Distance Learning

Distance learning has taken off well over the last five years and industry experts predict that India will grow in stature to become the hub for imparting this mode of education

Distance learning has taken off well over the last five years and industry experts predict that India will grow in stature to become the hub for imparting this mode of education. It is gaining popularity due to its many benefits. For universities, distant learning extends reach and overcomes shortage of quality teachers.

Due to its any-time any-where educational approach, many students in India are considering this as an option. People who missed out on earlier education, people looking for up-gradation of knowledge and higher education, those employed who need additional skills, and non-traditional clients are thronging towards it. Even rural students are beginning to prefer this option due to its reduced fee compared to regular courses.
Sikkim Manipal University-Distance Education Programme: Voted Best Distance Learning Institute in India in terms of Results & Efficiency

The results are out and Sikkim Manipal University-Distance Education (SMU-DE) programme has been voted the Best Distance Learning Institute in India in terms of Results & Efficiency. It is the only institute in the top3 that is not an open university. What’s more, SMU-DE has been ranked no.1 in terms of results & efficiency and rank 2 in learning & experience, which are the two most important parameters for every student.

Careers360 magazine from the Outlook Group has conducted the first ever objective ranking of 30 leading distance learning institutions across India based on qualitative and quantitative parameters. The results validate Sikkim Manipal University’s constant endeavor to make quality education accessible to everyone keeping in mind both industry and student needs.

The ranking was determined after examining 30 top Distance Learning institutions across three broad domains namely Reach & Resources, Learning & Experience and Results & Efficiency. Nimesh Chandra, Head of Research of Careers360 had spearheaded the exercise collating data on all existing distance learning institutions, visiting select universities, study centres and interview with stake holders (link to methodology scan/ image).

There are 249 Open and Distance Learning Institutes in India out of which 176 institutes are currently offering Distance Education Programmes. Careers360 shortlisted 50 institutions based on student enrolment data. Careers360 then sent letters to these institutions with a questionnaire. Additional data was also taken from the Distance Education Council (DEC). Based on the responses received from these institutes, final 30 were chosen for ranking processes. These then were subjected to a thorough research that included visits by the research team of Careers360 magazine, focus on infrastructure and diversity of the institutions, and its reach. The whole research process emphasized on quality of resources, delivery mechanisms and output focusing on the performance of the institute in helping the trained student getting a better career prospect.


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Scoring a sum total of 616 points, Sikkim Manipal University is ranked 3 overall in the list of the best distance learning institutions across the country. Importantly SMU-DE’s methods towards efficiency of teaching and interactive learning have earned it rank 1 and 2 respectively. Teaching efficiency is a must in distance learning as this mode focuses on self learning. Hence getting the right message across from the faculty to the student is vital. Similarly interactive learning has by far been considered as a major hindrance in distance education when compared with regular colleges. Institutes like Sikkim Manipal University has successfully negated this drawback thereby increasing industry acceptance of distance education and making the learning experience a more enjoyable one. SMU-DE also found special mention in the article with regards to Public Private Partnership model that works. SMU-DE has always believed and delivered courses that are in sync with the needs of the industry making sure that the student gets a degree that will facilitate his career growth. Students at SMU-DE don’t just get an higher education, they get a degree that works!


Making it easy for students to learn faster is the multi award winning learning system EduNxt. EduNxt allows students to access faculty mentors, industry experts, counseling, virtual classrooms, self-learning materials and over a million journals. All this can be done 24x7 helping students to plan their studies beforehand. Moreover it allows students time to work and earn while they study thereby gaining crucial industry related experience as well as being self reliant financially. For students eager to study in a classroom environment there are more than 725 University authorized Learning Centres across 310 cities that have their own certified faculty and counsellors ready to help students at all times.
The findings of the research have once again put the focus back on SMU-DE as being the undisputed leader in teaching efficiently. From here on we strive to make the experience and value of studying at SMU-DE even better and it’s now our aim to come at rank 1 across all categories. Students at SMU-DE don’t just get an higher education, they get a degree that works!