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 Understanding 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 larger education for investigation, and scientific and technical institutions. Parliament has enacted laws for discharging this duty by means 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 higher education, through the distance mode, Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) Act, 1985 was enacted with the following two prime objectives, amongst other individuals: (a) To supply possibilities for larger education to a substantial segment of population, specifically disadvantaged groups living in remote and rural locations, adults, housewives and functioning persons and (b) to encourage Open University and Distance Education Systems in the educational pattern of the country and to coordinate and ascertain the requirements in such systems.
2. The history of distance finding out or education through distance mode in India, goes way back when the universities started providing education by means of distance mode in the name of Correspondence Courses via their Directorate/School of Correspondence Education. In those days, the courses in humanities and/or in commerce were offered through correspondence and taken by those, who, owing to different causes, which includes restricted number of seats in standard courses, employability, troubles of access to the institutions of greater understanding etc., could not get themselves enrolled in the conventional `face-to-face’ mode `in-class’ programmes.
3. In UPSC Coaching in Delhi , the demand for greater education has elevated enormously all through the country mainly because of awareness about the significance of greater education, whereas the system of higher education could not accommodate this ever increasing demand.
four. Under the circumstances, a number of institutions including deemed universities, private universities, public (Government) universities and even other institutions, which are not empowered to award degrees, have began cashing on the situation by offering distance education programmes in a substantial quantity of disciplines, ranging from humanities to engineering and management and so forth., and at distinctive levels (certificate to below-graduate and post-graduate degrees). There is generally a danger that some of these institutions may grow to be `degree mills’ supplying sub- common/poor high 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 through the distance mode, for employment under it vide Gazette Notification No. 44 dated 1.three.1995.
six. Regardless of the risks referred to in para 4 above, the significance of distance education in delivering good quality education and training cannot be ignored. Distance Mode of education has an crucial part for:
(i)providing opportunity of studying to those, who do not have direct access to face to face teaching, working persons, home-wives and so forth.
(ii)delivering opportunity to working specialists to update their information, enabling them to switchover to new disciplines and professions and enhancing their qualifications for career advancement.
(iii)exploiting the potential of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in the teaching and finding out approach and
(iv)achieving the target of 15% of GER by the end of 11th Strategy and 20% by the finish of 12th 5 year Program.
7. In order to discharge the Constitutional responsibility of determination and upkeep of the requirements in Larger Education, by making certain coordination among different statutory regulatory authorities as also to assure the promotion of open and distance education technique in the country to meet the aspirations of all cross-sections of men and women for larger education, the following policy in respect of distance learning is laid down:
(a) In order to assure appropriate coordination in regulation of standards of higher education in different disciplines by way of 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 Higher Education and Research shall be established in line with the recommendations of Prof. Yash Pal Committee/National Information Commission. A Standing Committee on Open and Distance
Education of the stated Commission, shall undertake the job of coordination, determination and maintenance of requirements of education through the distance mode. Pending establishment of this physique:
(i) Only these programmes, which do not involve substantial practical course function, shall be permissible through the distance mode.
(ii) Universities / institutions shall frame ordinances / regulations / guidelines, as the case may possibly be, spelling out the outline of the programmes to be provided through 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, speak to 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 before the Council of DEC for consideration.
(iv) The approval shall be given only just after consideration by Council of DEC and not by Chairperson, DEC. For the objective, minimum number of mandatory meetings of DEC may perhaps be prescribed.
(v) AICTE would be directed below section 20 (1) of AICTE Act 1987 to guarantee accreditation of the programmes in Laptop Sciences, Facts Technology and Management purposed to be offered by an institute/university by way 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 numerous programmes/courses, presented through the distance mode under their mandate,