ODL course: If you have given the entrance exam after 12th grade and you have not been able to get admission in college or course of your choice, then you do not need to be disappointed because many educational institutions offer Open and Distance Learning Course (ODL) and online courses. Students who could not get admission in regular college or their financial condition is not so strong that they can spend the expenses of visiting college daily. In such a situation, you can choose the option of ODL and online courses. Many prestigious universities of the country offer ODL and online courses which are useful for students’ career in future. Here you can enroll in the course of your choice.

DEB-ID mandatory

For admission in ODL and online courses, students have to register with their Academic Bank of Credit (ABC)-ID on UGC’s Distance Education Bureau (UGC-DEB) web portal, Deb.Ugc.ac.in and make DEB-ID. Because in the year 2024, UGC has made it mandatory to create DEB-ID for admission in ODL courses and online courses in higher education institutions. However, this rule is not for foreign students.

Open and distance learning courses in DU and IGNOU

Delhi University School of Open Learning (SOL) offers courses on ODL mode, which has many courses such as BA, BCom, BBA, BMS, and Library Science in many courses such as graduation and postgraduate degrees. Students from Delhi University can get two degrees simultaneously but one degree can be in regular and the other in ODL mode. Students can apply in DU in June and August.

Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) has Bachelor, Master, Diploma and Certificate programs on ODL mode, which is available in various subjects, such as-arts, science, commerce, management, education and technology. Apart from this, the university also offers courses like Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (PGDRRM), Post Graduate Diploma in Tribal Studies and Master of Fine Arts-painting. Admission forms are released in IGNOU in July and December.

Benefits of ODL and online courses

There are many students whose financial condition is not such that they can do regular colleges. They have to work financially to help the family’s help or to meet their own expenses. ODL courses and online courses for such students help in grooming their future. It has many benefits, such as-

• Students can learn skills according to their convenience.
• For this, they do not need to go out of the house, they can get education from anywhere.
• These courses are economical for the general course for which one has to go out of the house daily.
• ODL and online courses are available in various subjects, so that students can choose as per their choice.
• The degrees or certificates obtained from online and ODL mode are valid for jobs in government and private sector.
• Online and ODL courses can also be helpful for promotion in jobs. Also, you can also develop your skills through these courses.

Keep these things in mind

But before taking admission in any ODL and online course, take complete information about the fee and institute. Otherwise you may get into trouble.

• Before taking admission in the course, make sure that the concerned institutions are recognized by the UGC or not.
• For admission in ODL and online courses, students are required to make DEB-ID after registering their Academic Bank of Credit (ABC)-on UGC Distance Education Bureau (UGC-DEB) web portal, deb.Ugc.ac.in.
• They should check which ODL and online courses have been banned by UGC.