Union Minister Promotes Distance Learning Expansion

Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar said in a video message at Karnataka State Open University's 21st convocation on January 31, 2026, that distance and open learning account for over one-tenth of India's higher-education enrollment and are crucial to meeting NEP 2020’s 50% GER target by 2035. KSOU noted its NAAC A+ (CGPA 3.31), NIRF 2025 second rank for open universities, enrollment exceeding 150,000 learners, a Centre for Future Skills with AI and data analytics, and conferred 10,691 degrees and 68 PhDs.