Socio-economic profile of women learners of the ODL system with special reference to KKHSOU in Assam

Oct 15, 2026

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The paper investigates the socio-economic profile of post-graduate women learners pursuing general and professional Master’s courses through the Open and Distance Learning (ODL) mode at Krishna Kanta Handiqui State Open University (KKHSOU) in Assam. It analyzes how higher education through ODL transforms learners’ personal and social lives, and why these women choose ODL over conventional regular modes. Questionnaire-based data are used to assess attainments and to propose suggestions for expanding women’s educational opportunities via ODL.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages17

Reading Time43 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Higher education and national development

Education participation of women

National and statistical context (AISHE, GER)

Socio-economic profile study focus

Socio-economic profile of women learners of the ODL system with special reference to KKHSOU in Assam Nirupoma Barik Saikia, Ritimoni Bordoloi Abstract: One of the main objectives of the Open and Distance Learning (ODL) System is to increase the participation of people in higher education and to accelerate the growth and development of a country. Today, the importance of education for women is realized worldwide because higher education for women is vital for the social, economic, political and educational advancement of a country. The ODL system has been providing opportunities of higher education to thousands of women who are deprived of education for reasons more than one. Already, several women, coming from diverse backgrounds, have enrolled in this system and completed their education successfully. They differ in their age, residential area, religion, employment status, family background, social status , previous educational level and so on. In spite of these differences, they have been taking the advantage of the ODL system to fulfill their educational needs and goals. This paper examines the attainments of the post-graduate women learners who took up general and professional courses at the Master’s degree level through the ODL mode at Krishna Kanta Handiqui State Open University, Assam, the only state Open University of North East India, to explore how higher education had brought changes into their personal as well as social lives. Besides, why these women learners had opted for the ODL mode in place of the regular conventional mode is also explored through this paper. Based on the analysis of the data collected through a questionnaire a few suggestions to enhance the educational opportunities for women through the ODL mode are also placed. Keywords: Socio-Economic Profile, Women Learners, ODL Mode, Educational Opportunities, Distance Education Introduction Higher education is considered a necessity for the growth and development of a nation as it produces human resources. Higher education helps the learners in their acquisition of knowledge, wisdom and skills besides developing their potentiality to the fullest extent. Higher education provides expert knowledge, fosters intellectual growth, inculcates cultural awareness and ensures personal growth. It benefits the people in obtaining economic independence, enhancing their decision-making capacity, gaining good health, realizing greater sense of discipline, fostering better communication ability, ensuring political participation, enhancing the sense of accomplishment and making life better by upgrading their standard of living. Thus, the role of higher education is gauged by its role in preparing the learners to face the challenges of life and society boldly. At the end of the post-graduate education, a student becomes capable of drawing his/her own conclusion and finding solution to problems yet tobe solved. The National Policy on Education (1986) stated, “Higher education provides people with an opportunity to reflect on the critical social, economic, cultural, moral and spiritual issues facing humanity. It contributes to national development through dissemination of specialized knowledge and skills. It is, therefore, a crucial factor for survival.”(NEP 1986, p. 14) Therefore, the purposes and contexts of higher education in a country has been a matter of serious critical enquiry for quite some time and the inclusion of more and more women in the ambit of higher education can be seen as very encouraging for a developing country like India. In 21st century, higher education in general plays a crucial role as it prepares the human capital for the society. Schultz (1971) measured the contribution of education to the development of economy of the United States of America. He stated that education was found to be 3.5 times more attractive than investment in physical capital. Similarly, in a recent study conducted by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, conducte

FAQs

What is the central focus of the paper?

The paper examines the socio-economic profile and attainments of post-graduate women learners studying through the ODL mode at KKHSOU in Assam, and explores changes in their personal and social lives.

Why do the women learners choose the ODL mode instead of regular conventional education?

The study explores the reasons these women opted for ODL, analyzing how the mode helps fulfill their educational needs and goals despite differences in their backgrounds.

How is evidence collected and used in the paper?

The paper bases its analysis on data collected through a questionnaire, which supports its assessment of attainments and the suggestions proposed to enhance educational opportunities for women via ODL.

Oct 15, 2026

Upload by Marglet