In pursuance to the announcement of 100 days agenda of HRD of ministry by Hon’ble Human Sources improvement Minister, a New Policy on Distance Learning In Larger 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 via: the University Grants Commission (UGC) for basic Higher Education, the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) for Technical Education and other Statutory bodies for other disciplines. As regards larger education, via the distance mode, Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) Act, 1985 was enacted with the following two prime objectives, among others: (a) To offer opportunities for greater education to a large segment of population, especially disadvantaged groups living in remote and rural places, adults, housewives and operating men and women and (b) to encourage Open University and Distance Education Systems in the educational pattern of the nation and to coordinate and establish the standards in such systems.
2. The history of distance finding out or education via distance mode in India, goes way back when the universities began offering education through distance mode in the name of Correspondence Courses by means of their Directorate/College of Correspondence Education. In those days, the courses in humanities and/or in commerce had been supplied by way of correspondence and taken by these, who, owing to a variety of factors, including limited number of seats in standard courses, employability, difficulties of access to the institutions of greater finding out and so forth., could not get themselves enrolled in the conventional `face-to-face’ mode `in-class’ programmes.
3. In the current past, the demand for higher education has enhanced enormously all through the country since of awareness about the significance of higher education, whereas the method of larger education could not accommodate this ever growing demand.
four. Beneath the situations, 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 big quantity 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 usually a danger that some of these institutions may possibly turn out to be `degree mills’ offering sub- normal/poor excellent education, consequently eroding the credibility of degrees and other qualifications awarded through the distance mode. This calls for a far larger degree of coordination among the concerned statutory authorities, primarily, 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 through the distance mode, for employment below it vide Gazette Notification No. 44 dated 1.3.1995.
six. Regardless of the risks referred to in para four above, the significance of distance education in offering good quality education and education can’t be ignored. Distance Mode of education has an vital role for:
(i)offering chance of finding out to those, who do not have direct access to face to face teaching, functioning persons, property-wives and so on.
(ii)providing opportunity to functioning professionals to update their expertise, enabling them to switchover to new disciplines and professions and enhancing their qualifications for profession advancement.
(iii)exploiting the possible of Data and Communication Technologies (ICT) in the teaching and finding out procedure and
(iv)reaching the target of 15% of GER by the finish of 11th Plan and 20% by the finish of 12th 5 year Plan.
7. In neco mathematics theory and obj 2021 to discharge the Constitutional duty of determination and maintenance of the requirements in Larger Education, by ensuring coordination among numerous statutory regulatory authorities as also to guarantee the promotion of open and distance education program in the nation to meet the aspirations of all cross-sections of folks for higher education, the following policy in respect of distance finding out is laid down:
(a) In order to guarantee correct coordination in regulation of standards of higher education in different disciplines via many modes [i.e. face to face and distance] as also to make certain credibility of degrees/diploma and certificates awarded by Indian Universities and other Education Institutes, an apex physique, namely, National Commission for Greater Education and Investigation shall be established in line with the recommendations of Prof. Yash Pal Committee/National Knowledge 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 via the distance mode. Pending establishment of this physique:
(i) Only those programmes, which do not involve substantial sensible course perform, shall be permissible by way of the distance mode.
(ii) Universities / institutions shall frame ordinances / regulations / rules, as the case may be, spelling out the outline of the programmes to be provided by means of the distance mode indicating the quantity of necessary credits, list of courses with assigned credits, reading references in addition to self finding out material, hours of study, contact classes at study centres, assignments, examination and evaluation approach, grading and so forth.
(iii) DEC of IGNOU shall only assess the competence of university/institute in respect of conducting distance education programmes by a team of professionals, whose report shall be placed just before the Council of DEC for consideration.
(iv) The approval shall be offered only following consideration by Council of DEC and not by Chairperson, DEC. For the purpose, minimum quantity of mandatory meetings of DEC may well be prescribed.
(v) AICTE would be directed below section 20 (1) of AICTE Act 1987 to make sure accreditation of the programmes in Computer system Sciences, Information and facts Technologies and Management purposed to be supplied by an institute/university through 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 numerous programmes/courses, provided via the distance mode below their mandate,