In pursuance to the announcement of 100 days agenda of HRD of ministry by Hon’ble Human Resources development Minister, a New Policy on Distance Learning 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 research, and scientific and technical institutions. Parliament has enacted laws for discharging this duty through: the University Grants Commission (UGC) for basic Larger Education, the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) for Technical Education and other Statutory bodies for other disciplines. As regards higher 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 provide possibilities for higher education to a huge segment of population, especially disadvantaged groups living in remote and rural locations, adults, housewives and working persons 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.
2. The history of distance understanding or education by way of distance mode in India, goes way back when the universities started offering education through distance mode in the name of Correspondence Courses via their Directorate/School of Correspondence Education. In these days, the courses in humanities and/or in commerce have been supplied by way of correspondence and taken by those, who, owing to a variety of reasons, such as restricted quantity of seats in typical courses, employability, troubles of access to the institutions of greater mastering etc., could not get themselves enrolled in the conventional `face-to-face’ mode `in-class’ programmes.
three. In the recent past, the demand for greater education has increased enormously throughout the nation because of awareness about the significance of larger education, whereas the technique of greater education could not accommodate this ever increasing demand.
4. Under the situations, a quantity 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 predicament by providing distance education programmes in a big quantity of disciplines, ranging from humanities to engineering and management and so forth., and at distinct levels (certificate to under-graduate and post-graduate degrees). There is normally a danger that some of these institutions may perhaps grow to be `degree mills’ supplying sub- regular/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 higher 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 by means of the distance mode, for employment below it vide Gazette Notification No. 44 dated 1.three.1995.
6. Despite the dangers referred to in para four above, the significance of distance education in giving quality education and coaching cannot be ignored. 澳洲大學排名 of education has an vital role for:
(i)delivering chance of studying to those, who do not have direct access to face to face teaching, functioning persons, residence-wives and so on.
(ii)delivering chance to operating experts to update their expertise, enabling them to switchover to new disciplines and professions and enhancing their qualifications for career advancement.
(iii)exploiting the prospective of Information and facts and Communication Technology (ICT) in the teaching and finding out procedure and
(iv)achieving the target of 15% of GER by the finish of 11th Strategy and 20% by the end of 12th 5 year Program.
7. In order to discharge the Constitutional responsibility of determination and upkeep of the standards in Larger Education, by making sure coordination amongst several statutory regulatory authorities as also to make sure the promotion of open and distance education program in the country to meet the aspirations of all cross-sections of men and women for greater education, the following policy in respect of distance understanding is laid down:
(a) In order to guarantee appropriate coordination in regulation of requirements of higher education in different disciplines through a variety of 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 Study shall be established in line with the recommendations of Prof. Yash Pal Committee/National Knowledge 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 via the distance mode. Pending establishment of this physique:
(i) Only these 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 might be, spelling out the outline of the programmes to be offered via the distance mode indicating the quantity of essential credits, list of courses with assigned credits, reading references in addition to self mastering material, hours of study, make contact with classes at study centres, assignments, examination and evaluation process, 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 experts, whose report shall be placed just before 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 objective, minimum number of mandatory meetings of DEC may perhaps be prescribed.
(v) AICTE would be directed beneath section 20 (1) of AICTE Act 1987 to ensure accreditation of the programmes in Pc Sciences, Data Technologies and Management purposed to be offered 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 requirements for various programmes/courses, offered by way of the distance mode below their mandate,