Notes

Brand new Policy On Distance education In Higher Education Sector
In pursuance to the announcement regarding 100 days agenda of HRD associated with ministry by Hon'ble Human Resources enhancement Minister, a Brand new Policy on Distance Learning In Increased Education Sector was drafted.

BACKGROUND

one In terms associated with Entry 66 regarding List 1 of the 7th Schedule towards the Cosmetic of India, Legislative house is competent in order to make laws for the coordination and perseverance of standards found in institutions for higher education for research, in addition to scientific and tech institutions. Parliament offers enacted laws regarding discharging this responsibility through: the University Grants Commission (UGC) for general Degree, the All Asia Council for Techie Education (AICTE) intended for Technical Education; and other Statutory bodies regarding other disciplines. In relation to higher education, via the distance method, Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) Act, 1985 has been enacted using the following two prime aims, among others: (a) To provide options for higher education to a major segment of inhabitants, especially disadvantaged types living in remote and rural locations, adults, housewives and even employees; and (b) to encourage Open up University and Range Education Systems within the educational routine of the country and to synchronize and determine the standards an ideal methods.

2. The history associated with distance learning or education through distance mode in India, goes way again if the universities started out offering education by way of distance mode throughout the name of Correspondence Courses by means of their Directorate/School involving Correspondence Education. Within those days, the courses in humanities and/or in trade were offered through correspondence and taken by those, who, because of various reasons, which includes limited number associated with seats in standard courses, employability, issues of access to the institutions associated with higher learning and so forth, could not find themselves signed up for the particular conventional `face-to-face' function `in-class' programmes.

a few. In website , the requirement for higher education has increased tremendously throughout the country because of awareness about the significance regarding higher education, although the system involving higher education may not accommodate this specific ever increasing requirement.

4. Under the particular circumstances, several corporations including deemed universities, private universities, open public (Government) universities and even even other establishments, which are certainly not empowered to prize degrees, have started out cashing on typically the situation by providing range education programmes inside a large amount of disciplines, varying from humanities to be able to engineering and managing etc., and in different levels (certificate to under-graduate and even post-graduate degrees). Generally there is always a hazard that some of these institutions may well become `degree mills' offering sub- standard/poor quality education, subsequently eroding the believability of degrees as well as other qualifications awarded from the distance mode. This specific calls for a far higher education of coordination among the concerned statutory authorities, primarily, UGC, AICTE and IGNOU and its power - the Range Education Council (DEC).

5. Government of India had solved its position in respect of recognition of certifications, earned through typically the distance mode, for employment under it vide Gazette Warning announcement No . 44 dated one 3. 95.

6. Despite the particular risks labeled inside para 4 over, the significance involving distance education within providing quality education and training cannot be ignored. Distance Function of education has an important role for:

(i)providing opportunity regarding learning to those, that do not have direct gain access to to face to manage teaching, working individuals, house-wives etc.
(ii)providing opportunity to operating professionals to upgrade their knowledge, enabling those to switchover to new disciplines and even professions and boosting their qualifications intended for a better job.
(iii)exploiting the potential of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in the teaching and studying process; and
(iv)achieving the target of 15% of GER simply by the end associated with 11th Plan and 20% by typically the end of 12th five year Prepare.

7. To be able to launch the Constitutional accountability of determination and maintenance of the particular standards in Better Education, purchasing a new coordination among various statutory regulatory authorities since also to assure the promotion involving open and range education system in the nation to meet the particular aspirations of just about all cross-sections of folks for higher education, the subsequent policy in respect of distance education is laid down:

(a) In order to make sure proper coordination in regulation of standards of higher education inside different disciplines by way of various modes [i. e. deal with to face in addition to distance] as also to ensure trustworthiness of degrees/diploma in addition to certificates awarded simply by Indian Universities plus other Education Institutes, an apex entire body, namely, National Commission payment for Advanced schooling and even Research will be recognized in line with the recommendations associated with Prof. Yash Mate Committee/National Knowledge Commission payment. A Standing Committee on Open and Distance

Education associated with the said Commission rate, shall undertake the work of coordination, willpower and maintenance of standards of education and learning throughout the distance setting. Pending establishment regarding this body:

(i) Only those programmes, which do not necessarily involve extensive functional course work, shall be permissible with the range mode.

(ii) Schools / institutions should frame ordinances or regulations / rules, as the instance may be, punctuational your outline of the programmes to be able to be offered from the distance mode indicating the number associated with required credits, checklist of courses together with assigned credits, studying references in improvement to self understanding material, hours of study, contact lessons at study centres, assignments, examination plus evaluation process, grading etc.

(iii) DEC of IGNOU should only assess the proficiency of university/institute inside of respect of doing distance education shows by a team of experts, whose statement should be placed just before the Council involving DEC for consideration.

(iv) The approval shall be given only after consideration by simply Council of DECEMBER and not simply by Chairperson, DEC. Regarding the purpose, minimum number of obligatory meetings of 12 , might be prescribed.

(v) AICTE would become directed under part 20 (1) associated with AICTE Act 1987 to ensure certification of the programs in Computer Sciences, Technology and Supervision purposed to end up being offered by an institute/university through the distance mode, simply by National Board associated with Accreditation (NBA).

