Distance - Open Universities in India
Open Universities in India provides the facility of distance education to those aspiring people in India who are unable to pursue regular studies as well as to the aspiring learners beyond the borders of the country by entering into bilateral and multilateral alliances with several countries, especially in Asia and Africa: Australia, United Kingdom, France, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, Abu Dhabi, Seychelles, Mauritius, Maldives, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Papua New Guinea and Liberia.. Distance education is provided not only in Academic, Technical and Professional subjects but also in conventional, as well as emerging inter-disciplinary areas, such as consumer protection, disaster management, environment, human rights, tourism, women empowerment and child development, participatory forest management, participatory planning, resettlement and rehabilitation, teacher education, food and nutrition, continuing medical and health education, HIV/AIDs, laboratory techniques etc. to name a few. These universities offer undergraduate, post graduate and doctoral programme besides providing diploma and certificate level courses in various streams of higher education. Apart from teaching, various literacy programmes focusing on community awareness and education and training in need-based and relevant areas are executed by these open universities to building the skill and knowledge capability of the general community.
To regulate, promote and coordinate the Open Universities and distance education system a Distance Education Council was constituted under the Indira Gandhi National Open University Act (1985).
Since establishing of Dr. B R Ambedkar Open University (BRAOU) -The first Open University - in August 1982 this list of Open universities in India contains 14 well established name throughout India with their Regional Centers (RCs), Sub-Regional Centers and Study Centers (SCs) in various states and Union Territories all over the country.
The success and acceptance of the distance education among the masses can be well established from the fact that the Indira Gandhi National Open University also known as IGNOU -One of the biggest open University- established in 1985 offers 338 programmes of study through over 3,500 courses to a cumulative student strength of over 30 lakh students through its well established network of 43 Regional Centers (RCs), 6 Sub-Regional Centers and 1,400 Study Centers (SCs) all over the country to provide easy access and effective support services to the learners.
Distance Education Council
The open universities in India are regulated by the Distance Education Council of India (DEC) an organization with its head office in New Delhi which maintains the standards, encourages and organizes the activities of Open and Distance learning in India (ODL).
The council is responsible for encouraging various state governments and conventional universities to set up open universities and distance education centers so that the reach of distance education could be expanded.
DEC also arranges funds to run these universities. The assessment and accreditation of these universities is also done by the DEC. Facilitating and promoting distance education is the ultimate goal of the DEC.
List of the Universities other then Open Universities that provide Distance Education through its Correspondence/Distance Education Department:-
Distance Education Universities - A
- Acharya Nagarjuna University Center for Distance Education (CDE) Guntur, Andhra Pradesh
- Alagappa University Directorate of Distance Education Sivanagar, Tamil Nadu
- Annamalai University Directorate of Distance Education Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu
- Anna University Chennai Centre for Distance Education Chennai, Tamil Nadu
- Anna University Coimbatore Directorate of Online & Distance Education Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu
- Andhra University School of Distance Education (AU SDE) Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh
Distance Education Universities - B
- Bangalore University Directorate of Correspondence Courses and Distance Education Bangalore, Karnataka
- Bharathidasan University Center for Distance Education Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu
- Bharathiar University School of Distance Education Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu
- Barkatullah Vishwavidyalaya Institute of Open & Distance Education Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh
- Burdwan University Directorate of Distance Education Bardhaman, West Bengal
Distance Education Universities - C
- Chaudhary Devi Lal University University Centre for Distance Learning Sirsa, Haryana
Distance Education Universities - D
- Dayalbagh Educational Institute Distance Education Cell Agra, Uttar Pradesh
- Dr Hari singh Gour Vishwavidyalaya Sagar University Institute of Distance Education, Sagar, Madhya Pradesh
- Delhi University School of Open Learning (DUSOL) University of Delhi Campus, Delhi
Distance Education Universities - E
- English and Foreign Languages University School of Distance Education (EFLU SDE) Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh
Distance Education Universities - F
