Higher education is the most critical element of growth in this era of knowledge economy. The National Knowledge Commission has brought out valuable documents outlining the critical role of higher education. In this context, the role of Open and Distance Learning System (ODL) becomes significant and unique. The experience across the globe substantiates that the ODL system is an effective tool for educationally empowering the different sections of society who, for one reason or the other, had missed the formal ‘face-to-face’ education. These days, distance education provides many vocational, professional and technical courses, including specialized programmes oriented towards the higher end of technology usage. It also has the potential to reach the unreached, marginalized and excluded people residing in distant places and difficult terrain.