Online or distance: what differs
Both let you study from home. How you are taught, assessed and supported is not the same.
Distance learning in India grew up around printed study material, a handful of contact classes and exams at a centre. Online programmes keep the flexibility but move the teaching onto a learning platform.
How you are taught
Online programmes run live classes on fixed evenings or weekends, and record every session. Distance programmes usually rely on self-study from printed or PDF material, with optional contact days.
How you are assessed
Online programmes set assignments on the platform and hold proctored exams online at the end of each semester. Distance programmes typically hold pen-and-paper exams at a study centre.
Which one is recognised
Both can be valid. What matters is that the university is entitled by the UGC to offer that programme in that mode. Ask for the entitlement before you pay anything.
