To strive for coordinated development of learner-centric open and distance learning (ODL) system and ensure high quality of education, meet challenges of access and equity to reach the un-reached, the Distance Education Council (DEC) shall:

• Encourage state governments/conventional universities to establish open universities/ distance education institutes and create a network of such institutions.
• Provide financial support and grants and academic guidelines to institutions of open and distance education.
• Evolve norms, procedures and guidelines in respect of admission, evaluation, and certification.
• Assess and accredit institutions of open and distance learning to ensure quality.
• Encourage use of technology in education and provide opportunities for sharing technological resources and competencies through inter-university partnerships/consortia.
• Facilitate development and sharing of self-instructional (multiple media) materials amongst different open universities/distance education institutions.
• Facilitate sharing of student support services created by various State Open Universities (SOUs) and correspondence course Institutes (CCIs).
• Promote convergence of conventional, ODL and other systems to facilitate mobility of learners through credit transfer/sharing.
• Promote research and innovation in ODL systems.
• Facilitate training for indigenous capacity building in ODL systems.
• Create databases for SOUs, CCIs, distance educators and functionaries associated with ODL systems.