In pursuance to the announcement of one hundred days agenda of HRD of ministry by Hon’ble Human Sources improvement Minister, a New Policy on Distance Learning In Greater Education Sector was drafted.
BACKGROUND
1. In terms of Entry 66 of List 1 of the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution of India, Parliament is competent to make laws for the coordination and determination of standards in institutions for greater education for investigation, and scientific and technical institutions. Parliament has enacted laws for discharging this duty by way of: the University Grants Commission (UGC) for general Larger Education, the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) for Technical Education and other Statutory bodies for other disciplines. As regards larger education, by way of the distance mode, Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) Act, 1985 was enacted with the following two prime objectives, among other folks: (a) To supply possibilities for higher education to a large segment of population, especially disadvantaged groups living in remote and rural locations, adults, housewives and operating people and (b) to encourage Open University and Distance Education Systems in the educational pattern of the nation and to coordinate and figure out the standards in such systems.
2. The history of distance mastering or education via distance mode in India, goes way back when the universities started offering education by way of distance mode in the name of Correspondence Courses by way of their Directorate/School of Correspondence Education. In those days, the courses in humanities and/or in commerce had been presented by means of correspondence and taken by these, who, owing to several reasons, including restricted number of seats in frequent courses, employability, difficulties of access to the institutions of greater studying and so forth., could not get themselves enrolled in the standard `face-to-face’ mode `in-class’ programmes.
three. In 升學中心 , the demand for higher education has improved enormously all through the country due to the fact of awareness about the significance of greater education, whereas the system of larger education could not accommodate this ever escalating demand.
4. Below the circumstances, a quantity of institutions which includes deemed universities, private universities, public (Government) universities and even other institutions, which are not empowered to award degrees, have began cashing on the predicament by providing distance education programmes in a huge number of disciplines, ranging from humanities to engineering and management and so on., and at unique levels (certificate to below-graduate and post-graduate degrees). There is constantly a danger that some of these institutions may perhaps become `degree mills’ supplying sub- typical/poor quality education, consequently eroding the credibility of degrees and other qualifications awarded by means of the distance mode. This calls for a far greater degree of coordination among the concerned statutory authorities, mostly, UGC, AICTE and IGNOU and its authority – the Distance Education Council (DEC).
5. Government of India had clarified its position in respect of recognition of degrees, earned by way of the distance mode, for employment beneath it vide Gazette Notification No. 44 dated 1.3.1995.
6. Regardless of the dangers referred to in para four above, the significance of distance education in giving excellent education and instruction cannot be ignored. Distance Mode of education has an vital part for:
(i)giving chance of studying to these, who do not have direct access to face to face teaching, operating persons, property-wives and so forth.
(ii)delivering opportunity to operating specialists to update their information, enabling them to switchover to new disciplines and professions and enhancing their qualifications for profession advancement.
(iii)exploiting the potential of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in the teaching and finding out method and
(iv)achieving the target of 15% of GER by the finish of 11th Program and 20% by the finish of 12th five year Strategy.
7. In order to discharge the Constitutional responsibility of determination and upkeep of the requirements in Higher Education, by ensuring coordination among different statutory regulatory authorities as also to make sure the promotion of open and distance education program in the nation to meet the aspirations of all cross-sections of people today for larger education, the following policy in respect of distance understanding is laid down:
(a) In order to ensure right coordination in regulation of requirements of higher education in distinct disciplines via numerous modes [i.e. face to face and distance] as also to make sure credibility of degrees/diploma and certificates awarded by Indian Universities and other Education Institutes, an apex body, namely, National Commission for Greater Education and Analysis shall be established in line with the recommendations of Prof. Yash Pal Committee/National Understanding Commission. A Standing Committee on Open and Distance
Education of the said Commission, shall undertake the job of coordination, determination and upkeep of standards of education through the distance mode. Pending establishment of this physique:
(i) Only those programmes, which do not involve substantial practical course perform, shall be permissible through the distance mode.
(ii) Universities / institutions shall frame ordinances / regulations / rules, as the case might be, spelling out the outline of the programmes to be offered by means of the distance mode indicating the number of required credits, list of courses with assigned credits, reading references in addition to self finding out material, hours of study, make contact with classes at study centres, assignments, examination and evaluation method, grading and so on.
(iii) DEC of IGNOU shall only assess the competence of university/institute in respect of conducting distance education programmes by a team of experts, whose report shall be placed prior to the Council of DEC for consideration.
(iv) The approval shall be given only right after consideration by Council of DEC and not by Chairperson, DEC. For the objective, minimum number of mandatory meetings of DEC may possibly be prescribed.
(v) AICTE would be directed under section 20 (1) of AICTE Act 1987 to make sure accreditation of the programmes in Personal computer Sciences, Information Technologies and Management purposed to be supplied by an institute/university via the distance mode, by National Board of Accreditation (NBA).
(vi) UGC and AICTE would be directed under section 20 (1) of their respective Acts to frame detailed regulations prescribing requirements for different programmes/courses, provided via the distance mode under their mandate,
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