Distance education in India – A boon or bane?

Distance Education/Learning is the modern way of education in India and getting popular year after year and many universities are offering all degrees and diplomas starting from under graduation to post graduation and research degrees including Ph.Ds. Distance education is designed for learners who live at a distance from the teaching institution or people who do not have time to attend regular classes. It is also a good option if learners want to pursue education and gain work experience at the same time. Accessibility, affordability and flexibility are key drivers for distance education. Despite the advantages, distance learning suffers from several disadvantages like lack of interaction, non-suitability to all and to all courses, poor adaptability to modern technologies, employers disinterest etc. Some institutions and universities are exploiting the learners with high fee and misusing the distance learning system in the country in different ways. Fixing age limit, systematic conduct of classes and examinations and strict vigilance of Distance Education Council (DEC) go a long way in successful running of distance learning in India.