The University Grants Commission is understood to have passed two important regulations related to technical education and distance education.
At a meeting of the commission on Friday, the board members have passed the regulation as a result of which technical colleges will now be regulated by the universities.
Under the new regulation, the universities have been empowered to grant recognition and approval to the colleges offering engineering programmes leading to an award of a degree.
According to sources, the universities have to establish their own mechanism for screening of proposal and inspection of institution prior to granting the approval.
However, sources said that the institutes offering diploma in management programme will continue to be regulated as per the existing practice.
The commission is also understood to have approved the regulation for distance education under which the universities offering the distance education programme will have to seek approval of UGC for programmes leading to the awarding of a degree.
However, stand-alone institutions are likely to be not covered by the regulation.