DOCUMENT RESUME

ED 446 465 HE 033 219

TITLE Distance Education Council.INSTITUTION Indira Gandhi National Open University, New Delhi (India).

Distance Education Council.PUB DATE 1999-00-00NOTE 19p.

PUB TYPE Reports Descriptive (141)EDRS PRICE MF01/PC01 Plus Postage.DESCRIPTORS Computer Assisted Instruction; *Correspondence Schools;

Correspondence Study; *Distance Education; ForeignCountries; Governance; Higher Education; Independent Study;International Education; *Open Universities; Universities

IDENTIFIERS *India

ABSTRACTSince its inception in India in 1962, distance education has

grown in popularity. The Distance Education Council (DEC) directs distancelearning within India's higher education system. The DEC's promotion,coordination, and maintenance of standards for distance education are itsthree major roles. Its initiatives include grants, support for technology,quality assurance measures, development of standards and guidelines fordegree programs, and technical assistance for new oven universities.Collaboration programs at the nat!onal and international level also exist,and focus on such topical areas as MBA degrees, 13.]ci. degrees,self-assessment of the open university system, and information and dataexchange. Areas for future activity are listed and include the development ofan open education network, technical assistance to state government,audio-visual support, research project support, Web-based initiatives,quality assurance measures, database support, and transformation ofcorrespondence study programs into distance education programs. A listing ofopen universities and institutions offering correspondence programs isprovided, as well as a map of India indicating locations of open and distanceeducation institutions. (HB)

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C'c%(>c-0 INDIRA GANDHI NATIONAL OPEN UNIVERSITY

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EMERGENCE OFDISTANCE EDUCATION SYSTEM

The distance education system has been gainingwidespread popularity over the years. By wideningaccess to higher education, the distance mode providesan opportunity to all those who are unable to pursuehigher education through the traditional system.

From the nineteen sixties to nineteen nineties, therehas been a phenomenal growth in the distanceeducation system all over the world. More than70 countries are offering educational programmesthrough distance mode today.

In India, since Independence, the number of studentsenrolled in higher education has risen from about0.2 million to about 6 million. This six millionrepresents a meagre 6% of India's young population.

Open Universities today, are the prime avenues forimparting education through the distance mode. Allthe aspects necessary for making the system amenableto self-learning and learner friendly are incorporated inthe system for serving the isolated distance learner.

With the evolution of new methodologies in teachingand learning, and the aid of innovative and diversechannels for learning, the distance education can be aboon in providing access to, the spatially andgeographically disadvantaged.

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The distance / open education system aims to :

provide an opportunity for education to allaspirants including those in service, women,adults, handicapped, from remote places etc.

allow self-paced learning.

a, provide innovative and flexible education,

provide cost-effective education,

provide learning materials that are selfexplanatory, user friendly and appropriate forthe target group,

provide opportunity for a number of diversecourses Professional, Technical, Vocational andGeneral,

cater to the needs of certification, education,knowledge, skill upgradation etc.,

provide regular counselling and other appropriatelearning support through networks of studycentres, and last but not the least, to

a incorporate new technologies, satellitecommunications, networking, internet, e-mail etc.for easy access to learners.

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DISTANCE EDUCATION COUNCIL

Distance Education Council (DEC) is establishedunder Statute 28 of IGNOU, under Section 25 ofIGNOU Act, 1985. The DEC became operational in1992. Its mandate is to function as an apex body ofdistance education in India for the promotion,maintenance of standards and coordination of open anddistance education in India. The National Policy onEducation (NPE, 1986) and the Programme of Action(POA, 1992) also give stress to the role of the DEC.

In India, distance education started in the form ofcorrespondence education in the year 1962. The firstopen university came into existence in 1982. Atpresent, there are ten open universities - one NationalOpen University, the IGNO,U(1985), and nine StateOpen Universities (SOUS) in India. Of the 229university level traditional institutions, 62 are dualmode institutions. The latter, through theirCorrespondence Course Institutions (CCIs) imparteducation through correspondence/distance mode.

The DEC, since its inception, is supporting SOUs.From the Ninth Plan onwards the CCIs that wereearlier being supported by the UGC are beingsupported by the DEC.

