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 Higher 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 higher education for research, and scientific and technical institutions. Parliament has enacted laws for discharging this duty through: the University Grants Commission (UGC) for general Greater 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 supply possibilities for higher education to a big segment of population, specially disadvantaged groups living in remote and rural areas, adults, housewives and working persons and (b) to encourage Open University and Distance Education Systems in the educational pattern of the country and to coordinate and figure out the standards in such systems.

2. The history of distance learning or education by means of distance mode in India, goes way back when the universities began providing education through distance mode in the name of Correspondence Courses by way of their Directorate/College of Correspondence Education. In those days, the courses in humanities and/or in commerce had been provided via correspondence and taken by these, who, owing to different reasons, which includes limited number of seats in common courses, employability, issues of access to the institutions of higher learning and so forth., could not get themselves enrolled in the standard `face-to-face’ mode `in-class’ programmes.

three. In the current previous, the demand for larger education has elevated enormously all through the country simply because of awareness about the significance of greater education, whereas the technique of greater education could not accommodate this ever escalating demand.

4. Beneath 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 supplying 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 always a danger that some of these institutions may well turn out to be `degree mills’ providing sub- common/poor high-quality education, consequently eroding the credibility of degrees and other qualifications awarded via the distance mode. This calls for a far greater degree of coordination among the concerned statutory authorities, mainly, 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 1.3.1995.

6. Regardless of the dangers referred to in para 4 above, the significance of distance education in giving high-quality education and instruction can’t be ignored. Distance Mode of education has an critical role for:

(i)supplying opportunity of studying to these, who do not have direct access to face to face teaching, functioning persons, home-wives and so on.
(ii)supplying opportunity to functioning professionals 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 Communication Technology (ICT) in the teaching and finding out procedure and
(iv)attaining the target of 15% of GER by the end of 11th Strategy and 20% by the finish of 12th five year Strategy.

7. In order to discharge the Constitutional duty of determination and upkeep of the requirements in Greater Education, by making certain coordination amongst a variety of statutory regulatory authorities as also to assure the promotion of open and distance education method in the country to meet the aspirations of all cross-sections of individuals for greater education, the following policy in respect of distance studying is laid down:

(a) In order to ensure suitable coordination in regulation of standards of larger education in distinct disciplines by way of a variety of 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 suggestions of Prof. Yash Pal Committee/National Information Commission. 就業資訊 on Open and Distance

Education of the mentioned Commission, shall undertake the job of coordination, determination and upkeep of standards of education by means of the distance mode. Pending establishment of this body:

(i) Only these programmes, which do not involve comprehensive sensible course function, shall be permissible by way of the distance mode.

(ii) Universities / institutions shall frame ordinances / regulations / rules, as the case may possibly be, spelling out the outline of the programmes to be offered by way of the distance mode indicating the number of needed credits, list of courses with assigned credits, reading references in addition to self finding out material, hours of study, get in touch with classes at study centres, assignments, examination and evaluation approach, 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 group of authorities, whose report shall be placed ahead of the Council of DEC for consideration.

(iv) The approval shall be provided only after consideration by Council of DEC and not by Chairperson, DEC. For the objective, minimum number of mandatory meetings of DEC may be prescribed.

(v) AICTE would be directed below section 20 (1) of AICTE Act 1987 to guarantee accreditation of the programmes in Computer Sciences, 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 below section 20 (1) of their respective Acts to frame detailed regulations prescribing requirements for various programmes/courses, offered by way of the distance mode beneath their mandate,