(vi) UGC and AICTE would be directed below section 20 (1) of their respective Acts to frame detailed regulations prescribing criteria for various programmes/courses, offered through typically the distance mode under their mandate,

(vii) No university/institute, apart from the universities established by or under an Act regarding Parliament/State Legislature before 1985, shall offer any programme with the distance mode, therefore, without approval through DEC and qualification by NBA. Yet , the universities/institutions previously offering programmes found in Humanities, Commerce/Business/Social Sciences/Computer Sciences and Data Technology and Management, might be allowed in order to continue, be subject to the condition to attain fresh approval by DEC and qualification from NBA within one full year, failing which usually they shall have got to discontinue the particular programme and the entire onus together with respect to the academic career and financial losses associated with the students enrollment with them, will probably be on such institutions/universities.

(viii) In light-weight of observation of Apex Court, ex-post-facto approval granted by any authority with regard to distance education shall not be honoured and granted therefore. However, the universities established by or perhaps under an Take action of education programmes in the streams of Humanities/Commerce/Social Sciences prior to year 1991 will probably be excluded by this policy.

(ix) The students who've been awarded degrees via distance mode by universities without using prior approval of DEC and some other statutory bodies, will be given 1 chance, provided they will fulfil the advantages of bare minimum standards as approved by the UGC, AICTE or any other relevant Lawful Authority through Control, to appear in assessments in such papers since decided by typically the university designated to conduct the assessment. If these learners qualify in this kind of examination, the university or college concerned shall matter a certificate. The amount along with typically the said qualifying certification may be recognized for the goal of employment/promotion below Central Government.

(x) A clarification will probably be issued with research to Gazette Notification No. 44 old 1. 3. 95 that it will not be applicable onto the degrees/diplomas awarded by the universities established simply by or under the Act of Parliament or State Legislature before 1985, within the streams involving Humanities/Commerce and Sociable Sciences.

(xi) The policy initiatives spelt out in further paragraphs shall be equally applicable to be able to institutions offering length education/intending to offer distance education.

(b) All universities and even institutions offering shows through the distance mode shall must have prior recognition/approval with regard to offering such programmes and accreditation through designated competent authority, mandatorily in regard of the programs offered by them. The violators on this shall be accountable for appropriate fees as prescribed by law. The universities/institutions offering education through distance mode and located involved in cheating of students/people by giving wrong/false data or wilfully curbing the information shall also be treated with strictly below the penal procedures of law.

(c) The universities and institutes shall get their own study centers for face in order to face counselling plus removal of issues as also to be able to seek other academic and administrative support. Franchising of distance education by any kind of university, institutions no matter if public or non-public shall not be allowed.

(d ) Typically the universities /institutions shall just offer such programs through distance function which can be on present on their campuses through conventional method. In case regarding open universities, they will shall necessarily experience the required divisions and faculties ahead of offering relevant shows through distance function.

(e) It would certainly be mandatory with regard to all universities and education institutions offering distance education to make use of Information and Conversation Technology (ICT) throughout delivery of their own programmes, management involving the student and even university affairs through a web web site or any some other such platform. The particular said platform will invariably, display inside of public domain, the info about the statutory as well as other approvals together with other required information about typically the programmes offered through distance mode, their own accreditation and pupils enrolled, year- wise, etc. This might be associated to a countrywide database, as in addition to when created, in order to facilitate the stakeholders to take some on the identification from the degrees for the purpose regarding academic pursuit or employment with/under all of them.

(f) All universities/education institutions shall help make optimal use regarding e-learning contents intended for delivery/offering their programmes through distance setting. They shall in addition be encouraged/required to adopt e-surveillance technology with regard to conduct of clear, fair and clear examinations.

(g) The particular focus of range education will be in order to provide opportunity involving education to men and women at educationally low situations such since living in remote and rural places, adults with simply no or limited gain access to to education regarding their choice and so forth

(h) In buy to promote versatile and need based learning, choice-based credit score system should be promoted and all ODE institutions shall end up being encouraged to follow this system and evolve a device for acceptance and even transfer of credits of the training successfully completed by students in face-to-face or distance function. And for the purpose, establishment involving a credit bank may be deemed. Similarly, conventional schools, offering face to be able to face mode programs shall be urged to accept the particular credits earned by simply the students through distance mode. The switch over by annual to term system will be fundamental.

(i) Convergence associated with the face-to-face function teaching departments regarding conventional universities using their distance education directorates/correspondence course wings since also with available universities/institutions offering range education, shall become impressed upon in order to bridge the space in distance and conventional face-to-face function of education.

(j) Reputed Foreign education and learning providers well-established, known and accredited by simply competent authority found in their country focused enough to offer their own education programmes inside India shall be granted, subject to the fulfillment of typically the legal requirement involving the country.

(k) A National Data and Communication Technological innovation infrastructure for networking of ODE institutions shall be produced under National Mission on Education by means of Information and Interaction Technology.

(l) Attempts can be made in order to create favourable atmosphere for research in Open and Range Education (ODE) technique by creating facilities like e- your local library, digital data-base, online journals, holding standard workshops, seminars etc.

(m) Training and even orientation programmes regarding educators and managers in ODE method with concentrate on work with of ICT and self-learning practice, will probably be encouraged.

(n) ODE institutions shall turn out to be encouraged to take care the educational demands of learners with disabilities and older citizens.

(o) The notification clarifying the issue of recognition of educational qualification, earned by way of distance mode, intended for the purpose associated with employment, shall get issued.

(p) Some sort of mechanism should be set up for evaluation of degrees of foreign universities for the purpose involving academic pursuit since well as with regard to employment under the Central Government. This specific may include typically the assessment of the credentials with the university concerned as furthermore to test the competence of typically the degree holder, in case needed.
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