Can I Get A College Degree In 1 Year in India?
Many employed and unemployed people in India urgently need to complete a college degree, since most jobs require a minimum of a college degree.
One year or single sitting degree in India is NOT valid for higher education or for government jobs any longer. Osmania university many years ago used to offer the single-sitting degree but it has been discontinued by the UGC.
There are still many institutes claiming for the validity of the 1 year single-sitting degree, but the UGC guidelines clearly state that single sitting degrees are invalid.
Is one sitting degree valid?
Until about 1998, one sitting degrees were considered valid in India and the largest university offering one-sitting degrees was Osmania university in Telangana/ Andhra Pradesh.
But since then, the UGC has clearly clarified that any students with a one-sitting degree obtained after 1998-99 will not be recognized for higher studies or government jobs.
UGC Publications Stating One-Sitting Degrees As Not Valid
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UGC FAQ: https://www.ugc.ac.in/faq.aspx
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UGC August 2015: No Student Can Gain Admission to Masters Without a First Degree of 3 Years Duration
Osmania University Brochure
- Osmania University: Directory of Courses 2012 (Page 37): LLB Admissions and One-Sitting Degree up to 1998-99
This brochure in page 37 indicates that the one sitting degree until 1998-99 as year of graduation is valid for admissions to Law (LLB) degree. This also validates the fact that since 1999, the 1 year degree is not recognized and is not valid.
Problems Faced By Students Of One-Sitting Degrees
- List of Cases Where One-Sitting Students Were Denied Admissions or Mark sheets
As seen from the above cases filed by students from many states such as Rajasthan, Karnataka, Delhi, the one sitting BA degree from Osmania and other universities disqualified the candidates for further higher studies and government positions.
Who were previously eligible for 1 year college degree?
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Students who had a gap of 3 years from when they completed high school were allowed admissions to one sitting degrees. Up to graduation year of 1998-99, these degrees are considered valid.
Institutes promoting 1 year college degree
Please be careful with any institutes promoting one year or one-sitting degrees in India. Since UGC has discontinued recognition for degrees of anything less than 3 years of education, it is best to keep away from such programs or institutes.
Degree Verification
To verify the validity of your degree, you can contact the University directly. Find the Public Information Officer at the university, ask them about degree verification and pay the fee for an RTI application.
You can also contact the UGC (University Grants Commission) and NAD (National Academic Depository).
The list of fake universities and those which had the recognition by UGC discontinued are provided by UGC. Be sure to crosscheck these lists before enrolling into any degree program.
Why were 1 Year Degrees Discontinued?
UGC is responsible for verifying the validity and quality of various degree programs. However, it appears that the 1 year degrees were an urgent need when the country did not have enough degree holders for filling its various government and private sector positions.
To maintain quality and effectiveness, prior to 1999, one sitting candidates were asked to write all the 3 years of papers in one sitting. So these students still had to complete all the required courses before being awarded their one-sitting degrees.
Alternatives to 1 Year Degree
Instead of the 1 Year degree, you are much better off by simply signing up for a 3 year degree at any UGC recognized university. One option is to go with IGNOU or any other UGC recognized university.
A list of UGC recognized universities is available here. More in depth information on list of recognized universities is available in the Universities Handbook.
There are many colleges and universities in India that offer online and distance programs. This makes it possible for working job holders and others to successfully complete their degree in their spare time.
