Distance education is the upgraded way of learning not only in India but all over the world. Students who have gone through this will be well aware of the fact that this process emphasizes more upon self-study and their growth at their own pace. This is primarily different from the corresponding education, where students sit in the class, listen to lectures, and take running notes.
Distance learning is where students need not be physically present for their classes and take lessons. It helps you to listen to the lectures at your convenient time, as you can make your own study schedule, and it also helps in better understanding of the subject, as it brings multiple features including video animations, interesting instructional materials, etc. There are numerous websites as well as colleges that create a distance learning programs for students by acquiring how to create an online course knowledge.
Distance Education Learning in India
Distance education is available in multiple institutions, as well as open universities all over India. However, for all of them, where this mode of education is available, the authorisation of UGC-DEB (University Grants Commission Remote Education Board) is required, to regulate them. This is because it is the statutory authority that regulates distance learning in this country and maintains the norms that is associated with distance education in India.
In India, distance education offers a variety of courses including multiple specializations, allowing students to pursue their desired subject, be it diploma, certificate, bachelors, or masters level.
Top Universities of Distance Learning in India
There are thousands of students all over the country who pursue their courses via distance education in India. Judging the quality of distance learning provided by the institutions, here is the top 10 list of them, given in the table below.
| University Name | State |
| IGNOU – Indira Gandhi National Open University | New Delhi |
| SCDL – Symbiosis Centre of Distance Learning | Maharashtra |
| Gitam Deemed to be University (Centre of Distance Learning) | Telangana |
| IMT Distance and Open Learning Institute | West Bengal |
| Madhya Pradesh Bhoj (Open) University | Madhya Pradesh |
| Dr. BR Ambedhkar Open University (BRAOU) | Telangana |
| Netaji Subhas Open University | Kolkata |
| MDU – Maharishi Dayanand University | Haryana |
| Karnataka State Open University | Karnataka |
| CDE – Acharya Nagarjuna University | Andhra Pradesh |
State Wise Ranking of Top Distance Education Universities
The aforementioned table was about the top distance learning institutes in India. Check out the state-wise ranking of the same, in the table below.
Delhi
| IGNOU | Delhi University |
| Jamia Milia Islamia, New Delhi | Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University |
Karnataka
| Mangalore University | Karnataka State Open University |
| Karnataka University |
|
Maharashtra
| Symbiosis Centre of Distance Learning | NMIMS University |
| University of Mumbai Institue of Distance & Open Learning | IGI, Pune |
Tamil Nadu
| Tamil Nadu Open University | Tamil University |
| SRM University | University of Madras |
West Bengal
| Jadavpur University | Netaji Subhas Open University |
| University of Kalyani | Rabindra Bharati University |
Advantages of Distance Learning
Students not only choose distance learning to study sitting back at home but there are various other reasons, which Distance Learning features, for which they opt for it. Here are the advantages of distance learning detailed below.
Flexible Education System – The best thing about Distance Education is that it features a flexible education system. You don’t have to be at the sessions at a specific time, rather you can create your own schedule and attend the classes at your convenient time. It is more applicable to working professionals who manage both their work and study.
Easy Curriculum – Another great thing about distance learning is that it has an easy curriculum compared to offline in-person learning. In offline mode, students need to clear various assessments and need to submit projects to clear their assessments, which is primarily absent in distance education.
Self-paced growth – In offline education, students need to grow within a limited amount of time. With the time being limited, students are often not able to complete the whole syllabus, and the consequences are seen afterward. On the other hand, distance learning offers you time, where you can grow at your own pace, and take time to understand your topic.
No Regular Classes – Another advantage of distance education is that it has no regular classes due to the open university system in India. Sometimes, students might get an emergency where they are unable to attend classes which is primarily not an issue here.
Fewer Course Fees – Distance education features fewer course fees compared to offline, In, in-person learning, university fees include charges from the lab, canteen, infrastructure, and many more, which are exempted in this mode.
Apart from the colleges and universities mentioned before, you’ll find many certificate courses online by accessing various websites. Also, you’ll find the various websites, selling online courses after knowing how to sell online courses. Just grab them, earn your degree and utilize them in your future endeavors.
Overall, distance learning is indeed very beneficial for students, which brings multiple features, along with easy learning. If you also aspire to do the same, go for the top colleges mentioned, overall or state-wise, and start your journey now.
