The Full Form of DEB is‍ Distance Education Bureau.

The Distant Education Bureau is a bureau of the University Grants Commission based in New Delhi, India, in charge of regulating distance education in India. It was established in 2012, replacing the Distance Education Council, an organisation that was responsible for open learning and distance education since 1985

The open and distance learning system in India has emerged as an important mode for providing education to diverse sections of society. Besides, the changing dynamics of the ODL system in the last six decades have been encouraging. With the proliferation in the ICT, the boundaries of classroom or campus are becoming blurred. As it is said, the temporal and spatial boundaries have disappeared ( Kulandaiswamy, 2011). The impressive number of ODL institutions in the country bear testimony to the fact. Single-mode open universities have increased from four in number during the 8th Plan period to 14 in the 10th Plan period. The number of dual mode universities offering programmes through the distance mode (DEIs) has risen to more than 200. This is due to the fact that the growth in the infrastructure for face-to-face instruction is unable to match the educational demands of the ever-increasing number of aspiring students. At present nearly 25% students of higher education in the country are enrolled in the ODL system.

In the last six decades the ODL system has registered a phenoimenal growth in the context of expansion and diversification of higher education. From a single institution in 1962 ( Delhi University) the number of ODL institutions has reached approximately 250 including Central, State, Deemed to be and Private Universities along with many stand alone institutions.

In pursuance of the directions issued by the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Department of Higher Education, Government of India dated 29.12.2012, the regulatory functions with regard to Distance Education programmes in higher education have now been vested with the University Grants Commission. The Distance Education Council which was the erstwhile regulator of Distance Education programmes, has been dissolved and all regulatory functions are being undertaken by the UGC. The UGC is in the process of framing new Regulations for Distance Education. It has, however, been decided that till such time the new Regulations of the UGC are notified, the guidelines of the erstwhile DEC with regard to recognition of ODL institutions shall be implemented for the purposes of grant of permission to institutions for Distance Education programmes.