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HE ORGANISATION

The DEC is a statutory authority of. IGNOUconsisting of 15 members. The Vice Chancellor ofIGNOU is its Ex-officio Chairman. The members ofthe Council include the Union Education Secretary,Secretary of University Grants Commission (UGC), amember of the UGC, Director of National Assessmentand Accreditation Council (NAAC), two members ofthe Board of Management, two Vice Chancellors ofSOUs, two Directors of CCIs, three nominees of theVisitor and a teacher from the distance educationsystem. The Director, Distance Education Council isthe Secretary of the Council. The Secretariat of theDEC consisting of a Director, a Deputy Director, two.Assistant Directors and a complement of supportingstaff, is involved in policy implementation.

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HE ROLE

The objectives of the DEC are as delineated below :

DEC

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promote the open and

distance education system in

the country

coordinate the open and

distance education system in

the country

ensure the maintenance of

standards in the education

provisions made by the open

and distance education

THE ACTIVITIES

Promotion

Preparation of norms and standards /guidelines forsupport to SOUs and CCIs

Dissemination of information

Assistance for establishment of new State OpenUniversities

Support to SOUs for Student Support Services.

Coordination

Funding for downlink facility, for Wide AreaNetwork. (WAN) and Local Area Network (LAN).Support in training and development ofcommunication channel networks

Development of database on Open Universities inIndia

Identification of Common Pool of Courses andProgrammes for sharing by distance educationinstitutions

Technical assistance to SOUs for adoption of CreditSystem and Common Grading Pattern for StudentEvaluation

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Maintenance of Standards

Provision of financial support to SOUs and CCIsfor infrastructure development (mainly for

equipment)

Provision of support to CCIs for transformation of

course material to distance mode(self learningmaterial)

Provision of grants for human resource

development to SOUs

Provision of research grants to SOUs and CCIs

Support to SOUs and CC's for application of newtechnologies

Support for audio-visual facilities

Establishment of Quality Assurance Mechanisms

Formulation of norms and guidelines for offeringprogrammes of study through distance mode viz.,

M.B.A., B.Ed., B.C.A., M.C.A., B.Lib., B.Sc.(Nursing).

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COLLABORATIONS11111.11::4

The different collaborations of the DEC on nationaland international level are as follows

DEC-COL collaboration is continuing since itsinception on a number of fronts like' exchange ofinformation, data on distance education and qualityconcepts.

AICTE-DEC collaboration for recognition of MBAprogrammes offered through distance mode.

NCTE-DEC collaboration for devising norms forrecognition of B.Ed programme offered throughdistance mode.

NAAC-DEC are in the process of evolvingstrategies for self assessment of the open universitysystem.

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HRUST AREAS OFPROJECTED ACTIVITIES

Development of open education network

Consultations to State Governments and TechnicalAssistance for establishment of new State OpenUniversities

Development of promotional material- (Print,Audio-Video etc.) on, distance education

Award of Research Projects on identified thrustareas in distance education

Web-based Education Fellowships for technicalcompetence for Distance Education staff

Development of norms and standards formaintenance of standards of programmes offeredthrough distance mode and other quality assurance

measures

Strengthening of _database on open and distanceeducation system

Transformation of correspondence programmesinto 'distance education programmes throughjudicious use of multiple channels of self-instruction

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OPEN UNIVERSITIES IN INDIA

1. Indira Gandhi National Open University

Maidan Garhi,

New Delhi-110068, India.

2. Dr. B.R.Ambedkar Open University

Road No. 46, Jubilee Hills

Hyderabad-500033

Andhra Pradesh, India.

3. Yashwantrao Chavan Maharashtra

Open University

Dnyangangotri, Near Gangapur Dam

Nashik-422005

Maharashtra, India.

4. Kota Open University

Rawat Bhata Road, Akhelgarh

Kota-324010

Rajasthan, India.

5. Dr. Babasahed'Ambedkar Open UniversityGovt. Bungalow No. 9Dafnala, Shahi Baug

Ahmedabad-380 003Gujarat, India.

12:

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as

6. Nalanda Open University

S.K. Puri,

Patna-800001

Bihar, India.

7. M.P. Bhoj (Open) University

Red Cross Bhavan,

Shivaji Nagar,

Bhopal- 462016

Madhya Pradesh, India.

