Efforts on to revamp Directorate of Distance Education at Sri Venkateswara University

Tirupati: At last, the Directorate of Distance Education (DDE) of the Sri Venkateswara University (SVU) started overhauling its administration for the benefit of thousands of students who are pursuing education through distance mode. For one reason or other, the DDE had failed to conduct the exams as per schedule last year affecting thousands of its students.

Most of the DDE study centres run by private colleges assumed notoriety by indulging in various irregularities including mass copying and impersonation with a sole motive of making money, turning the course commercial, maligning the very image of the distance mode education which is benefitting scores of people, who were not in a position to have regular study in the colleges.

Against the backdrop, the SVU management took up corrective measures to streamline its DDE which is offering 29 courses in undergraduate and postgraduate streams. About 42,000 students are pursuing various courses in DDE.

Talking to The Hans India here on Saturday, DDE Director Prof Narasimha Raju, who took charge as director on January 28, said that for some technical reasons and unavoidable circumstances, the examinations which were scheduled in December last year could not be held.

Arrangements were in place for holding the exams from August 26 after Krishna Pushkaralu, he said adding that efforts are on to publish the results within 40 days.

He said State bifurcation was also one of the reasons for the delay in holding the examinations as per schedule last year. In this connection, he said that all the 30 study centres of the SVU DDE which were running in Telangana State were winded up after the bifurcation as per the UGC guidelines.

However, the students, who were already enrolled in the study centres, were at liberty to continue the courses for completion to get degree from the SVU.

As part of overhauling the administration, the DDE decided not to hold the examinations in the study centres of the private colleges to check irregularities, instead the examinations will be held only in the reputed colleges including government and aided, he explained.

Besides, the DDE will declare the academic schedule in this year for enabling students to know in advance the details of the courses including contact programme classes and the examination dates.

All India Students Federation (AISF) district secretary Siva Reddy welcomed the DDE decision not to hold the exams in the study centres run by private colleges.

Talking to The Hans India, he said that it is undeniable fact that the DDE till now in bad shape and asked the university management to take bold measures to keep it back on rails. He welcomed the initiatives to revamp the SVU DDE which he said still has good demand among the students.