Prof. Dr.Vivek A. Saoji,
Vice Chancellor,
Bharati Vidyapeeth (Deemed to be University)
Dear Students,
It is a matter of immense pleasure for me to be a part of the Bharati Vidyapeeth (Deemed to be University) family as its Vice Chancellor. I take this opportunity to welcome students joining the Centre for Distance and Online Education in undergraduate as well as postgraduate programmes.
As per the All India Survey on Higher Education conducted by the Ministry of Human Resource Development in 2013, the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in higher education in India is 20.4 for the 18–23 age group. The GER for the male population is 21.6, while for females it is 18.9. Distance enrolment constitutes 12.5% of the total enrolment in higher education. The purpose of Distance and Online Education is to bridge this gap and increase the accessibility of education beyond various barriers such as distance from educational centres, social taboos (especially affecting female students and housewives), constraints related to employment, and other logistical challenges that often hinder access to higher education in India.
The Centre for Distance and Online Education of the University is committed to offering higher education opportunities to such students through distance and online modes. The University is duly approved to undertake the programmes offered by the Centre. Our objective is to reach the unreached and make education accessible to all sections of society. Distance and Online Education has emerged as an effective mode of learning, and with ICT-enabled facilities such as virtual classrooms, it has evolved into a robust learning platform.
At the Centre for Distance and Online Education, we have established a dedicated e-connect online communication channel to streamline internal communication and facilitate students through e-learning. The e-learning environment has enabled effective communication between study centres and students. Additionally, we have created provisions for supplementary online study resources such as videos, slide presentations, and self-learning materials (SLMs) for our students.
I extend a very warm welcome to all prospective students of the Centre for Distance and Online Education. On behalf of the University, I wish you a pleasant and enriching learning experience.
My best wishes for a successful career.
