The rise of ODL: How it changed the way we learn

Its journey tells us much about India’s quest to democratise education, empower marginalised communities, and bridge the gap between aspiration and opportunity. To understand this movement is to understand how India has sought to extend education to every household, every village, and every citizen who dared to dream.

Here’s how ODL emerged

The roots of ODL in India go back to the early decades after independence. In the 1960s and 1970s, India’s higher education system faced a crisis of expansion. Traditional universities were urban-centric, elite-driven, and unable to keep up with the swelling demand of young people seeking college degrees.

The Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER) in higher education was dismally low, and the system’s inability to accommodate everyone created a growing sense of exclusion. In this context, correspondence education emerged as a practical solution.

The University of Delhi, University of Madras, and other major institutions launched correspondence courses, sending printed study materials by post to learners scattered across the country. For the first time, the dream of earning a degree without attending campus became possible. These early experiments laid the foundation for India’s ODL journey.

A major milestone arrived in 1982 with the establishment of the Andhra Pradesh Open University (later renamed Dr BR Ambedkar Open University). This was India’s first dedicated open university, designed from the ground up to serve learners beyond the boundaries of the conventional system. Just three years later, in 1985, the Government of India established the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU).

With its mandate to expand access, promote equity, and innovate in pedagogy, IGNOU quickly became not only India’s largest university but also one of the largest in the world. Its model of printed self-instructional materials, supplemented with radio and television broadcasts, personal contact classes, and regional study centers, became the gold standard for distance learning in India.

Over time, almost every state followed suit. Universities like Yashwantrao Chavan Maharashtra Open University (YCMOU), Nalanda Open University, and Tamil Nadu Open University brought distance education closer to local communities. At the same time, many conventional universities adopted the “dual mode,” running both regular and distance education programs simultaneously. By the 1990s, ODL had become a parallel and legitimate system of higher education in India.

Policy developments consistently shaped and legitimized this expansion. The University Education Commission (1948–49), chaired by Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, had already emphasized democratizing higher education. The Education Commission (1964–66), under D.S. Kothari, highlighted correspondence courses as a way to widen access.

Recognition to distance education

The National Policy on Education 1968 and its revised versions in 1986 and 1992 explicitly recognized distance education as an essential strategy to raise enrollment. The creation of the Distance Education Council (DEC) in 1991 under IGNOU, later shifted to the UGC as the Distance Education Bureau (DEB), provided regulatory oversight.

Policies also pushed for the use of technology — satellite television, educational broadcasting, and later the internet — as tools to scale up ODL. The 2000s marked another turning point with the ICT revolution. Platforms like SWAYAM, NPTEL, and the National Digital Library expanded the horizons of digital learning. The New Education Policy 2020 gave fresh legitimacy to ODL by envisioning blended and online learning as mainstream pathways, critical to achieving a 50% GER by 2035.

Yet the true story of ODL is not written in policies or institutions — it is written in the lives of learners. For millions, ODL has been nothing short of transformative. Working adults have used it to upgrade skills without leaving their jobs. Rural youth, for whom urban colleges were too distant or expensive, have pursued degrees through study centers in their own districts. Women who left studies due to marriage or caregiving responsibilities have found in ODL a second chance to complete their education. For them, ODL has not been a compromise — it has been a pathway to dignity, empowerment, and economic independence. In countless homes across India, the arrival of an IGNOU or YCMOU study package has been the arrival of hope itself.

This impact is even more profound when viewed through the lens of social justice. India’s caste system historically excluded Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and Other Backward Classes (OBC) from higher education. For these groups, ODL has acted as a bridge of opportunity. SC students, often sponsored by state schemes, access education without the stigma sometimes experienced in conventional classrooms. ST learners, living in remote tribal belts, benefit from localized study centers and materials in regional languages. OBC learners, empowered by the Mandal reforms, have used ODL to gain upward mobility through professional diplomas and degrees.

Hurdles and solutions

Challenges remain — poor connectivity in tribal regions, lack of mentorship, and digital divides—but the system has undeniably broadened the reach of education.

Women, too, have been among the biggest beneficiaries. ODL has allowed them to study from home, balance family and academic roles, and gain qualifications that translated into teaching, clerical, or nursing jobs. For women in conservative households, this mode of learning has been nothing less than emancipatory.

Similarly, persons with disabilities (PwDs) have found in ODL a system that reduces mobility barriers, offers study material in accessible formats, and provides concessions like fee waivers and extended timelines. Though digital accessibility still has gaps, the potential of ODL to become fully inclusive remains strong.

