(a) whether the Government has decided to shift the Distance Education Council of Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) to University Grants Commission;
(b) if so, the reasons therefor along with the likely impact of this decision on the students studying under the Distance Learning Programme; and
(c) the remedial steps taken by the Government in the matter?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT (Dr. SHASHI THAROOR)
(a): Yes, Sir.
(b): The Distance Education Council (DEC), responsible for regulating all the universities / institutions offering
Open & Distance Learning (ODL) programmes, is a statutory body of a university i.e. the Indira Gandhi National Open
University (IGNOU). A university regulating other universities creates a conflict of interest. Keeping this and other
related issues in view, a Committee was constituted under the chairmanship of Prof. N R Madhava Menon to suggest
measures to regulate the standards of education imparted through the distance mode. The Committee recommended, inter
alia, placing DEC under the control of the University Grants Commission (UGC) which is the statutory regulator of
the university system as a whole. The duties performed by the DEC currently under the IGNOU would continue to be
performed by it, but under the control of the UGC. Therefore, there would not be any adverse impact on the students
studying under the Distance Learning Programmes.
(c): Issue does not arise in view of reply at (b) above.