Governor Mangubhai Patel has said that distance education should become a medium of self-reliance. Necessary cooperation should be provided by the educational and training institutes in the placement of students of vocational and employment-oriented courses. In this regard the possibilities of distance education system should be discussed in the conference. He said that the basis of teaching and training courses should be according to the needs of employment, business and industry. Quality education should be made available in distance learning for efficiency, proficiency and skill upgradation in knowledge science, technology, academic field. The combination of courses should also be done with the participation of experts of repute in the respective field, subject and distance learning method.
Governor Patel was addressing at the inauguration of the two-day national conference of Madhya Pradesh Bhoj Open University, Bhopal today at R.C.V.P. Noronha Academy of Administration and Management.
The conference has been conducted to discuss the “National Education Policy-2020 Implementation: Open and Distance Education, Perspectives, Opportunities and Challenges for Educational Institutions”.
The Governor was presented with souvenirs of the conference, the books Adapting ‘ICTtoDINEP-2020 in Higher Education’ and ‘Library and Information Service in New Normal’ besides a Tulsi plant, shawl, shriphal, and mementoes in the programme.
Patel said that it is necessary for the expansion of distance education system that language should not become a barrier in the development of knowledge and skills, for which smart learning tools will have to be developed in distance education in regional languages. He said that distance education can become an effective tool in efforts to increase access to education and make it student-friendly in a state like Madhya Pradesh with vast territory. Distance education can be decisive in including remote, rural areas, deprived classes, scheduled castes, tribes, women and other backward classes in the mainstream. He said that there is immense scope for expansion of distance education system in making education personalized. The need is to make the system student friendly. The arrangements should be of such a nature that they suit the needs of the underprivileged, women, residents of remote areas and the poor.
It is also necessary to provide teaching material through artificial intelligence according to the need of the student. Governor Patel said that instead of considering all the students of the course as equal, education should be arranged keeping in view the social, economic and geographical conditions. It is necessary that the courses of open and distance education should provide essential professional skills and knowledge to the students. The basis of teaching-training should be according to the needs of employment, business and industry. Apart from making them skilled and efficient in the field of knowledge, science, technology, academics, students should also get opportunities for skill upgradation in distance learning.
Higher Education Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav said that Bhoj Open University should also start a channel like National Indira Gandhi Open University. He said that in order to increase and expand knowledge, arrangements should be made for quality education in distance education system. It should be ensured that the quality level of traditional education and distance education is equal. He said that under the direction of the Governor, the state became the leading state of the country in the implementation of the National Education Policy-2020 despite limited resources during Covid.
Vice Chancellor of Indira Gandhi National University Prof. Nageshwar Rao said in his speech that immense opportunities have become available in distance learning education for effective implementation of the National Education Policy-2020.
Gradation of open universities has also started by NAAC. IGNOU and Baba Saheb Open University Ahmedabad have been given grading of ‘A++’ by NAAC.
He said that traditional, distance education and student-centred arrangements have been made in the National Education Policy. The University Grants Commission, by regulation of the year 2020, has also made arrangements for traditional education and distance education degrees to be considered equivalent. Initiatives like course-based curriculum, Swayam are effective initiatives for the quality and expansion of education.
Chairman of Admission and Fee Regulatory Committee, Shri Ravindra Kanhare said that distance learning is an effective means of achieving the goal of ‘reach-to-unreach’ of higher education. There is a need for open universities to make arrangements for distance learning available at the level of higher secondary schools. Shri Rajendra Prasad Das, Vice-Chancellor, Krishna Kanta Handique, said that the reach and scope of distance education is limitless whereas traditional education has limitations.
Sanjay Tiwari, Vice Chancellor of Madhya Pradesh Bhoj Open University, Bhopal gave the welcome address. Registrar Anil Kumar Sharma proposed the vote of thanks. Initially, the Governor was honoured by presenting a letter of felicitation. The guests inaugurated the convention by worshiping Maa Saraswati and lighting the lamp.
