The Council of Distance Learning (CODL) was formed in 1988 as a network of management schools in the country at the National Conference of the Heads of Management Education Institutions on "National Education Policy and its Implications for Management Education in the Country" held at Maharashtra.

CODL have since grown into a powerful body for management schools in the country with a membership of about four hundred Institutes. CODL is the second largest network of management schools in the world.

The CODL is governed by its Council which comprises individuals and nominees of stakeholder organizations who are closely involved in maintaining education standards. The Council meets twice each year.

For practical purposes, Council gives delegated authority to two Committees which monitor and implement the CODL work:

The Executive Committee, which has the same responsibilities as the Board of Directors in a commercial company, provides strategic direction for the CODL. The executive committee has full right to withdraw the accreditation at any point of time.

The Inspection Committee, which receives the reports of inspections and takes decisions on the award or withdrawal of accreditation. It also regularly reviews the criteria used by inspectors.