There are over one hundred conventional universities in India, and five Open Universities have also been started. The total student enrolment in the Open system is ten percent of all enrolments in higher education. That proportion will undoubtedly increase. In view of the importance being attached to Distance Education in India, it was felt valuable to look at the experience of this country. // This monograph is based on a paper originally prepared for the Asian Development Bank Round Table Conference on Distance Education, Islamabad, Pakistan (Nov. 6-8, 1989). The paper was later updated and expanded to form this case study. // Series formerly called "Perspectives on Teacher Education." Renamed to "Perspectives on Open and Distance Learning."