Overview
- The Cabinet cleared the Punjab Private Digital Open Universities Policy, 2026, allowing private entities to establish fully online and open-distance universities in the state.
- Officials describe it as India’s first comprehensive state policy in this space, contrasting it with Tripura’s digital university created without a comparable framework.
- The framework aligns with UGC Regulations, 2020 and sets state-level standards for quality, accessibility, data governance, and learner protection.
- Minimum requirements include at least 2.5 acres of land, digital content studios, server rooms, LMS operations, digital examination control rooms, 24×7 student support, and a Rs 20 crore corpus fund.
- The state says the model will lower costs and enable learners to complete legally compliant degrees from home while integrating skills such as AI, cybersecurity, cloud computing, business skills, and robotics, drawing on examples like WGU, University of Phoenix, Walden, and Open University Malaysia.