That this system of education has succeeded is aptly demonstrated by the patronage from students across the country and a plethora of study centres. At present, IGNOU has on its rolls 4.30 lakh students, 39 programmes, 482 courses, 19 regional centres and 315 study centres. But the expansion has not been without its problems. The supply management seems to be in a disarray with students receiving the study material late, incomplete grade cards being issued, a time consuming examination and evaluation system and a tardy complaints management system.

Dr Abdul W Khan, an internationally recognised expert in media,development communication and distance education, has taken over as the vice-chancellor at a crucial juncture of IGNOU's development. The expectations of the students are growing and they demand better services. To remain the most sought after institute in distance learning, IGNOU will have to look seriously into the issues of quality of education and student satisfaction.

Dr Khan is optimistic about meeting the challenges ahead and seeing that IGNOU expands without compromising on course content and quality. Excerpts from an interview with Shelley Singh

What would be your priorities as the new VC?

We want to serve the best interests of the clients, ie, the students. I believe that a collective vision is important and education should not be allowed on the whims and fancies of one individual. So, to improve the standards, I intend to engage in a series of consultations with various department heads with the objective of better service to the students. Afterall, the reason for ourexistence are the students. I wish to inculcate a sense of belonging and pride among the students of IGNOU and provide the disadvantaged access to education. My management style is one of consensus building and teamwork -- building a culture of unity through recognition of individual efforts and a commitment to strong work ethics. I will use it effectively to bring about improvement in quality of services offered.

What problems do you see at IGNOU?

There are bottlenecks relating to the kind of services provided to the students. We still have a long way to go in our mission to reach out to all the students. A common complaint is the delay in the delivery of study material. We will look into these.

Is distance learning taken seriously? What future do you see for it?

Distance learning is the fastest growing education system around the world. By 2005, almost 85 per cent of higher learning will be some form of distance learning. The advantage is flexibility and access to technology.Open anddistance learning is in fact the wave of the future and if we strive for excellence today, we can expect to assume a leadership position in this field both nationally and internationally.

At the same time it has to be understood that the diversion from the centuries old conventional system of education to the distance education system is not an easy task and it would take a few more years for the new system to be accepted in toto.

How do you compare IGNOU courses with similar ones around the world?

IGNOU is recognised as a mega university in open learning. It is a major source for open and business learning. I think it is really commendable the way IGNOU has come up in the past decade. At present we have 39 programmes on offer which include health sciences, management, computers, engineering, social sciences etc. We plan to introduce new programmes which are socially and economically relevant.

How many students are on IGNOU rolls? Which is the most popular stream?

There are over 4.30lakh students on the rolls as in March 1998. In 1997, there were 3.68 lakh students. The growing numbers attest to the popularity of the distance learning system of education. The management and computer courses have attracted the maximum number of applications.

There are often complaints of late results, late study material delivery, poor redressal of complaints etc. How do you propose to strengthen supply management?

We depend on the postal department to deliver the study material. The workload is huge and I don't really blame the postal authorities for the delays. We will seriously look into the problems to evolve a smooth mechanism. Unless the students are satisfied there is no meaning in expanding the number of courses.

I intend to form a task-force comprising the various department heads to look into the problems and strengthen student support services. We might also involve the students to point out problems, give suggestions and to iron out the flaws.

Do you think that the number ofstudents is unmanageable?

Large numbers is one of the characteristics of distance learning. We have to provide education to as many people as possible. The large numbers is our USP, but we have to see that we provide growth with quality. Quality assurance is the job number one. Ultimately our purpose is to serve the needs of the learners of India and we will strive to establish processes to meet this objective in a caring and friendly manner.