- Fakir Mohan University Directorate of Distance & Continuing Education (FMU-DDCE) Balasore, Orissa
Distance Education Universities - G
- GITAM Centre for Distance Learning, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh
- Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University Directorate of Open and Distance Education (GGSIU DODE)
- Guru Ghasidas University Institute of Distance Education (GGU IDE)Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh
- Guru Nanak Dev University Centre for Distance Education (GNDU CDE) Amritsar, Punjab
- Gandhigram Rural University Distance Education Centre Dindigul, Tamil Nadu
Distance Education Universities - H
- Himachal Pradesh University International Centre for Distance Education and Open Learning (ICDEOL), Shimla Himachal Pradesh
Distance Education Universities - J
- Jamia Hamdard Open and Distance Learning (JH ODL) Delhi
- JNTU School of Continuing & Distance Education Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh
- Jayoti Vidyapeeth Womens University Directorate of Distance Education, Jaipur, Rajasthan
- Jiwaji University Institute of Distance Education, Gwalior
Distance Education Universities - K
- Kakatiya University School of Distance Learning & Continuing Education Warangal, Andhra Pradesh
- Karnatak University Directorate of Distance Education
- Kannada University Distance Education Centre Bellary, Karnataka
- Kannur University School of Distance Education Kannur, Kerala
- Kurukshetra University Directorate of Correspondence Courses Kurukshetra, Haryana
- Kuvempu University Directorate of Distance Education Shimoga, Karnataka
Distance Education Universities - M
- Madurai Kamraj University Directorate of Distance Education (MKU-DDE) Madurai, Tamil Nadu
- Mahatma Gandhi University School of Distance Education (MGU-SDE) Kottayam, Kerala
- Maharashi Dayanand University Directorate of Distance Education, Rohtak Rohtak, Haryana
- Maharashtra Institute of Technology School of Distance Education (MITSDE), Pune
- Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) Manipal, Udupi, Karnataka
- Manonmaniam Sundaranar University Directorate of Distance and Continuing Education, Tirunelvali, Tamil Nadu
Distance Education Universities - N
- NIMIS University School of Distance Learning Mumbai, Maharashtra
- National Law School of India University Distance Education Department Bangalore, Karnataka
- North Eastern Hill University Centre for Distance Education Shillong, Meghalaya
Distance Education Universities - O
- Osmania University - PGRR Center for Distance Education Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh
Distance Education Universities - P
- PRIST University Centre for Distance Education Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu
- Pandit Sundarlal Sharma (Open) University Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh
- Panjab University School of Open Learning(USOL) Chandigarh, Punjab
- Patna University Directorate of Distance Education (PUDDE) Patna, Bihar
- Periyar Institute of Distance Education (PRIDE) Salem, Tamil Nadu
- Pondicherry University Directorate of Distance Education Pondicherry
Distance Education Universities - R
- Rani Durgavati Vishwavidyalaya Directorate of Distance Education Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh
Distance Education Universities - S
- St Peters Institute of Distance Education, Chennai, Tamil Nadu
- Shobhit University School of Distance Education (SU SDE) Meerut, Uttar Pradesh
- Sikkim-Manipal University of Health, Medical & Technological Sciences (SMUHMTS) Distance Education Gangtok, Sikkim
- Sri Krishnadevaraya University Centre for Distance Education (SKUCDE) Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh
- Sri Padmavati Mahila Visvavidyalayam Distance Education Centre Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh
- Sri Venkateswara University Directorate of Distance Education (SVU DDE) Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh
- Symbiosis Centre for Distance Learning (SCDL), Pune, Maharashtra
Distance Education Universities - T
- Tamil Nadu Open University (TNOU) Chennai, Tamil Nadu
- Thapar University Department of Distance Education (TUDDE) Patiala, Punjab
- The University of Burdwan Directorate of Distance Education Bardhaman, West Bengal
Distance Education Universities - U
- University of Calicut School of Distance Education Calicut, Kerala
- University of Delhi School of Open Learning (UDSOL) University of Delhi Campus, Delhi
- University of Hyderabad Center for Distance Education (UoH CDE) Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh
- University of Kerala - Institute of Distance Education Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala
- University of Madras - Institute of Distance Education Chennai, Tamil Nadu
- University of Mumbai - Institute of Distance Education Mumbai, Maharashtra
- University of North Bengal - Directorate of Distance Education Darjeeling, West Bengal
- Utkal University - Directorate of Distance & Continuing Education Bhubaneswar, Orissa
- Uttar Pradesh Rajarshi Tandon Open University (UPRTOU) Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh
- University of Petroleum and Energy Studies Centre for Continuing Education, Dehradun, Uttarakhand
Distance Education Universities – V
- Vinayaka Missions University Directorate of Distance Education Salem, Tamil Nadu
