In pursuance to the announcement of one hundred days agenda of HRD of ministry by Hon’ble Human Sources development Minister, a New Policy on Distance Studying 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 requirements in institutions for higher education for study, and scientific and technical institutions. Parliament has enacted laws for discharging this duty by way of: 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 higher education, by way of the distance mode, Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) Act, 1985 was enacted with the following two prime objectives, among others: (a) To present opportunities for greater education to a big segment of population, particularly disadvantaged groups living in remote and rural locations, adults, housewives and working men and women and (b) to encourage Open University and Distance Education Systems in the educational pattern of the nation and to coordinate and determine the standards in such systems.
2. The history of distance learning 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 through their Directorate/School of Correspondence Education. In those days, the courses in humanities and/or in commerce were provided via correspondence and taken by those, who, owing to many reasons, like restricted number of seats in normal courses, employability, troubles of access to the institutions of higher finding out and so on., could not get themselves enrolled in the conventional `face-to-face’ mode `in-class’ programmes.
3. In the recent past, the demand for greater education has increased enormously all through the country for the reason that of awareness about the significance of larger education, whereas the system of higher education could not accommodate this ever increasing demand.
four. Under the situations, a quantity of institutions like deemed universities, private universities, public (Government) universities and even other institutions, which are not empowered to award degrees, have started cashing on the scenario by providing distance education programmes in a big number of disciplines, ranging from humanities to engineering and management etc., and at unique levels (certificate to under-graduate and post-graduate degrees). There is often a danger that some of these institutions might grow to be `degree mills’ offering sub- normal/poor high quality education, consequently eroding the credibility of degrees and other qualifications awarded via the distance mode. This calls for a far higher degree of coordination amongst the concerned statutory authorities, mainly, UGC, AICTE and IGNOU and its authority – the Distance Education Council (DEC).
five. Schulbegleitung München 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.
six. Regardless of the dangers referred to in para four above, the significance of distance education in providing high quality education and education can’t be ignored. Distance Mode of education has an vital part for:
(i)giving chance of understanding to these, who do not have direct access to face to face teaching, functioning persons, house-wives etc.
(ii)delivering chance to operating professionals to update their understanding, enabling them to switchover to new disciplines and professions and enhancing their qualifications for career advancement.
(iii)exploiting the prospective of Info and Communication Technologies (ICT) in the teaching and understanding process and
(iv)reaching the target of 15% of GER by the finish of 11th Strategy and 20% by the end of 12th five year Plan.
7. In order to discharge the Constitutional responsibility of determination and maintenance of the standards in Larger Education, by making certain coordination amongst various statutory regulatory authorities as also to ensure the promotion of open and distance education system in the nation to meet the aspirations of all cross-sections of people today for larger education, the following policy in respect of distance mastering is laid down:
(a) In order to make sure right coordination in regulation of standards of greater education in different disciplines through a variety of modes [i.e. face to face and distance] as also to ensure credibility of degrees/diploma and certificates awarded by Indian Universities and other Education Institutes, an apex body, namely, National Commission for Higher Education and Study shall be established in line with the recommendations of Prof. Yash Pal Committee/National Expertise Commission. A Standing Committee on Open and Distance
Education of the mentioned Commission, shall undertake the job of coordination, determination and maintenance of standards of education by way of the distance mode. Pending establishment of this body:
(i) Only those programmes, which do not involve substantial sensible course operate, shall be permissible via the distance mode.
(ii) Universities / institutions shall frame ordinances / regulations / guidelines, as the case may perhaps be, spelling out the outline of the programmes to be offered by means of the distance mode indicating the number of necessary credits, list of courses with assigned credits, reading references in addition to self learning material, hours of study, make contact with classes at study centres, assignments, examination and evaluation approach, grading etc.
(iii) DEC of IGNOU shall only assess the competence of university/institute in respect of conducting distance education programmes by a team of specialists, whose report shall be placed just before the Council of DEC for consideration.
(iv) The approval shall be offered only after consideration by Council of DEC and not by Chairperson, DEC. For the objective, minimum quantity of mandatory meetings of DEC may possibly be prescribed.
(v) AICTE would be directed under section 20 (1) of AICTE Act 1987 to ensure accreditation of the programmes in Personal computer Sciences, Information and facts Technology and Management purposed to be supplied by an institute/university by means of the distance mode, by National Board of Accreditation (NBA).
(vi) UGC and AICTE would be directed beneath section 20 (1) of their respective Acts to frame detailed regulations prescribing requirements for a variety of programmes/courses, supplied through the distance mode below their mandate,