In pursuance to the announcement of 100 days agenda of HRD of ministry by Hon’ble Human Sources improvement Minister, a New Policy on Distance Mastering 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 higher education for analysis, and scientific and technical institutions. Parliament has enacted laws for discharging this duty via: 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 larger 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 give opportunities for larger education to a large segment of population, specially disadvantaged groups living in remote and rural places, 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 establish the requirements in such systems.
two. The history of distance mastering or education via 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 through correspondence and taken by these, who, owing to several reasons, such as limited number of seats in typical courses, employability, issues of access to the institutions of greater understanding and so forth., could not get themselves enrolled in the standard `face-to-face’ mode `in-class’ programmes.
3. In the recent previous, the demand for larger education has enhanced enormously all through the nation mainly because of awareness about the significance of higher education, whereas the system of higher education could not accommodate this ever escalating demand.
four. Below the situations, a number of institutions including deemed universities, private universities, public (Government) universities and even other institutions, which are not empowered to award degrees, have started cashing on the situation by providing distance education programmes in a significant number of disciplines, ranging from humanities to engineering and management and so on., and at unique levels (certificate to below-graduate and post-graduate degrees). There is usually a danger that some of these institutions may possibly turn into `degree mills’ offering 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 larger degree of coordination among the concerned statutory authorities, mainly, 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 below it vide Gazette Notification No. 44 dated 1.three.1995.
six. Regardless of the risks referred to in para four above, the significance of distance education in supplying excellent education and instruction can not be ignored. European schools of education has an essential function for:
(i)delivering opportunity of mastering to those, who do not have direct access to face to face teaching, operating persons, home-wives and so forth.
(ii)providing opportunity to working professionals to update their information, enabling them to switchover to new disciplines and professions and enhancing their qualifications for career advancement.
(iii)exploiting the possible of Details and Communication Technology (ICT) in the teaching and mastering course of action and
(iv)achieving the target of 15% of GER by the end of 11th Program and 20% by the end of 12th 5 year Program.
7. In order to discharge the Constitutional duty of determination and upkeep of the requirements in Higher Education, by making sure coordination amongst numerous statutory regulatory authorities as also to ensure the promotion of open and distance education program in the nation to meet the aspirations of all cross-sections of men and women for higher education, the following policy in respect of distance understanding is laid down:
(a) In order to guarantee right coordination in regulation of requirements of higher education in various disciplines via several 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 physique, namely, National Commission for Greater Education and Study shall be established in line with the suggestions of Prof. Yash Pal Committee/National Knowledge Commission. A Standing Committee on Open and Distance
Education of the said 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 practical course operate, 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 presented by way of the distance mode indicating the quantity of required 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 course of action, 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 specialists, whose report shall be placed ahead of 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 purpose, minimum number of mandatory meetings of DEC might be prescribed.
(v) AICTE would be directed under section 20 (1) of AICTE Act 1987 to guarantee accreditation of the programmes in Pc Sciences, Data Technology and Management purposed to be supplied by an institute/university by way 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 requirements for numerous programmes/courses, presented by way of the distance mode below their mandate,