This Department (earlier called Directorate of Correspondence Courses till 1989-90) was established in 1971 with the objective to take higher education to the doorsteps of those men and women who have to discontinue their formal education due to peculiar circumstances live in geographically remote areas or discontinue their education because of lack of aptitude and motivation but later on become motivated or do not find a seat on merit or do not wish to join a College or a University although they have the necessary qualifications to pursue higher education or look upon education as a life long activity and may either like to refresh their knowledge in their own discipline or to acquire knowledge in a new area at any state of their life.