8. Karnataka State Open University

Manasa Gangotri,

Mysore-570006

Karnataka, India.

9. Netaji. Subhas Open University

1, Woodburn Park,

Calcutta-700020

West Bengal, India.

10. U.P. Rajarshi Tandon Open Univeristy

17, Maharishi Dayanand Marg,

Allahabad- 211001,

Uttar Pradesh, India.

INSTITUTIONS OFFERINGCORRESPONDENCE COURSES

University / Institution :

1. Alagappa University

2. Andhra University

3. Annamalai University

4. Awadhesh Pratap Singh University

5. Bangalore University

6. Barkatullah Vishwavidyalaya

7. Berhampur University

8. Bharathiar University

9. Bharathidasan University

10. Birla Institute of Tech and Sci

11. Central Institute of English andForeign Language

12. Devi Ahilya VishwaVidyalaya

13. Dr. Harisingh Gour

Vishwavidyalaya

14. G.B. Pant University ofAgriculture & Technology

15. Gujarat Vidyapith

16. Guru Ghasidas University

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11-4

State

Tamil Nadu

Andhra Pradesh

Tamil Nadu

Madhya Pradesh

Karnataka

Madhya Pradesh

Orissa'

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Rajasthan

Andhra Pradesh

Madhya Pradesh

Madhya Pradesh

Uttar Pradesh

Gujarat

Madhya Pradesh

1

17. Guru Jambheshwar University

18. Himachal Pradesh University

19, International Institute forPopulation Sciences

20. Jadavpur University

21. Jain Vishva Bharati Institute

22. Jamia Milia Islamia

23. Jawaharlal Nehru Tech University

24. Jiwaji University

25. Kakatiya University

26. Kurukshetra University

27. La lit Narayan Mithila University

28. MAatma Gandhi GramodayaVishWavidyalaya

29. Madurai Kamaraj University

30. Maharishi Dayanand University

31. Mahatma Gandhi University

32. Manonmaniam SundaranarUniversity

33. Maulana Azad NationalUrdu University

34. Mother Teresa Women'sUniversity

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Haryana

Himachal Pradesh

Maharashtra

West Bengal

Rajasthan

New Delhi

Andhra Pradesh

Madhya Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Haryana

Bihar

Madhya Pradesh

Tamil Nadu

Haryana

Kerala

Tamil Nadu

Andhra Pradesh

Tamil Nadu

1

(s)

35. Nagarjuna University

36. National Law School ofIndia University

37. North Eastern Hill University

38. Osmania University

39. Punjab University

40. Patna University

41. Pondicherry University

42. Punjab Agricultural University

43. Punjabi University

44. Shivaji University

45. SNDT Women'sUniversity

46. Sambalpur University

47. Sri Venketaswara University

48. Tamil Nadu AgriculturalUniversity

49. Tilak Maharashtra Vidyapeeth

50. Tripura University

51. University of Bombay

52. University of Allahabad

53. University of Burdwan

Andhra Pradesh

Karnataka

Meghalaya

Andhra Pradesh

Chandigarh

Bihar

Pondicherry

Punjab

Punjab

Maharashtra

Maharashtra

Orissa

Andhra Pradesh

Tamil Nadu

Maharashtra

Tripura

Maharashtra

Uttar Pradesh

West Bengal

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54. University of Calicut Kerala

55. University of Delhi Delhi

56. University of Hyderabad Andhra Pradesh

57. University of Jammu Jammu & Kashmir

58. University of Kashmir Jammu & Kashmir

59. University of Kerala Kerala

60. University of Madras Tamil Nadu

61. Utkal University Orissa

62. Vidyasagar University West Bengal

15 .17

OPEN & DISTANCE HIGHER EDUCATIONINSTITUTIONS IN INDIA

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Open University A (52.55)

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Indira Gandhi National Open University

O Slate Open Universities

Correspondence Course Institutions(as per number given on pages 12-15)

is 16

Address for correspondence:

DirectorDistance Education Council

Indira Gandhi National Open UniversityK-76, Hauz Khas New Delhi-110 016

Tel : 91 011 6569668Fax: 91 011 6861340

e-mail : dec@satyamonline.com

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