After recent supreme court order related to distance courses, we contacted UGC and AICTE through Right To Information (RTI) facility for knowing their stand on the validity of the Work Integrated Learning Program (WILP) conducted by BITS and these were their responses.

AICTE/R/2017/51907

Reply :- 1. to 4.

No information regarding conduct of WILP courses of BITS Pilani is available. All approvals issued by AICTE are available on its website www.aicte-india.org.

Status of courses and eligibility of specific courses of BITS Pilani is not available with AICTE.

UGCOM/R/2017/55319

Reply :- The UGC has not granted any permission for conducted courses through WILP mode to BITS, Pilani.

BITS Response

Below was the resopnse from BITS through email:

In the context of the recent news item regarding a verdict of the Supreme Court of India on the subject of technical education through correspondence mode, we would like to provide the following clarifications: 

The Work Integrated Learning Programmes (WILP) of BITS, Pilani are not “Correspondence courses."

1. Enrollment is open only to suitably qualified, employed professionals having specified educational qualifications, and with adequate and relevant work experience, to programmes that are closely aligned with their work profiles.  

2. Enrollment also requires endorsement of the employer, and a commitment from the employer to providing necessary support (including that of a mentor) and facilities to enable effective work integrated learning.  

3. A judicious combination of synchronous and asynchronous modes of instruction is used, for regular and effective interaction between the students and faculty members, to maintain the necessary academic rigor and standards of instruction.