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 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 standards in institutions for greater education for study, and scientific and technical institutions. Parliament has enacted laws for discharging this responsibility via: the University Grants Commission (UGC) for basic 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 way of the distance mode, Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) Act, 1985 was enacted with the following two prime objectives, amongst other folks: (a) To present opportunities for higher education to a large segment of population, particularly disadvantaged groups living in remote and rural areas, 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 determine the requirements in such systems.
2. The history of distance finding out or education by way of distance mode in India, goes way back when the universities started offering education by means 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 different reasons, which includes restricted number of seats in common courses, employability, troubles of access to the institutions of higher finding out and so on., could not get themselves enrolled in the traditional `face-to-face’ mode `in-class’ programmes.
3. In the current past, the demand for higher education has increased enormously throughout the country simply because of awareness about the significance of greater education, whereas the technique of higher education could not accommodate this ever increasing demand.
4. Under the circumstances, a quantity of institutions such as deemed universities, private universities, public (Government) universities and even other institutions, which are not empowered to award degrees, have started cashing on the predicament by providing distance education programmes in a massive number of disciplines, ranging from humanities to engineering and management etc., and at unique levels (certificate to beneath-graduate and post-graduate degrees). There is always a danger that some of these institutions might turn out to be `degree mills’ supplying sub- standard/poor high-quality education, consequently eroding the credibility of degrees and other qualifications awarded via the distance mode. This calls for a far larger degree of coordination amongst 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 means of the distance mode, for employment under it vide Gazette Notification No. 44 dated 1.three.1995.
six. Despite the risks referred to in para 4 above, the significance of distance education in giving good quality education and education cannot be ignored. Distance Mode of education has an critical function for:
(i)providing opportunity of mastering to these, who do not have direct access to face to face teaching, operating persons, property-wives and so on.
(ii)providing opportunity to working specialists to update their understanding, enabling them to switchover to new disciplines and professions and enhancing their qualifications for career advancement.
(iii)exploiting the possible of Information and facts and Communication Technology (ICT) in the teaching and understanding course of action and
(iv)attaining the target of 15% of GER by the finish of 11th Strategy and 20% by the finish of 12th 5 year Plan.
7. In order to discharge the Constitutional responsibility of determination and upkeep of the standards in Higher Education, by making sure coordination among many statutory regulatory authorities as also to make certain the promotion of open and distance education technique in the nation to meet the aspirations of all cross-sections of individuals for higher education, the following policy in respect of distance studying is laid down:
(a) In order to ensure suitable coordination in regulation of standards of greater education in diverse disciplines via several 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 Higher 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 stated Commission, shall undertake the job of coordination, determination and upkeep of requirements of education through the distance mode. Pending ielts 課程 of this body:
(i) Only those programmes, which do not involve in depth sensible course perform, shall be permissible by way of the distance mode.
(ii) Universities / institutions shall frame ordinances / regulations / guidelines, as the case may well be, spelling out the outline of the programmes to be supplied by means of the distance mode indicating the quantity 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 process, 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 immediately after 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 assure accreditation of the programmes in Personal computer Sciences, Data Technologies and Management purposed to be offered 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 various programmes/courses, offered by way of the distance mode below their mandate,