Benefits of distance

education in India
June17,2015Sandeep0CommentDistanceEducation,DistanceLearning,india

Sincedistancelearningaimedataneasyandaffordableaccessto
highereducationforthemasses,itprovedverybeneficialtoavast
numberofstudentsscatteredacrossthecountry.Duetolackof
financialresources,alargenumberofambitiousyouthfind
themselvesunabletogetqualityeducation.Thismodeoflearningis
reallyveryadvantageousforlearnerswholiveatadistancefromthe
teachinginstitutionoreducationprovider.Anotherclearadvantage
ofdistancelearningisthesignificantlyenhancedlevelofflexibility
whencomparedtotraditionalcourses.Oneofthebenefitsof
distancelearningisthatthereisawidevarietyofmaterialsthatcan
meeteveryoneslearningpreferenceatleastpartofthetime.
Besides,educationalinequityisamajorissueinIndia.Ruralschools
oftenhavelesscontactwitheducationaltrends,fewerqualified
teachers,andmoreneedfortechnology.Distancelearningoffers
greatpotentialfordoingawaywiththeseissues.Distancelearning
canalsobefittedaroundexistingprofessionalandpersonal
responsibilities,allowingpeopletogainanewqualificationwhile
maintainingtheirearningpower,familylifeandleisuretime.With
distancelearning,youprogressatyourownpaceandsubmitworkor
takeexamswhenyouarefullyreadytodoso.Distancelearningis
notonlyconvenient:itisalsoeffectiveandaffordable.

Distance education
institutions offer courses
at different
First degree
Postgraduate degree
Diploma
Postgraduate diploma
Certificate
M.Phil.
Ph.D.

The courses cover a variety of subjects. Apart from the traditional

courses in Arts, Science, and Commerce, both at first degree and
postgraduate degree levels, a large number of professional courses
at different levels are also offered. They include Teacher Education,
Library and Information Science, Journalism and Mass
Communication, Nursing, Management and its different branches,
Computer Science and Information Technology, etc.
The most important thing about distance learning is, however, its
quality, because its reach is unlimited or unimaginably vast. In
addition, with the passage of time, modes of education delivery
have witnessed unprecedented expansion. Various studies have
shown that distance learning programmes can be as efficient and
valuable as regular classroom programmes and sometimes even
better. Sometimes, the learning material for distance learning
programmes by certain universities {eg: Indira Gandhi National
Open University (IGNOU)} can be way superior to that of a regular
classroom course. So as a student, you need to decide if distance
learning programme suits your personality and temperament.
However, there are mainly three factors which determine the
success of distance learning courses. They are:

High-quality, well-structured instructional material both in print and

electronic media.
Use of distance learning technologies based on new communication
and information technologies.
Adequate guidance and counsellingat study centres.
Distance learning is getting all the more popular due to its flexibility
and range. Anybody who is thinking of adding something new to
his/her current profile without leaving his/her organisation can do so.
Distance learning has harmonised itself well with existing
professional and personal responsibilities of the individuals.
Expansion of the Open and Distance Learning (ODL) in India in
recent decades has been tremendous. Open Universities (OUs) and
Distance Education Institutions (DEIs) of dual mode
universities/institutions are offering programmes /courses through
the distance mode. 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 engaged in higher
education in the country are enrolled in the ODL system. Singlemode open universities have increased from four in number during
the 8th Plan period to 14 in the I Oth Plan period. The number of
dual mode universities offering programmes through the distance
mode (DEIs) has risen to more than 140. Currently, there are 14
single-mode open universities in India.

TheIndiraGandhiNationalOpenUniversity(IGNOU)istheonly
nationaluniversity.TherestareStateopenuniversities:

1 Dr.B.R.AmbedkarOpenUniversity(BRAOU),Hyderabad,
AndhraPradesh
2 VardhamanMahaveerOpenUniversity(VMOU),Kota,
Rajasthan
3 NalandaOpenUniversity(NOU),Patna,Bihar
4 YashwantraoChavanMaharashtraOpenUniversity
(YCMOU),Nashik,Maharashtra
5 MadhyaPradeshBhojOpenUniversity(MPBOU),Bhopal,
MadhyaPradesh
6 Dr.BabasahebAmbedkarOpenUniversity(BAOU),
Ahmedabad,Gujarat
7 KarnatakaStateOpenUniversity(KSOU),Mysore,Karnataka
8 NetajiSubhasOpenUniversity(NSOU),Kolkata,West

Bengal
9 U.P.RajarshiTandonOpenUniversity(UPRTOU),
Allahabad,UttarPradesh
10 TamilNaduOpenUniversity(TNOU),Chennai,Tamil
Nadu
11 Pt.SunderlalSharmaOpenUniversity(PSSOU),
Bilaspur,Chhattisgarh
12 UttarakhandOpenUniversity,Haldwani(Nainital),
Uttarakhand
13 K.K.HandiqueStateUniversity,Guwahati,Assam.
OpenschoolssuchasSymbiosisCentreforDistance
Learning(SCDL),UTSPuneandUniversitiessuchasSikkim
ManipalUniversity(SMU),AmityUniversity,Annamalai
University(AU)offerawiderangeofskillbasedprogrammes.
DistanceEducationInstitutes(DEIs)arespreadingtheirnetworkby
settingupmorestudycentresandinformationkiosks.Somealso
providelinkstoopencoursewaretodistanceeducationinstitutes,
overseas.DistanceLearning(DL)institutionscomeinvarious
forms.UniversitieslikeIGNOU,whichareOpenUniversities,
exclusivelyofferDLprogrammes.ManylikeDelhiUniversityare
DualModewhereintheyofferbothregularandDLprogrammes.
PrivateinstituteslikeInstituteofManagementTechnology(IMT)
andInstituteofCharteredFinancialAnalystsofIndia(ICFAI)also
offerprogrammesthroughDL.Butthebestpartisthatthedegree
awardedbyOpenUniversitiesisthesamedegreeawardedtoregular
collegestudents.
The following subjects can be studied through distance learning in
India:

Management

Business

Human Resource Management

Law

Public Administration

Psychology

IT and Telecommunications

Finance and Accounting

Sales and Marketing

Service Excellence

Tourism and Hospitality

Some of the most popular Distance Education courses are :

MBA
MCA
MA
BBA
Advanced PG Diploma in e-Commerce PG Diploma in Enterprise
Resource Planning PG Diploma in Guidance and Counseling PG
Diploma in Advertising and Sales Management MA in Psychology
When one talks of legal profession in India, one at once notices that
there are opportunities galore in both corporate sector and nongovernment organisations (NGOs). Legal profession is one of the
oldest professions in every corner of the world. The awareness
about legal rights and responsibilities in the emerging world order is
very important for individuals who wish to pursue legal profession.
The degrees provided by Distance Learning in law entitle the
students to practise the legal profession throughout India.

SomeofthebestcentresforDistanceEducationinLaware:
IndiraGandhiNationalOpenUniversity
NationalLawSchoolofIndiaUniversity,Bengaluru,Karnataka
Dr.AmbedkarLawUniversity,TamilNadu
KakatiyaUniversity,Warangal,AndhraPradesh
KurukshetraUniversity,Haryana
MaduraiKamarajUniversity,Madurai,TamilNadu
MahatmaGandhiUniversity,Kottayam,Kerala
S.N.D.T.WomensUniversity,Mumbai,Maharashtra
SomepopularDistanceEducationcoursesinLaware:
1.AlagappaUniversity(Karaikudi):PGDiplomainPersonal
ManagementandLabourLaw
2.AnnamalaiUniversity(Annamalainagar):BachelorofAcademic
Law(BAL);BachelorofGeneralLaw(BGL),ML;PGDiplomain
TaxationLaw:PGDiplomainLabourLawandAdministrativeLaw
3.BangaloreUniversity(Bangalore):PGDiplomainTaxationLaw;
PGDiplomainLabourLaw

4.BundelkhandUniversityCampusForOpenLearning
5.UniversityofHyderabad(Hyderabad):PGDiplomainCyber
Laws
6.KakatiyaUniversity(Warangal):BGL,LLM
7.KurukshetraUniversity(Kurukshetra):LLM
8.UniversityofMadras(Chennai):PGDiplomainLabourLaw
andTaxationLaw
9.MaduraiKamarajUniversity(Madurai):BGL,PGDiplomain
LabourLawandAdministrativeLaw
10.MahatmaGandhiUniversity(Kottayam):LLM,PGDiplomasin
AccidentCompensationLaw,ConsumerProtectionLaw,andLocal
SelfGovernmentLaw
1I.NationalLawSchoolofIndiaUniversity(Bangalore):PG
DiplomainEnvironmentalLaw
12.AmityLawSchool(NewDelhi):DiplomainCyberLaws(6
months).
YashwantraoChavanMaharashtraOpenUniversity(YCMOU)in
MaharashtraandNetajiSubhasOpenUniversity(NSOU)inWest
Bengalhaveperformedwellovertheyears.AndhraPradesh(DrBR
AmbedkarOpenUniversity,BRAOU),Maharashtra(YCMOU),
MadhyaPradesh(MPBhojOpenUniversity)andWestBengal
(NSOU)haveregisteredlargeenrolments.TamilNaduOpen
University(TNOU)hasbeenactiveinareaslikeLivelihood
Educationbenefitingthepoorandruralcommunities.Open
UniversitiesinRajasthan(VardhamanMahaveerOpenUniversityor
VMOU),Gujarat(DrBabasahebAmbedkarOpenUniversityor
BAOU),Karnataka(KarnatakaStateOpenUniversityorKSOU)and
UttarPradesh(UPRajarshiTandonOpenUniversityorUPRTOU)
havenotgrownmuchalongtheexpectedlines.
Distance Learning In India
As distance learning offers an opportunity of flexibility regarding
time and affordable courses, millions deem it fit to add something
more to their skills and qualifications for sure and attractive career
advancement.
Owing to the development in the area of Information Technology, a
new trend in distance learning mode has become popular with the
name of Online Education. But distance learning and online
education differ from each other to a great extent. Online learning

conducts learning primarily through an online server where you may

meet once or twice. Usually you have a book to read, projects to
submit electronically and quizzes online to take. While all online
programmes can be termed as distance learning courses, it is not
prudent to call all distance learning courses online courses. All the
distance learning courses do not depend on the online mode of
education.While distance education institutions have expanded at a
very rapid rate, but most of these institutions need an upgradation
in their standards and performance. There is a large proliferation of
courses covered by distance mode without adequate infrastructure,
both human and physical. There is a strong need to correct these
imbalances including barriers to effective distance education such
as domestic distractions and unreliable technology as well as
students programme costs, adequate contact with teachers and
support services, and a need for more experience.
In this age of cut-throat competition, only those people can think of
getting to the top who avail themselves of the opportunities made
available to them by different sources. Those people excel who
upgrade their existing qualifications through distance learning
mode, if they are unable to undergo regular courses. With upgraded
qualifications and additional skills, you can adapt yourself to the
changing social perspectives. You can get a better career with an
education, and create a better future for yourself with distance
learning. Distance education opens the door to a wide range of
opportunities. As distance learning offers an opportunity of flexibility
regarding time and affordable courses, millions deem it fit to add
something more to their skills and qualifications for sure and
attractive career advancement.