Distance Education has emerged as an effective remedy to a hindrance to the learning process for most of the students of India. Some students are not in a position to attend a regular college or some might have been engaged in work and not able to accomplish their educational aspirations. This contemporary reinforcement of the learning process has proved to be an asset for such students as they are empowered to learn anything which they want from anywhere in the country. This model of learning is the need of the hour. Some people who are abandoned in any position in their workplace due to lack of educational qualifications can opt for this kind of learning to add certification to their resume. The top universities in India which are contributing to such positive educational germination in the country are: 

1. IGNOU, New Delhi

IGNOU, popular with the name of People’s University, is the only National Open University in India that is purely dedicated to distance learning. It provides distance learning opportunities to three types of people:

1. Children who live in remote areas and have no access to higher education.

2. Students who are not able to join regular courses due to financial restraints or any other restrictions.

3. Employed professional looking for additional qualifications. 

Around 1.5 million students in India are enrolled in courses of IGNOU. 

2. Annamalai University 

It has a public distance education department which was established in the year 1979. This University is offering around 500 courses. These courses encompass various postgraduate courses along with courses on fashion designing, Hotel Management, interior designing, etc. 

3.  The Sikkim Manipal University 

This university has been awarded as Best University for Distance Learning. It has presented numerous opportunities for students through a varied number of courses at both Undergraduate and Postgraduate levels. The student community consists of around 4 lakh students across India. The university is accredited by the Union Ministry of Human Resources Development and by the University Grants Commission (UGC) for its quality education.

4. Symbiosis Centre For Distance Learning

This university provides distance education in not only India but also in foreign countries including Russia, Germany, UK, USA, Middle East, Japan, Singapore, and many more. Due to its worldwide presence in this field, it has gained a lot of admiration across the world. Thousands of Indian students are enrolled in this university while 1 lakh students are enrolled from foreign countries. It offers courses like postgraduate degrees, postgraduate diplomas, certificate programs in various disciplines which are demanded by the Industry in the present era. It is an autonomous institute of distance learning.  

5. Punjab Technical University 

An act was passed in 1996 named the Punjab Technical University act which stated the initiative of Distance Education being introduced in the University. The university is an umbrella to around 2000 institutes for distance learning. The University has actuated in advancement at pace and imparting knowledge to thousands of students through distance learning. 

Reference– https://www.indiaeducation.net/online-education/articles/top-distance-learning-universities.aspx