Dual mode institution concept – UGC NET Question

Institutions that provide both face-to-face on-campus programmes and distance education are commonly called dual-mode institutions. The term highlights the coexistence of two different delivery modes within the same university. The stem explicitly mentions both conventional classroom and distance programmes, so “dual” mode correctly captures this arrangement. Hence, Option D is the right answer.

Option A:
A single-mode institution typically offers only one type of delivery, such as purely campus-based or purely distance education. This does not match the situation described in the stem, so Option A is incorrect.

Option B:
“Exclusive” does not specify the presence of two modes; instead it suggests restriction or limitation and does not convey the combination of on-campus and distance systems. Therefore, Option B is not suitable.

Option C:
“Offline-only” would describe institutions that do not use distance or online modes at all, which contradicts the inclusion of distance education in the stem. Thus, Option C cannot be the correct completion.

Option D:
The word “dual” explicitly signals that more than one mode of teaching–learning is in operation within the same institution. In higher education jargon, a dual-mode university is recognised as one that runs both campus-based and distance or online programmes. Because the stem describes this exact combination, Option D is correct.