UPRTOU Extends Admission Deadline to 13 October; 265 Study Centres in Varanasi Region, Four New Subjects

Students who missed the admission window at Uttar Pradesh Rajarshi Tandon Open University (UPRTOU) now have until 13 October to apply. The university had earlier set 7 October as the last date for this session's admissions and has extended it by six days.

The extension covers undergraduate, postgraduate, diploma and certificate courses. Admissions are being taken online, and students in Varanasi can complete the process through the university's portal or with help from their nearest study centre.

UPRTOU's Varanasi regional centre looks after about 265 study centres across seven districts: Varanasi, Jaunpur, Mirzapur, Bhadohi, Chandauli, Sonbhadra and Ghazipur. Regional Coordinator Dr S.K. Singh said admissions are open this year in 64 subjects across various programmes.

The list includes 24 postgraduate programmes, six undergraduate programmes, seven diploma programmes and 10 certificate programmes. The university has also started admissions in four new subjects: MA Public Administration, MA/MSc Mathematics, MSc Zoology and MSc Botany.

There is also a second chance for students who dropped out. Dr Singh said the university has started a re-registration facility for students of the July session who could not complete their course for any reason. They can register again and finish the programme without starting from scratch.

Before applying, students must create three IDs: an APAAR ID, an Academic Bank of Credits (ABC) ID and a UGC-DEB ID. The APAAR ID is the national student ID linked to academic records, the ABC ID stores credits earned, and the UGC-DEB ID is required for distance and online programmes recognised by the University Grants Commission. Without these, the admission form cannot be completed, Dr Singh said.

Creating the three IDs takes some time, so students who have not done it should start at once rather than on 13 October. The APAAR and ABC IDs are usually created through DigiLocker using Aadhaar details, and the UGC-DEB ID is generated on the UGC's Distance Education Bureau portal. Keep the Aadhaar-linked mobile phone at hand for OTPs.

Open university courses suit people who cannot attend regular classes: working adults, homemakers, people living far from a college, and students who want a second degree alongside a job. Study centres hold counselling sessions, usually on weekends, and examinations are held at designated centres.

UPRTOU, named after the freedom fighter Purushottam Das Tandon, is headquartered in Prayagraj and is Uttar Pradesh's state open university. Its degrees are recognised by the UGC for distance learning, which matters for students who later apply for government jobs or higher studies. Students should keep the fee receipt and the enrolment number safe after admission, since both are needed to get study material, appear in examinations and download results. Study material is usually provided in print and online, and many centres also share schedules for counselling classes through WhatsApp groups.

For students in Varanasi weighing their options, this month has seen several admission windows. BHU has opened its PhD applications for 2026-27, with a deadline of 21 October, as we reported in our guide to BHU PhD admissions. Details of the PhD seats and the three modes of admission are in this earlier report on the BHU PhD bulletin.

Before paying the fee, check that the course you pick is listed as approved for the current session on the UPRTOU portal, and confirm with your study centre whether practical work is required, as it often is for science subjects such as Zoology and Botany. Science programmes may need visits to a centre with laboratory facilities, which not every study centre has.

Fee details, the prospectus and the online form are on the university's website. Students who face problems with the form can contact the Varanasi regional centre or their study centre during working hours.

Students already enrolled in a UPRTOU programme do not need to apply again for the next year of the same course, but they should check whether a separate re-registration fee is due. With the deadline only days away, the regional centre has asked students not to wait for the last day, when the portal tends to slow down under heavy traffic.