The students of IGNOU, mainly those who are interested in taking admission to IGNOU tend to ask one question: what is the difference between IGNOU IGNOU ODL Program or Offline Distance Mode Program and the Online Program? They get information from a number of unverified sources, so they get confused when it comes to the difference between the IGNOU ODL Program and the online program.
Firstly, we will discuss Fees. For those students who are very much interested in knowing the differences in fees, when it comes to online and offline modes, we would like to clear their confusion that the amount of fees happens to be the same for both online and offline programs of IGNOU. In addition to Fees, assignment Submission is also a must for both online and offline modes.
However, we have drawn the differences based on certain bases. Some of these are discussed below:
Portals of both the offline and online programs are different. You will need the offline portal of IGNOU, if you are going to take admission in IGNOU in the offline mode. Likewise, if you are going to seek admission in its online mode, the online portal of IGNOU will be required. Given below are the URLs of both online and offline portals:
ODL Mode Admission : https://ignouadmission.samarth.edu.in/
Online Mode Admission : https://ignouiop.samarth.edu.in/
Whether you want to pursue your Diploma, Degree or Certificate courses in one of the modes specified by IGNOU, you will need its specific portal.
Therefore, on the basis of Portal, there is difference between IGNOU Online Program and ODL Program.
On the basis of Admission Forms, more or less both modes are the same. Likewise, both have January and July sessions, the admission form in both modes is required to be submitted through their official websites, etc. But, the difference lies in RC and SC, i.e., Regional Centre and Study Centre. Though in Online Mode, there is no requirement of choosing RC, the offline mode does require the choice centres for RC and SC.
In online mode, only selected programmes are available and hence lesser students opt for the online mode whereas in the Offline Distance Mode, a large number of programms(Degree/Certificate/Diploma) are available and hence large number of students get enrolled in this mode.
In online mode, classes are arranged only through online mode. Hence, the students of this mode need not go anywhere else. They can attend their classes with the comfort of their own place. However, in offline mode, classes are held at study centre, most probably once in a week.