Inside the Pages of Open and Distance Learning

DIMAPUR — In a state like Nagaland, where students often have to travel far for higher studies, Open and Distance Learning (ODL) offers a flexible alternative.

ODL is an educational system where students do not attend regular in-person classes. Instead, learning happens remotely through various means like printed materials, online lessons, video lectures, and assignments.

In an ODL programme, you typically enroll in a recognised university or institution that offers distance courses. After enrolment, the institute provides study materials – these could be textbooks, lecture notes, or CDs/online videos. Increasingly, materials are available digitally through online portals.

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Contact classes or counselling sessions may be arranged at study centres to help you solve doubts, but these are usually optional or occasional. Assignments are given for each course, which you complete at home and submit (often online or by post). Finally, you have to sit for exams – usually at designated centres on specific dates – to earn credits for your courses. Throughout this process, you might interact with tutors via phone, email, or in person at study centres, but you do not attend daily lectures in a classroom.

Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), which many in India have heard of, is a prime example of ODL in action. IGNOU uses a blend of self-learning materials, online e-learning platforms, radio and TV broadcasts, and face-to-face support at local centres. It has an extensive network of regional and study centres to reach learners in all corners of the country.

ODL in India: reach and growth

India has one of the largest and most developed open and distance learning systems in the world. The idea of correspondence education began here in the 1960s, but ODL truly expanded with the founding of Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) in 1985.

IGNOU was created by the government to provide higher education to those who couldn’t attend traditional colleges – whether due to jobs, family, or living in far-flung areas. Over the decades, IGNOU grew phenomenally and became the world’s largest open university. As of 2024, IGNOU has around 35 lakh (3.5 million) active students enrolled in its various courses. It offers over 300 programmes ranging from certificate courses to Ph.D. degrees through a network of 67 regional centres (including one in Kohima for Nagaland).

Beyond IGNOU, the country today has many state open universities (SOUs) dedicated to distance education. As of 2025, there are 13 state open universities established by state governments exclusively for ODL.

Additionally, many traditional universities have distance learning wings or affiliated colleges that run correspondence courses. A famous example is the School of Open Learning (SOL) under Delhi University, which has been offering B.A. and B.Com degrees via correspondence for decades. In recent years, with regulatory encouragement, a number of Central, State, and private universities have also launched online degree programmes alongside ODL. Universities like Jawaharlal Nehru University (Delhi), Jamia Millia Islamia, Mumbai University, University of Madras, and several private institutions (Amity University, Manipal University, etc.) now offer certain degrees in an online or distance mode.

How many students take advantage of ODL in India? The scale is impressive. According to the All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) 2020-21 report, about 11% of all students in higher education are enrolled in distance-learning programmes. Notably, about 45.8% of the ODL students are women.

To maintain quality, UGC’s Distance Education Bureau (DEB) closely regulates ODL programmes. Only approved institutions can offer distance courses, and there are strict rules about curriculum, examinations, and even which subjects can be taught at a distance. For example, fields that require hands-on practical training – such as medicine – are not permitted entirely in distance mode. Recently in 2025, the UGC even banned distance learning for psychology degrees on the grounds that psychology, as an allied health discipline, needs practical and clinical exposure. Around 57 universities offering psychology ODL programmes had to halt admissions.

Benefits of ODL

Why do students choose open and distance learning? There are several clear advantages of ODL that make it appealing:

•             Learn from anywhere: With ODL, you can study from your home or any location. This greatly benefits students in remote areas or small towns with no local college offering the course they want.

•             Flexible schedule: Distance learning lets you study at your own pace and timing. There are no daily classes at fixed hours. You might choose to study early in the morning or late at night – whatever suits you.

•             Open to all: Most ODL programmes have open admissions in terms of age and relaxed entry qualifications (especially for bachelor’s degrees or diplomas). If you had to drop out or missed the chance to join college at 18, you can still enroll in an open university later at any age.

•             Cost-effective: Generally, distance learning costs less than regular classroom learning. The fees for ODL courses are often a fraction of what private colleges charge because there’s less expenditure on infrastructure and daily campus maintenance.

•             Wide range of courses: Today, the ODL system in India covers a huge variety of subjects. Whether you’re interested in traditional fields like history, economics, and mathematics, or professional courses like management, computer science, journalism, and even specialised areas, chances are there’s a distance learning programme available.

•             Continued education for working people: For employed individuals who want to upgrade their qualifications (say, get a Master’s degree or an additional diploma), quitting the job to attend college is often not feasible. ODL offers the perfect solution – you can work and study together.

•             Recognised degrees: A crucial benefit is that degrees earned through recognised ODL institutions are valid and recognised for government jobs, higher studies, and other opportunities – provided the institution is approved by UGC/DEB.

Challenges and limitations

While ODL offers numerous advantages, students should also be aware of the challenges and limitations of this mode of study. Success in distance learning requires addressing these issues:

•             Self-discipline is key: In an open learning environment, nobody is taking daily attendance or looking over your shoulder. This freedom means one must be self-motivated and disciplined. Procrastination can be a big risk – since you set your own schedule, it’s easy to fall behind unless you stick to a routine. Learners need to develop good time management to complete their coursework on time. If you struggle without external structure, ODL can be challenging.

•             Less face-to-face interaction: A traditional classroom provides immediate interaction with teachers and fellow students – you can ask a question and get it answered right away or engage in group discussions. In ODL, interaction is limited. You might have forums, emails, or occasional contact classes, but the onus is on you to seek help when needed.

•             Technology requirements: Modern distance education often relies on the internet and digital tools. To fully benefit from ODL today, a student should ideally have access to a computer or smartphone and a reliable internet connection. In places where connectivity is poor, this can be a hurdle. Similarly, those not comfortable with technology might face a learning curve using online portals or video lectures.

•             Perception and quality concerns: Despite regulatory oversight, sometimes distance programmes (especially by private operators) have been perceived as less rigorous. There have been cases of some unapproved institutions offering dubious “distance” degrees. Students must be careful to enroll in reputable, UGC-approved programmes only. Another aspect is that certain careers (like clinical psychologist, engineer, and doctor) currently cannot be pursued through distance mode because the professional bodies require campus training.

•             Exams and deadlines: Some students choose ODL thinking it will be very easy compared to regular college. While flexibility is high, the academic standards are meant to be comparable to traditional modes. You still have to study and clear exams. In fact, studying alone can sometimes be harder without a teacher explaining things live. The exams for open universities are supervised and follow a schedule.

•             Limited practical training: Courses that are theory-orientated (like B.A., B.Com., M.A.) work well in ODL. But courses requiring labs (sciences) or studios (like fine arts) might offer only limited hands-on components through occasional workshops. This can affect the learning experience. Some distance programmes have solved this by partnering with local colleges for practical sessions or using virtual labs online. Nonetheless, students in such programmes should be proactive to get any practical exposure they can.

Open schooling for school Students

So far, we have talked about distance learning for college-level or higher education. But what about school students? There are situations where a school-going student might not be able to attend a regular school – perhaps due to health issues, financial constraints, or needing to support their family. For such cases, India has a system of open schooling. This is essentially the school-level equivalent of open distance learning, allowing students to complete classes 10 and 12 outside the formal school setup.

The main organisation for open schooling is the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS), an autonomous institution under the central government. NIOS offers Secondary (Class 10) and Senior Secondary (Class 12) programmes through open distance mode, as well as various skill and vocational courses. A student can enroll with NIOS and study the standard curriculum but without attending a daily school. They prepare at home with NIOS study materials and guidance from NIOS study centres or tutors and then appear for exams to earn their Class 10 or 12 certification.

For school students in Nagaland, NIOS can be an option if someone cannot continue regular schooling. For example, if a student had to drop out after Class 8 or 9, they could register with NIOS to complete Class 10. The study centre support in Nagaland might be through certain accredited institutes (perhaps some local schools or NGOs act as NIOS centres). While pursuing open schooling, students can study at their own pace.

It’s important to note that open schooling still requires passing the same subject exams, so students must study seriously. But NIOS provides textbooks and even personal contact programmes in some subjects. Subjects like Science that have practical components are handled by requiring practical exams at designated centres.

The future of open and ODL

Open and distance learning has firmly established itself as a critical part of India’s education system. Looking ahead, its role is expected to grow even further. The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 envisions a significant increase in the gross enrolment ratio in higher education (to 50% by 2035), and it explicitly notes that expanding ODL and online education will be vital to achieve this goal.

In practical terms, this means the government and universities are likely to introduce more online programmes, integrate technology more deeply (such as online labs, educational TV channels, and learning apps), and strengthen the quality assurance for ODL. We are already seeing this with initiatives like SWAYAM (an online courses platform by the Government of India) and more universities getting UGC approval to offer fully online degrees in fields like Data Science, Business, and Finance.

For students, the lines between traditional and distance education may continue to blur. Hybrid models could become common – where a student does some parts of a course online and some parts on campus. Even traditional universities post-COVID are adopting digital tools in regular classes. This means distance learners might also get access to live lectures or virtual classrooms, enhancing their learning experience.

The ODL of tomorrow might be far more interactive than the correspondence courses of the past. Imagine attending a live webinar by a professor in Delhi while sitting at your home in Mokokchung, asking questions in real-time, and later doing group discussions with classmates via video call – these things are increasingly possible with current technology.

Another aspect of the future is the inclusion of skill-based and practical training in ODL through innovative means. Virtual reality (VR) and simulation technology might allow, say, a science experiment to be performed in a virtual lab for distance learners. The UGC and other bodies are working on ways to permit blended learning even in professional fields in a safe manner. So, it won’t be surprising if a few years down the line, more technical courses are offered partly in distance mode with some on-site components, giving flexibility without compromising on hands-on training.

Global collaborations may also influence ODL here. International universities are partnering with Indian counterparts to offer joint online programmes. This could give Indian students exposure to global curriculum from home. Meanwhile, Indian open universities like IGNOU are gaining international recognition for their model; IGNOU already serves some foreign students and could expand that footprint, making it a hub of transnational education.

Crucially, the social acceptance of ODL is growing year by year. Early on, people were sceptical about distance degrees, but now even top employers are starting to value skills over the mode of education. Many successful personalities have openly credited distance learning for their academic progress. With the government’s backing and more success stories, the stigma (if any) around ODL is fading. For the current generation of students, especially those reading this in Nagaland, it’s likely that by the time you graduate, an ODL degree will be seen as normal as any other, provided you have the knowledge and skills to show.

Open and distance learning is here to stay and set to expand. It plays a vital role in a country as vast and diverse as India by making education inclusive. Whether one is in a remote village or a busy city, a teenager or a working adult, ODL opens the door for lifelong learning. As technology improves and quality measures remain strict, the gap between learning in a classroom and learning from afar will continue to narrow.