ANNAMALAI UNIVERSITY and Karnataka State Open University take students to PG courses directly without basic qualification of a degree being materialized upon. Students with no formal qualifications (except fulfilling age criteria) have to take up a preparatory course and write a preparatory exam before taking up PG courses. UGC has categorically declared that PG courses of regular and open universities (distance education, correspondence etc) are equal. However in 2004, UGC stated that courses admitting students directly to PG courses without a prior degree are to be discontinued. Annmalai had ended such courses in 2004. However, KSOU continues to provide such direct PG courses even now