The rising demand for education coupled with a massive expansion of secondary education has created theneed for an explosive growth of higher education. There was a huge gap as thousands of students aspiringfor higher education were not able to access regular time bound education and that is why the search foralternative mode of education began. The distance learning education has been a cost –effective approachof filling this gap. This mode of learning has attached attention of many institutions and individuals at bothnational and international level with numerous big and small universities and institutes offering distanceeducation programmes. Distance education has been gaining recognition and growing in its role as analternative channel of higher education. This mode of education has made “anywhere anytime education “areality.

Distance education has grown in different dimensions to become the chosen route for higher education.This has been fuelled by a massive increase in secondary education which in turn created a huge demand forhigher education. The eligibility aspect of distance learning attracts even adult students to pursue highereducation. This growing market came as a result of the increasing demand for better competencies for aparticular job. To cater to this growing demand, some universities even offer intensive online masterprogrammes that allow students to graduate earlier, so they can get a job faster. In addition, the technologyboom has bolstered the distance education space, through better reach, promising to deliver a bright future.Today, there are several universities/institutes offering distance learning education courses. Some of themare doing remarkable work in this particular area of education.

Prin. L.N. Welingkar, Institute of Management Development and Research, Mumbai, Maharashtra

While thinking about those who were unable to complete their qualifications due to personalconstrains, the first thought that came to our mind was the geographical disadvantage of thestudents and the lack of time to attend classroom-based programmes. Education system isexpected to play a catalytic role in striking a balance between the economic growth and humandevelopment by mentoring its numerous students. The Group Director has tried his best toperform this task successfully in the complex global environment .our dedication to the educationfield did not allow us to stay calm , and finally, we came up with PGDM-HB. The Distance learningprogramme has to comprehend not only the diversity in learning within various students. But alsolocations. We provided preference to the flexibility, and confided in the student’s capabilities tocomplete the programme. We brought about the marriage of technology and traditional teachingformats to create an environment where the student and the faculty are both actively contributingto the learning experience. This environment is created by bringing movie snippets, games andvarious weekend workshops. For our Hybrid learning students, we have developed contemporaryquality course design and delivery techniques, like E-books, Online Virtual Classrooms, VideoLectures, an online channel-We Tube, and many more in the pipeline. This gives the learnerflexibilities and choice of learning through variety of modes which best suit his learning abilities.As part of the Institute’s initiative to ensure connectivity, we connect the practicing corporateexperts and the participants on a regular basis; we have initiated a delivery method called WeLounge. Through We Lounge, we conduct interviews with experts from the world of work to sharetheir insights and need from professionals in the coming years. We Lounge is, therefore, amechanism through which the Institute actively reaches out to Industry professionals to capturetheir knowledge and also seek their inputs on course design and delivery that can make thedistance learning programme more robust and the learning experience for students not onlycontemporary, but also futuristic .Every month, the institute conducts out-bound activities, likeIndustry visit, rural visits, leadership treks, etc. for its Distance Learning students.

IMT Centre for Distance Learning (IMT CDL)

Welcome to Quality Management Education Experience at IMT Centre for Distance Learning, Ghaziabad.These are unnerving times for higher education in India .Academic institution are struggling with cut-throatcompetition internally and externally. Employers are finding little value in the degrees and certificate ofstudents. Evolution and Revolution in technology is much faster now .The fact remains that India is facinghuge unmet demand for higher education and insufficient seats at institutes of higher learning .Researchfinding suggest students pursuing higher education shall double by 2025 which will further constrain ourcapacity to reach the objective –“no one is left behind’’. Distance learning alone can help us overcome it.There is a public backlash against rising tuition and student debt which cannot be overcome by establishingconventional educational institutions but by distance learning systems. We at IMT believe in the philosophy“whom do we serve “and how well we can reach out to those who can’t afford expensive education.IMT CDL provides the tier-one non-traditional experience in management and business education havingbeen recognized, as a world class Indian Institute .The time pressure and life’s demand make it harder for aworking professional to develop managerial skills through conventional intuitions. As the workplacebecomes increasingly challenging and competitive in the 21 st century, the right management education andqualification has become a crucial success factor for working professionals.

IMT Centre for Distance Learning (IMT CDL) is the most apt answer to meet the management educationrequirements of working professionals. The state-of the-art infrastructure at IMT CDL enables the learnersto experience world-class management education with ease and flexibility and without the need to remainaway from work. The vast digital repository of high –quality management lectures by our distinguishedfaculty, proctored examinations, assignments and an advanced learning platform ensure an enriching andeffective learning process.

Also, free and optional subject mentoring available for all learners is a great facility for working executivesto successfully complete and acquire a premium management qualification from IMT CDL. It is alsoheartening to note that IMT CDL has been ranked #1 in various recent surveys on distance education in thecountry.

It is an opportunity to join several thousand alumni who reposed their confident and rose to greater heightson the ladder of their professional career. I invite you and assure you of achieving your learning goals .Ourjourney for over three decades is a testimony that we have kept our promises throughout.

Distance learning system of education is gaining popularity around the world and in India, day by day .Use ofupdated communication technology is making the methodology more attractive to the learners. Distancelearning is the perfect answer for those who for any reason cannot make it to the classrooms. Since distanceeducation is no longer looked upon as an impediment to pursuing a course, the interest of students andseveral working professionals in this stream of education is growing. It has spread its roots all over theglobe.

With the current economic uncertainties, combined with rising unemployment, it is important to think ofways to stand out in the competitive job market. Taking up a new vocational course by distance learningallows an individual to displays self –motivation and attain new skills with negligible impact on the existinglifestyle, which will prove advantageous in the search for your next professional move.

Indian universities top the charts on the number of Distance Education courses at both undergraduate andpostgraduate levels. Most universities in the country now have Distance Education programs offering a widevariety of courses. With the changing time and demands, there have been many changes within thisdiscipline regarding its management, pedagogy, curriculum, accessibility etc. In the current scenario wherethe number of educational institutions and universities have increased manifold ,and education can beavailed in any part of the nation easily, the need of the hour is to strengthen this mode of education.Distance education institutions need to keep pace with the development in information technology andwidening skill gaps. This mode of education should grow many times faster than it is currently doing as it is ahuge vehicle for skill building sand enhancing employability of our nation.

This year also, we have prepared a list of some of the well-known distance learning B-schools in India. Thelist is presented in a random order. The institutes / universities mentioned in the list have embarked uponsuccess through their unique and innovative teaching and learning methodologies.