In India, correspondence education was first taken up by Delhi University in 1962. It mainly caters to courses in Languages, Humanities, and Commerce and prepares students for the traditional university examinations.
It has, at present, about 15,000 students on the rolls of its Directorate of Correspondence Courses & Continuing Education.
Punjab University is the third in imparting correspondence education to over 10,000 students. Madurai University is leading in the country, with more than 17,000 students on its rolls. In addition, there are eight more universities in the country, imparting correspondence education.
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They are Bombay, Andhra, Meerut, Venketeshwara, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Punjabi and Utkal Universities. Kurukshetra University has started correspondence education from this academic session.
Punjab University is the only university in the country which imparts correspondence education in three languages i.e. English, Hindi and Punjabi. All other Universities provide instruction only through two languages English and the regional languages. Consequently, it caters to the widest area both Hindi as well as Punjabi speaking in the country.
More than 300 students from the South are on the rolls of this University through correspondence. Special examination centres have been created for these students at Bangalore and Madras. In addition, the University has about 50 students from abroad on its rolls. Their examinations are conducted in our embassies in those countries, on payment of a fee of Rs. 500/- per candidate.
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The Directorate has started post-graduate classes in English, History, Political Science, Economics, and Public Administration.
A course for award of Certificate in Library Science has also been introduced. Education Departments of various states in the region may take necessary steps for getting their untrained staff qualified for efficient functioning of the libraries in schools and colleges. They can provide incentives to their employees to join the library course.
Correspondence education in India is still in infancy. It is confined to traditional courses at the under-graduate level. Students are prepared for traditional examinations. Postgraduate courses and professional courses, mainly in Commerce, Library Science, Business Management, etc. are also being provided by some universities.
Education is now a life-long process. It should know no age or space limit. Not only the traditional education now being imparted through class-room instruction in colleges universities should be extended through correspondence and other media to “distant” students, but short-time orientation, re-orientation and refresher courses for various disciplines, professions and services should also be undertaken through correspondence to make it more relevant, useful and meaningful.
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With more emphasis on informal and non-formal education, side by side the formal system, correspondence education has a great scope in our country. But it has yet to, win the acclaim of the public.
It is a new venture, a new technique in teaching learning process. Much will depend on the way our educationists, academicians and teachers concerned with correspondence instruction, develop it to meet the needs and aspirations of the people.