of UGC which co-ordinates the activities of Indian Universities. But many private state universities offer degree without following any guidelines put forth by the UGC and sells the degree only with the sake of making money.

Yesterday had read an advertisement about IGNOU offering Bachelor of Education (B. Ed.) program and told my neighbor about it who was keen to pursue B Ed in distance education mode. That time he mentioned about an university in Rajasthan which offers degree without any hassle. When he contacted the person in-charge of the university he responded in a friendly way and told to pay the prescribed money as fees and appear for the exams directly which will be held in coming November. Even he added that the degree will be awarded within six months of paying fees. My neighbor was in confused disconnected the call telling he will call the person in-charge the very next day. I warned my neighbor not to get in such scams and left his house thinking how universities which were supposed to be knowledge parks have transformed into money making sector. No wonder even if a few more universities will be started in coming years with a view to give degrees for money.

Even the incident made me to remember an incident happened in the initial days of joining engineering studies in Bangalore, one of my teacher had got Doctorate degree from an university situated in Australia. We thought it is an achievement that time to get doctorate from an university abroad, later came to know it was a fake degree and universities cant award degrees like that unless it is an honorary degree.