In pursuance to the announcement of 100 days agenda of HRD of ministry by Hon’ble Human Resources improvement Minister, a New Policy on Distance Finding out 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 study, and scientific and technical institutions. Parliament has enacted laws for discharging this duty through: the University Grants Commission (UGC) for common Greater Education, the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) for Technical Education and other Statutory bodies for other disciplines. As regards greater education, by means of the distance mode, Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) Act, 1985 was enacted with the following two prime objectives, amongst other individuals: (a) To deliver possibilities for larger education to a substantial segment of population, specially disadvantaged groups living in remote and rural regions, adults, housewives and operating persons 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 finding out or education through 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 these days, the courses in humanities and/or in commerce were presented through correspondence and taken by those, who, owing to numerous reasons, such as restricted number of seats in frequent courses, employability, complications of access to the institutions of higher understanding and so on., could not get themselves enrolled in the traditional `face-to-face’ mode `in-class’ programmes.
3. In the recent past, the demand for greater education has improved enormously throughout the country for the reason that of awareness about the significance of higher education, whereas the technique of greater education could not accommodate this ever rising demand.
4. Under 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 offering distance education programmes in a substantial quantity of disciplines, ranging from humanities to engineering and management etc., and at diverse levels (certificate to under-graduate and post-graduate degrees). There is normally a danger that some of these institutions might turn out to be `degree mills’ providing sub- typical/poor good quality education, consequently eroding the credibility of degrees and other qualifications awarded by way of the distance mode. 2022 jamb expo calls for a far greater degree of coordination among the concerned statutory authorities, primarily, UGC, AICTE and IGNOU and its authority – the Distance Education Council (DEC).
five. Government of India had clarified its position in respect of recognition of degrees, earned via the distance mode, for employment beneath it vide Gazette Notification No. 44 dated 1.three.1995.
6. In spite of the dangers referred to in para four above, the significance of distance education in offering high quality education and education can’t be ignored. Distance Mode of education has an important part for:
(i)supplying opportunity of learning to those, who do not have direct access to face to face teaching, operating persons, house-wives and so forth.
(ii)giving chance to operating experts to update their understanding, enabling them to switchover to new disciplines and professions and enhancing their qualifications for profession advancement.
(iii)exploiting the potential of Information and facts and Communication Technologies (ICT) in the teaching and studying approach and
(iv)reaching the target of 15% of GER by the end of 11th Plan and 20% by the finish of 12th 5 year Strategy.
7. In order to discharge the Constitutional responsibility of determination and maintenance of the standards in Higher Education, by ensuring coordination amongst many statutory regulatory authorities as also to assure the promotion of open and distance education program in the nation to meet the aspirations of all cross-sections of people today for greater education, the following policy in respect of distance studying is laid down:
(a) In order to assure appropriate coordination in regulation of standards of larger education in different disciplines by way of different 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 body, namely, National Commission for Larger Education and Research shall be established in line with the suggestions 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 upkeep of requirements of education by way of the distance mode. Pending establishment of this physique:
(i) Only those programmes, which do not involve comprehensive sensible course function, shall be permissible through the distance mode.
(ii) Universities / institutions shall frame ordinances / regulations / rules, as the case may well be, spelling out the outline of the programmes to be provided by way 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, contact 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 group of experts, whose report shall be placed ahead of 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 quantity of mandatory meetings of DEC may possibly be prescribed.
(v) AICTE would be directed beneath section 20 (1) of AICTE Act 1987 to make sure accreditation of the programmes in Computer Sciences, Information and facts Technologies 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 below section 20 (1) of their respective Acts to frame detailed regulations prescribing standards for various programmes/courses, provided via the distance mode under their mandate,