Teachers, too, have felt the ripple effects. In ODL systems, they are not just lecturers but content creators, instructional designers, and mentors. They prepare self-learning materials, record lectures, and interact with learners in occasional contact sessions or online platforms.

Many school teachers themselves enroll in ODL programs like IGNOU’s B.Ed. to upgrade their qualifications, creating a cycle of professional growth. For institutions, ODL has redefined what it means to be a university. IGNOU, with over 3 million learners, operates not as a single campus but as a nationwide network of study centers.

State open universities, by offering modular courses, multiple entry-exit points, and skill-oriented programs, have made higher education flexible and responsive. Yet quality assurance and credibility remain pressing concerns, making regulation and accreditation central to sustaining trust in the system.

Employers form another critical part of the ODL ecosystem. In government jobs, ODL degrees are generally accepted at par with regular degrees, enabling lakhs of learners to qualify for teaching, clerical, or administrative posts. In the private sector, however, perceptions vary.

Skills over degree

While professional diplomas in IT, management, or healthcare are valued, skepticism persists about the rigor of some ODL programs. Yet, the global trend of online certifications and skill-based hiring is changing attitudes. Increasingly, what matters to employers is not the mode of study but the skills a candidate can demonstrate. This shift offers ODL a chance to strengthen its reputation by linking programs more closely with employability.

For policymakers, ODL has always been more than just an education model. It is a strategic instrument for achieving national goals. By expanding access at relatively low per-student costs, ODL helps raise the Gross Enrollment Ratio, contributes to inclusive development, and supports lifelong learning. Its alignment with national initiatives such as Digital India and Skill India reinforces its relevance. Families and communities, too, feel the ripple effect.

When a first-generation learner earns a degree, the entire household gains in confidence and social status. Educated individuals returning to their villages as teachers, health workers, or entrepreneurs influence community aspirations.

In many rural and semi-urban areas, ODL has sparked a cycle of aspiration, redefining what is possible for future generations.

Covid bolstered ODL growth

The last two decades have seen ODL undergo a profound digital transformation. With affordable internet, government-backed platforms like SWAYAM and NPTEL, and the expansion of MOOCs, ODL has increasingly merged with online learning.

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated this trend, making online education the default mode for even conventional universities. Suddenly, distance learning methods were no longer on the margins—they were the mainstream lifeline of higher education. This shift has created opportunities for scalability, diversification of offerings, and global linkages.

Today, a learner in India can pursue an IGNOU degree, a SWAYAM course, and an international MOOC simultaneously, blending pathways to suit personal goals.

But challenges remain, and they cannot be ignored. The digital divide continues to exclude those without reliable internet or devices, disproportionately affecting rural learners, women, and PwDs. Quality assurance is uneven, with some institutions excelling while others struggle to maintain standards. Dropout rates remain high, reflecting the need for stronger learner support and motivation systems. Teachers often lack adequate training in digital pedagogy.

Employers, especially in the private sector, still harbor doubts about the credibility of ODL graduates. Unless these issues are addressed, ODL risks being seen as a fallback option rather than a path of choice.

The way forward lies in bold reforms and practical solutions. Expanding rural connectivity, providing low-cost devices, and ensuring accessibility for PwDs are essential infrastructure steps.

Faculty must be trained in online pedagogy and supported in creating high-quality digital content. Accreditation systems should be rigorous yet supportive, ensuring that ODL institutions meet benchmarks of excellence. Industry partnerships must be fostered so that ODL degrees translate into employability.

Special scholarships and mentorship programs for SC, ST, OBC, women, and disabled learners can ensure equity. Content in regional languages, micro-credentials for professionals, and blended learning models can make ODL more relevant and effective.

Above all, policymakers and institutions must communicate that ODL is not a compromise but a legitimate and vital pathway for building an inclusive knowledge society.

The story of ODL in India is thus a story of quiet revolutions. From correspondence courses in the 1960s to hybrid online degrees in the 2020s, it has steadily expanded access. It has changed the lives of a housewife in Bihar, a tribal youth in Jharkhand, a visually impaired learner in Kerala, and a working-class father in Maharashtra. It has allowed teachers to reinvent themselves, institutions to scale up, and policymakers to dream bigger. It has planted seeds of aspiration in communities once denied higher education.

If its challenges are addressed with vision, ODL can become not just an alternative path but a mainstream engine of higher education in India. It embodies the spirit of democracy in education, proving that learning is not the privilege of a few but the birthright of all. In an age of digital disruption and social transformation, ODL stands as a beacon—an instrument of equity, a bridge to opportunity, and a cornerstone of India’s journey toward a just and inclusive knowledge society.

(The author is a researcher, assistant professor at the Centre for Distance and Online Education Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune)