[Assam] First Open University in North East — Anam ika Ray, Ankuran Dutta (The Assam Tribune,16.12.2007)

[Buljit Buragohain]

First Open University in North East
— Anamika Ray, Ankuran Dutta
   
  Education encompasses teaching and learning specific skills. It has as one of its primary objectives the task of communicating the culture from generation to generation. It is supposed that education begin even before birth and continues throughout life. 

Sarba Siksha Abhijan like project has given a consolation status to the primary education. But the scenario of higher education is very pathetic.

There are various categories of people who need higher education. A large number of people in our country do not get opportunity in the conventional system due to the systemic constraints. Individuals may succeed in overcoming their problems at personal level, but they may not be allowed to pursue their education at an opportune time because of the restrictions imposed by the conventional education system.

The modern age is an age of dynamic, active and full of new challenges. It brings new demands for education. Globalization, continuously increasing amount of information, rapid change, and segmentation of the society considerably increase the importance of a social and cultural role of education. The society is able to act in response to these challenges only if the education system is modern, refurbishing, supple and able to reply to the demands of the rapidly changing society. Open and Distance Learning (ODL) allows increase access to education. It also enhances the system of education while insuring life long learning possibilities.

Aiming at education beyond barriers of age, previous qualification, time and geographical separation the first open university in the entire North Eastern region of India, Krishna Kanta Handique State Open University was established by an Act of Assam Legislative Assembly in 2005. The University formally has started functioning from December 11, 2006 with the recognition of Distance Education Council, Govt. of India. Prof. Srinath Baruah, a senior professor in Economics of Gauhati University is its first Vice Chancellor. From the coming academic session it is going to start different subjects at graduation level along with certificates and diplomas in various vocational subjects.

According to Vice Chancellor Baruah, ‘It is an effort to provide opportunities for higher education to a larger segment of the population and to advance and disseminate learning and knowledge by a diversity of means including the use of communication technology.’ July 20th the birthday of Krishna Kanta Handiqui has been declared as its foundation day.

The trend of distance education in Assam has been started in the last decade. The initial hesitation of pursuing education through distance learning mode has gradually evaporated and is highly in demand as they allow the students to nurture other interest along with their studies. According to 2001 census the percentage of literate people in Assam is 63.3. But the percentage of people who can afford to go to a college or university is much lower. As far as democratization of higher education in the state is concerned, a premier institution of Post Graduate Correspondence Schools, Gauhati University (established in 1998) is playing a very important role in Assam. 

PGCS is offering master degrees, diplomas and certificates in different subjects along with fifty six study centres all over Assam. Dr Kandarpa Das, the present director of PGCS, GU opines, ‘Distance Education has helped not only in personal educational development, but also in career development as well as promotion in certain avenues. 

To help a number of students who due to limited number of seats in post graduate classes or for some other unavoidable reasons can not enroll themselves as students of the Dibrugarh University,’ the 73rd meeting of the Academic Council vide Resolution No. 5 held on September 2, 2000 decided to introduce distance education in the university. Prof. A.R.M Rahaman, Dr. Mukut Hazarika are the pioneers here to provide the opportunity. 

Study reveals that there are some relaxations during the admission in open learning system. Say for instance there is minimum age limit but no maximum age bar as well as no enrolment restrictions with regard to the percentage of marks except a few professional programmes. Full facility to select and transfer of study center (under the jurisdiction) is totally impossible in case of conventional university. Those who could not go for higher education just after schooling but want to take higher education at a later stage or those who have had higher education for some years but would like to continue their education for improvement of their knowledge and advancement in carreer open learning will be the best option for them. Not only that living in adverse situation and being unable to attend regular conventional institution willing person can join it. Interestingly house wives who generally use to be busy in their normal lives and the daily routine can persue their study
 again. This open learning education aims to facilitate further education and training for the physically challenged people also.

Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), the first and only national Open University established in 1985 by an Act of Parliament has already emerged as one of the largest universities in the world today. The recent comprehension of the effectiveness of the ODL system is in its being uniquely capable of handling programmes for empowerment and consciousness involving significantly large groups of instructors and learners. 

The first open university, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar Open University (BRAOU), earlier Andra Pradesh Open University was established by an Act of state legislature on August 26, 1982 intending to endow with educational opportunities to adult learners who could not get opportunities of higher learning in conventional universities. The university has established 137 study centres. Among them seven are only for women and two for prisoners.

Following this trend Kota Open University (1987), Nalanda Open University(1987) Yashwant Rao Chawan Maharastra Open University(1989) etc have been established. At present there are fourteen states and one national Open Universities in India. Open Universities in India are regulated by the Distance Education Council, Govt. of India (DEC). It is an organization based in New Delhi which maintains the standards, persuades, organizes the activities and funds to run. The appraisal and accreditation of these universities is also done by the DEC.

Before independence, the higher education was confined to the upper class. At the time of independence there were only 19 conventional universities and 420 affiliated colleges. After independence the enrolment in higher education increased in a large scale which became a serious threat to the employment market for the Government. In 1961 the ten member committee chaired by Dr D S Kothari recommended the Correspondence Courses at the university level with equivalent status of conventional study. Accordingly the university of Delhi established the School of Correspondence Courses and Continuing Education in 1962 as a pilot project which observed a favourable response of the aspirants. Punjabi University, Patiala set up a full fledged directorate of Correspondence Courses in 1968. A number of universities like Madurai Kamraj, Himachal Pradesh, Bombay, Jamia Milia Islamia, Rajasthan, etc. started the correspondence courses. At this stage the Open University, UK (1969) drew the
 attention of the UGC policy makers.

   (The Assam Tribune,16.12.2007)
   
  http://www.kkhsou.org/



       
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