Hello Friends,
In the past I have exposed the Jaro Education scam. How it was violating and selling degrees of Mahatma Gandhi University Shillong. Later, even Delhi high court and UGC action affirmed my statement that the degrees from Jaro in association with MGU was indeed a scam. Jaro attempted to threaten me through an email and I asked them to send legal notice, they did not do it. Many students confirmed that they have been cheated in Jaro's case.
Then suddenly, I started to get query about Avagmah online school. There is another such organisation with name edukart. I will write about them in a separate blog post.
Before writing about Avagmah, I would like to clarify readers of my blog about degree through distance and online exam system.
1. Degree must be awarded as per the territorial jurisdiction. It says that a private and a deemed university cannot offer any course outside it campus. It may admit students from all over the world, but it cannot take exams and classes outside it campus. In case of state government universities, they have to award degree within the jurisdiction mentioned in their university Act (yes, every university is established by passing an Act in the state legislature). This means, they have to conduct exam in the affiliated college. For example, Mumbai University also offer distance education but it does not have any online partner or offline partners for its courses. Students have to apply directly to the university. It offers courses and conduct exams only where it already has colleges i.e. district of Mumbai, Mumbai Suburban, Thane, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg and Raigad of Maharashtra. This i another reason that you will not find degree scams of this university.
For details please refer:
2. Any university, whether state, central, private and deemed should not offer the courses through franchisee mode, by appointing any agency to offer degree on their behalf including offering degree, accepting admission, providing study support, taking exams etc.
Now let us see about Avagmah.
What is Avagmah:
Avagmah is a private shop/ company selling those degrees (its role is only upto selling the admission and those courses as a commodity like in a local grocery shop). It is nothing more than the various degree agents appear on newspaper selling degrees. Only way has changed, now it is online.
its courses:
It offers to sell following courses:
- BBA
- MBA - Operations
- MBA - Finance
- MBA - HR
- MBA - IT
- Mba - Marketing
- MBA - Media Entertainment
- MBA-Healthcare Management
- Executive PGDM- 1 year
- PGDM- 2 years
Certificate in:
- Digital Marketing Management
- Indian Patent Law
- Intellectual Property Law
- Mobile Marketing
- Pay Per Click & Search Engine Marketing
- Project Management
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
- Social Media Marketing
- Web Analytics
No doubt, they are selling the hotcake in the market, the distance MBA. The last generation and current generation of people who found that they are not getting enough value in the job market thought that the MBA will help them as a magic pill (which is not of course, any MBA does not work, alongwith this, your own caliber, traits and quality matters. You can refer my various blog post on these topics on this blog, please read them).
Now let us discuss about validity of the courses through avagmah.
1. As UGC is very clear, none of the institute can offer courses through a franchisee agreement through a private arrangement. Avagmah is a private organisation so it is a violation and at the first instances itself, the degree is invalid. However, nowhere in the degree and certificate it will be mentioned that the degree awarded in franchisee mode and neither our government system has anything to verify it. Student may have safe escape about it.
2. It is offering courses through following institute and let us review it:
Jack Welch Management Institute - Strayer University
Bharathidasan University
IMT Ghaziabad, CDL
Whistling Woods International
Apollo Medvarsity
Jack Welch Management Institute - Strayer University
Although Avagmah mentioned this university in its partner institute's name but I could not find a single course under this university in avagmah's website. Further, if you are planning for an academic career, a degree of a foreign university in India awarded in any mode is not valid. Only full time courses of foreign universities offered through its main campus in the respective country is valid. I believe, they have just used a foreign university's name to attract students.
Bharathidasan University
Yes, this is a UGC approved and NAAC A grade university no doubt. But there are three factors- 1. This university cannot offer any course outside Tamil nadu in distance mode without prior approval of UGC. 2. There s no UGC approval to offer the courses outside state 3. There is no clarity on mandatory separate AICTE approval for the course under distance learning.
In this case, if someone want to apply for higher studies in India and abroad, for jobs abroad, for public sector job, teaching job , NET and SET in India, So after wasting 2 years and doing all the hard work, do you want to get such degree?
Further, over and above the course fee, it charges Rs. 20,000/- as a fee. Do you want to pay additional 20,000 fee for taking risk.
It is offering all MBAs and BBA programme through Bharathidasan University. If you do the course directly from the university, you will save lot of money.
IMT Ghaziabad, CDL
It is offerinf 2 years PGDM and executive PGDM though IMT. Again, when you can do it directly through IMT, do you want to pay Rs. 20,000 extra?
Further, IMT's PGDM and executive PGDM is not equivalent to MBA. Hence you will not be able to apply for higher studies, research i,e. M.Phil and PhD also you cannot apply for teaching jobs.
Its certificate programmes
These programmes will help you to gain knowledge and makes you more employable but if you search for such courses through MOOC, you will find most of them free of cost. Then why to waste money?
Complaints from students:
few students contacted me in the past and asked about Avagmah and mentioned their horrible experiences. These are:
1. Asked for money but did not provide final confirmation from university about their admission.
2. Asked again and again on money
3. Did not provide clarity on approvals.
So far, I cannot see students complaining publicly though blogs, through complaint board online but you must exercise precaution.
Can a degree in India be 100% online?
No. UGC as well as AICTE has not allowed such steps. Yes, teaching and programme deliveries can happen through online mode and UGC encourage it but the final exam has to be taken within the jurisdiction i.e. university's own colleges, own campus with own resources.
So do I mean to say it is a fake institute?
The nomenclature is itself wrong. It cannot say it online school, it is just an agent. I do not say it is fake as it is just an online shop like UTS global who is degree selling agent for Assam Down Town and like Jaro (jaro was definitely a fake and imposter and doing business unethically). This institute is nothing more than an online shopping site for which money only matters. The next such seller is edukart. Its your money, its your time, it your career and its your decision.
So do I mean to say it is a fake institute?
The nomenclature is itself wrong. It cannot say it online school, it is just an agent. I do not say it is fake as it is just an online shop like UTS global who is degree selling agent for Assam Down Town and like Jaro (jaro was definitely a fake and imposter and doing business unethically). This institute is nothing more than an online shopping site for which money only matters. The next such seller is edukart. Its your money, its your time, it your career and its your decision.
All questions are welcome. Have a safe career
Govind
Mumbai
August 03, 2014